Dougherty County Commission formally authorizes SPLOST VII tax

ALBANY — The Dougherty County Commission set the stage for a SPLOST VII referendum Monday at its business meeting, voting unanimously to approve a resolution authorizing the imposition of a 1 percent sales and use tax that would, if approved by county voters on Nov. 8, be in effect for the next six years.

With the approval, the county Board of Registration and Elections was set Monday afternoon to call for the election. The tax would generate an estimated $92 million countywide over the course of its imposition, providing $33.3 million in funding for county projects and $59 million for the city of Albany.

Also at the meeting, the county:

— Approved the purchase of a 2017 Ford Escape for Public Works from Sunbelt Ford Town of Albany for $20,495.97;

— Accepted a drainage easement from Graham Companies Inc. on property along Eight Mile Road in southwest Dougherty County;

— Appointed Larry Thomas to a vacant position on the county Board of Tax Assessors;

— Signed off on the millage rates for the countywide general fund, the county’s special services district and the Dougherty County School System; and

— OK’d a resolution authorizing Georgia Fund I to add county SunTrust accounts to allow for withdrawals and deposits. County Finance Director Martha Hendley said the commission agreed in June to move its banking services to SunTrust when the local Bank of America branch closed.

In response to questions from District 3 Commissioner Clinton Johnson, Hendley told the board the impacted accounts include the county’s general fund, its Solid Waste fund, the CIP fund, separate SPLOST (VI, V, IV and III) accounts, internal service funds and worker’s compensation funds.

Hendley said that, at any one time, there might be up to $60 million in those accounts.

Also at the meeting, county EMS Director Greg Rowe and Training Supervisor Richard Roberts showed off an award the department had earned for its work with the regional STEMI (ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction) system. The award, and a $2,500 cash grant, was presented to EMS for its work in transporting heart patients.

“The award is for excellence in our work with STEMI markers that allow us to give early notification to hospitals when we’re transporting heart patients,” Roberts said. “Rather than testing the patient on arrival, hospital personnel are prepared ahead of time based on the STEMI markers we transmit to them. That’s allowed a number of patients that might otherwise have had serious complications to go back to normal lives.

“We’re honored to receive recognition for the job we do, and we’ll use the $2,500 to replenish our cardiac monitors as needed.”

The award was granted by the Georgia Hospital Association’s Research and Education Foundation and the Georgia Rural Development Commission.