Dougherty County officials to set election qualifying fees
County Commission, School Board seats among those up for re-election
By Carlton Fletcher
ALBANY — The Dougherty County Commission will vote at its work meeting Jan. 25 to set qualifying fees for local offices contested in the Nov. 8 general election, including three seats on the commission.
Primary elections will be conducted locally May 24, and the candidates who emerge from those contests will face off in the general election. The seats of county commissioners and Dougherty Board of Education members in districts 1, 3 and 5, as well as the at-large School Board seat, are up for re-election.
County Commissioners Lamar Hudgins, Clinton Johnson and Harry James currently hold those respective seats. On the School Board, the corresponding representatives are Robert Youngblood, Velvet Riggins and James Bush. Lane Price is the board’s at-large member.
Fees expected to be set by the County Commission include County Commission ($342.81), at-large School Board ($108), Board of Education member ($90), clerk of court ($2,637.18), coroner ($1,627.50), Probate Court judge ($3,001.33), State Court judge ($4,155.69), sheriff ($2,751.27), chief Superior Court judge ($895.83) and Superior Court judge (829.46).
Qualifying fees are based on salaries paid the holders of each office.
Commissioners also discussed the rezoning request — from FH, flood hazard district, to C-R, community residential multiple-dwelling district — sought by Westminister Management and Financial Co. and Pointe North Ltd. in an effort to build Phase III of the Marsh Landing apartment complex at 315 Philema Road.
The Albany-Dougherty Planning Commission had voted 7-1 last week to recommend conditional approval of the request.
City/county Planning Director Paul Forgey told commissioners that a number of strict state and federal requirements related to flood concerns would have to be met by the owner before construction in the 100-year floodplain or floodway is allowed.
“The only way we’ll allow a building permit on that property is if they get a no-rise (water level) permit from FEMA,” Forgey said.
The property owners want to build a three-story, 36-unit apartment complex on the property.
District 4 Commissioner Ewell Lyle, who attended last week’s Planning Commission meeting to learn more about the proposal, said he’s in favor of allowing the rezoning.
“We talked about economic development when we voted to extend sanitary sewerage in that area, and the sewer line becomes an economic development tool under this proposal,” Lyle said.
The commission will hold a second public hearing and vote on the proposal at its Jan. 25 meeting.
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