Brantley County State of the County (chairman's corner)

As the County enters the final quarter of 2011 we need to take a look at where we are against our financial and project goals.

The County is in line to finish the year at or under budget. This is that time of year when accounts start getting lean and there is a perception that we have to "start watching every penny". The truth is that the team watching every penny in the first 8 months of the year is what allows the County to get through this last quarter at or under budget.

The annualized revenues are in line with budget when you take an average of $450,000 in monthly revenue and add the $648,000 insurance premium payment that the county will receive in October. Expenses are in line with budget when you back out those one time annual payments that have already been made from the annualized figures. Every month we print and distribute the monthly expense and revenue detail among county officials and department heads. These figures are scrutinized. Every member of the management team, County Commissioners, Constitutional Officers and all department heads are asked to review the numbers and make adjustments in spending where necessary. This summary is posted in the legal organ so that the Brantley County Citizens are able to see the monthly and year to date spending and revenues of the county. When many of us ran one plank in our platform was "Transparency". We vowed to shine the light of day on the county process of revenue and expenses from both budget and collection perspectives. In the last 2.5 years, articles like this, monthly publications, the www.BrantleyCounty.org web site and many other initiatives were undertaken to enlighten the tax payers on the actions of the county. When everyone has the all information and we can have honest, open and civil discussions and debates over the direction, we can make progress. This is one of the primary reasons that Brantley County has made the progress that it has in these last 30 months.

Today we are not borrowing money to make payroll as we were in the Spring of 2009 when we were forced to borrow $3.2 million to operate. We have moved the financial numbers out in front of the public. We have launched capital improvements with the use of Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), capital outlay and grant dollars like 13 miles of road paving or resurfacing, the new recreation park near Lulaton, the new boat ramp in Atkinson, the new $8.5 million Sheriff's Office and Detention Facility, improvements at the courthouse and St Illa office complex, the airport, the Waynesville Recreation project and much more. We've worked to support our employees and to hone our staff so that we have a qualified team to serve the citizens of Brantley County. The team has worked with the cities of Hoboken and Nahunta to try and share services and lower costs for the tax payers and hopefully more of that can come to fruition. With the one cent SPLOST extension on the ballot in November voters will have to opportunity to equip the current and next commission to continue the progress that has been made in these last 30 months and to continue to make jail facility capital payments which are $648,000 per year. Otherwise those jail payments would place more burden on the tax payers and nobody wants to see that happen.

I would like to make one correction. In last weeks letter I mistakenly noted an $8000 state homestead tax exemption and that number should have been $2000. There was a bill to increase that last year that I thought passed but I was made aware after the article ran that this did not pass. My apologies for the error.

Take time today to thank the good Lord for His blessing on our County and especially for the rain. Through His continued blessing, Brantley County will continue to make progress.

Ronald E. "Ron" Ham
Chairman - Brantley County Commission

Boat Ramp Construction

The public boat ramp at Highway 82 in Atkinson on the Satilla River is well under way. The first portion of the boat ramp is called a "push slab" as it is poured at the water's edge and then "pushed to the appropriate location as defined by the DNR approved design. This was installed this week. The rest of the ramp and the area around the ramp will be completed in the next week or two, depending on weather and inspections.

The area around the boat ramp will be prepared for truck and trailer parking and the access road will have some slight enhancements to ensure access in all but the extreme river levels. Over time, the County will work to provide some access to bath and shower facilities and "washout" facilities to clean boats after leaving the river. These will have to be completed after the next SPLOST extension is approved as funds for recreation for this SPLOST have been exhausted.

These boat ramp facilities are a testimony that the County Commission understands that many Brantley County residents experience recreation though our greatest natural resource, the Satilla River. With a very generous donation from Doctor Wade Strickland, some SPLOST dollars and by the County's hard work acquiring State Grant funding, these facilities are made possible. Over time, these assets can be expanded. But you the citizen are going to have to help "monitor" the facilities and report those who would vandalize them. Some will shamelessly damage what can otherwise be a wonderful place for families to enjoy what has become very limited
access to the Satilla River.

Thanks to the Strickland family and all those who worked without pay to make the grant funding possible. Many thanks to the County staff and crews who have completed a significant portion of the work to hold down costs.

Ronald E. "Ron" Ham
Chairman - Brantley County Commission

September 2011 Budget Hearing & Regular Meeting

The County Commission started the evening on September 13th with a budget hearing at 5:30pm. After some review, the Commission approved the millage rates that had been outlined in previous sessions and advertised on the County web site and in the local papers. The County millage rate was lowered slightly from previous years to 20.34. The Fire Tax millage rates for all individual fire districts and for the County wide fire tax district were kept the same at 1.25.

The County was presented the school board millage of 18.0 with a bond payment millage of 0.53. This represents a 5 mill or 37% increase. The County Commission has no authority over the School Board Millage rate and merely approves the millage as a matter of age old technical procedure. Some Commissioners expressed concerns over the impact of the increase on seniors who are on fixed incomes. The Commission, having no alternative, approved the Board of Education millage rate.

In the regular meeting, the Commission handles a ½ dozen agenda items. The first was the request of a transfer of an on premise beer and wine license for Blueberry Hill. The facility has changed hands but not had a lapse in service. The Commission unanimously approved the change in ownership.

There were two garbage appeals for residents that failed to receive service for part of last year. The County manager had been asked to look into the situation. The Board, after much discussion, moved to have the County manager come up with a balanced credit for both of the appeals for the number of days that they did without the service and work with the Tax Commission and the citizens to bring closure to this issue.

The group unanimously approved the cancellation of the October work session. Many of the Commissioners will be out of town for training and for the legislative update from the Governor, Presidential Candidates and legislators in Atlanta on October 3rd and 4th.

The County's group health insurance was discussed next. The County Manager has worked diligently with a new agent from Jay Smith Lanier to acquire a proposal from Blue Cross and Blue Shield to save the county $230,931 dollars. At this meeting, the former agent provided the same proposal from Blue Cross and Blue Shield with a 1% lower commission (3% instead of 4%). Where the new group had saved the County almost ¼ of a million dollars, the old agents were attempting to propose the same deal and take the business for a savings of $13,600. The Chairman recommended and the majority of the Commission agreed, that this is not the way that business should be done in Brantley County. The Commission voted 4 to 1 to use Jay Smith Lanier as the new agent doing business with Blue Cross and Blue Shield. On the same topic, the Commission voted unanimously to leave the insurance premium percentage split at 75% - 25%, with the County paying 75% of the premium and the County employee paying 25%.

The Commission also approved the annual contract for the Traylor Business Services group, who assists the Tax Assessor’s office with the evaluation of commercial property in Brantley County.

The County Manager provided an update on the Boat Ramp construction at highway 82 West and the Satilla River in Atkinson. The primary “push” slab has been poured and will have to cure for 7 days. Then it will be “pushed” into the water. Nichols Construction came to the County Manager and explained that the ramp really needed to be 10 feet longer so that there was at least 4 feet of water to float a boat at extremely low levels. The extra cost was only $600, as Nichols did it for the supplies. Next week the slab will be pushed in and the remaining slab will be poured. Over the next few weeks, the bank and area at the top of the ramp will be completed.

The County manager also updated the road paving projects, explaining that all current paving projects were completed, except Buster Walker Road, which will be completed in coming weeks. The survey and preliminary design work for the next round of roads to be worked on is being completed as time and funds are available. They will be ready should the voters approve the renewal of the SPLOST in November 2011.

The Commission had an executive session for legal matters after which they took no action.