the commission voted 3-1 with george brown opposed to trade the school system 17 acres adjacent to the bus barn and its share of the bus barn to the school system for summers field.
it voted 3-2 with brown and commissioner bennie horton opposed to convey summers field to the city for a portion of the ag. authority assets including the 12 acres on the north side of roberta drive and $404,781 in former ag. authority funds. the county will relocate the rodeo arena on the 12 acres within 24 months but continue to operate the wetlands trail there.
the city and county will sell the 67 acres on the south side of roberta drive and split the proceeds. that land is highly valuable to developers.
the school system will retain the right to use summers field for football games until it can build an on-campus stadium on the land it acquired from the county.
the county will move its operations from the bus barn to the old county barn on grove street.
in depth coverage here
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69 comments:
Hey Walter - The ole saying goes; It ain't over till the fat lady sings. She ain't sung yet.
Gary,
I've been busy with work and haven't had time to follow this in the detail I would like.
Since none of the local media historically can be trusted to give ALL of the facts, why don't you give an accurate recap without all the political posturing that typically goes on?
What a big confusing mess they made of all this.
Tom Rauch
Let me get this straight, the county gives 17 acres to the school board in exchange for a football field which it will then give to the city whicn will cost county taxpayers 14 million dollars to replace. The county also loses its use of the bus barn and will have to build a new one. The city gets the football field in exchange for 1) returning Ag. Authority funds; 2) the rodeo arena, 3) wetlands trail and 4) the remaining land on the north side of Roberta Drive,5) 1/2 of the proceeds of the sale of 67 acres on the other side of Roberta Drive --none of which it was ever entitled to own because it should have gone to the County if the Ag Authority had not breached its fiduciary duty. Costs to county taxpayers--14 milllion for a football field, the costs of a new county equipment shop, the costs of relocating and rebuilding the arena in two years (why does it have to be moved???? Who wants to buy the land so bad that it has to be moved?); and 1/2 of whatever the 67 acres is worth. What does the city get? Suumers Field, 1/2 of the value of the 67 acres. Cost to city taxpayers? Nothing. Total pure windfall to the city. Hats off to the city for stealing from county taxpayers and shame on our ocmmissioners for allowing it to happen. There is a sweetheart deal in this somewhere for someone. Keep your eyes open to see who buys and develops that property.
Five will get you ten that in the weeks before the SPLOST vote we are going to start hearing that we have to pass it because the city will not let the schooluse Summers Field much longer and there will be no place for the games. What a total hose job.
You tell them Jon. I agree 100%.
some people are moving forward with a law suit. the state is being contacted today about splst tax and grants being misused. i got this information from a friend.
BOHICA
(bend over here it comes again)
POWP
Here's another perspective. Everyone wins. The students win, the city wins, the school board wins, the county wins. Everyone got something they needed or wanted out of the deal. Yes, they are a few hurt feelings (as there always is) about how it worked out but all of it belongs to taxpayers and all taxpayers will reap the benefits resulting from this deal in the future.
i have to agree with anon 9:30 am. It seems that the county and/or city likes to misuse funds. Same old song and dance! Reminds me of the Sheriff's department.
I'll bet if that new Chinese firm had read this blog and listen to some of these whinners and complainers they would have chosen somewhere else besides Barnesville. I know I would have.
3:44 there's still time. GO
To all,
OK, I've read everything and made a flow chart. This makes it easy to get my head around what is happening.
Essentially what I have read agrees with Mr. Sexton. The county for no reason is losing assets set aside for the Ag Authority to the school board and the city. The city is in particular getting a royal deal. For no risk and no investment they are getting half of the value of Ag Authority land plus a little.
I certainly would like to contribute money towards any lawsuit against the county and city on this issue. They need to be taught a lesson.
This is another example of how some people think they can do anything they like. WDM says everyone wins.
WDM is wrong. No one wins when money is taken from people through a vote under one pretense and given to another end use. It is bad enough when it is morally dishonest or wrong. It is especially destructive to our taxpayers when laws are broken in the process.
This country is supposed to be run by voters, and those governing from Bush right on down to Gene Hardwick should follow the letter of the law. Enough of this crooked stuff. If the school needs a bus barn or stadium, let the voters decide. If the City of Barnesville wants some land and a half million bucks of assets, let them collect it from Barnesville residents.
Let's stop this dishonest back door illegal asset shuffling
The school board should present their case to voters and the voters decide. The city should ask for money from city residents instead of stealing county assets. The county should stop giving away our money and property no matter whose daddy and/or friends say it is OK.
Hardwick and the rest should start following the law, and they should do what is right by the county residents with county property.
Enough is enough.
Tom Rauch
tom,
gary is out of town until the 21st. i do know that he contacted his attorney this morning to go ahead with the suit. i also know that he did ask his attorney to call in the ga dept of revenue and dca to start investigating misuse and improper accounting of splost funds and dca grants. there is also other things that he said that he couldn't discuss. i'm sure more will come out soon.
Because ir might keep the Chinese from coming we are all suppose to bend over and spread 'em. Please give me a break.
Idiots, idiots, my God there everywhere. This blog certainly has it's share and then some.
Some astute local citizen offered the following pearl of wisdom:
“Idiots, idiots, my God there everywhere. This blog certainly has it's share and then some. “
there = a place = The money and land is over there.
they're = contraction for “they are” = They’re ripping us off.
its = third person singular possessive of it = This Blog has its share of illiterates.
it's = contraction for it is = It’s our money and property, give it back.
Indeed, idiots are everywhere.
You have proven it.
Tom Rauch you are wrong about two things. 1st) When all the improvements and projects are complete, you will know this is a win/win for everyone in Barnesville and Lamar County. 2nd) Every dollar spent in the City of Barnesville is taxed as well so all these land parcels are not exclusively paid for by county residents only.
Don't doubt for a minute that the boys have already talked to the dca and revenue dept.
They did it in February of 2006 and made one heck of a mess just disappear from the radar screen. I know, because I have the documentation in a safe deposit box out of town.
The city has a dca expert on board. Don't you guys understand that they can afford to be smug because they think they'll win. They probably WILL win. You gotta remember that old saying about birds of a feather.
Its certainly true in Barnesville.
You're preaching to the choir here, but unless you can really pull some weight in Atlanta, their 'experts' will just sweep it under the rug.
How'd I do Scoop?
The way to teach our county and city government to behave itself is to deny it the one thing that it wants: MONEY. VOTE AGAINST SPLOST when it comes up again (September, I think). Why voluntarily tax ourselves when our county and school board representatives give away what our hard earned tax dollars and grants purchased. A vote against SPLOST in September is a vote against the "good old boy" do what you want network and against this deal. If you vote against SPLOST, you are undoing this questionable (at best) land transfer deal because the "projects" will not happen. The Result: we save money by not voluntarily taxing ourselves and teach them a lesson that they cannot do whatever they want and ignore the law and citizens wishes.
This is a grand example of counting your chickens before they hatch. Our esteemed leaders think they can snow ball us and the splost is a done deal. I usually avoid political meetings and posturing but where do I sign up to send these folks a message??...I VOTE and until all votes are counted we don't have a SPLOST. Again we need teachers that make a good salary and computers not a pretty stadium. we elected these folks to be good stewards of our money. it is not happening. How many of our elected officials send their little darlings to private school???
By voting no to SPLOST you are not going to eliminate the money for these projects, you are simply going to burden property owners with the entire financial burden. A property tax payers wanting a no vote to splost reminds me of the old saying about "cutting off your nose to spite your face."
Okay Lamar county taxpayers. Get out the jar of vaseline bend over because we are getting scr---- again. But we should be used to it by now.
wdm
Are you one of the good boys or do you just want to be one. Are you really to blind to see what went on here? Win/win by butt. You need to look it over again cityboy.
Think about it, who really gets punished if the splost doesn't pass. I don't really think its any of our politicians is it. The splost isn't just for a stadium is it? Could it be that the scool board could increase millage rates and put the entire burden on Lamar County taxpayers? Or could we use a splost and everytime someone from out of town purchases something in our county we let them help with the burden.
According to the law, SPLOST money can only be used for the purpose that it was originally written. After reading the DOE report for Lamar County and it's AYP results, I ask, "how could a citizen of Lamar County not vote in favor a any SPLOST that the Lamar BOE presents?" Folks, we are talking about the citizens of tomorrow for Lamar County!! Children are suffering because of the environment that they are living in. EDUCATION and MENTORING is the answer to the future of the county. Get involved with the School Board, go to the meeetings and make sure that they are doing what they elected to do. You don't have the discipline that you used to have at GORDON MILITARY anymore!
I will never, ever, voluntarily tax myself when the government is going to do it anyway at the point of a gun. Do those in favor of SPLOST think that just because there is a SPLOST tax that the county and school board will not raise your taxes anyway? If so, you are naive. Have you looked at your property assessments lately? Look at the history of these two boards. Have there been property tax increases while a SPLOST program has been in place? You are just voting to have yourself double taxed. Do you really think that the school board is going to raise the millage rate for a stadium?
I'm no expert on any of this and I don't portray myself as such. I do believe my tax dollars go toward the salary of legal expert and county attorney Scott Mayfield (and Judge Welch's salary when consulted on county business), so am I to believe that they both gave advice that lead the commissioner's toward a lawsuit in the meeting that took place just prior to the vote on this very matter? Or, is the "fat lady" just working her vocal cords for the hysteria it brings?
12:17
The county attorney can only get involved when ask to by the commissioners. The attorney did in fact tell the commissioners that all of this was not legal and that this could be overturned. Ray and Gene did not want to go against the city and Jay sided with them. What they did not do was stand up for the people that elected them. They did let the county citizens down and now their actions my now come into question and they may even be held accountable legally. You are only witnessing the beginning. Before this is over you will see involvement by sheriff, the state, the city, BOE, BOC. and maybe the IDA. Some incidents by even involve federal agencies.
I'm sorry that I can't tell you who I am but watch all this carefully. This will be the type of case that will set establish future decisions.
I think I heard at the last BOE meeting that a large part of the current and future splost monies goes toward repaying bonds for one of the schools that have been built. If the splost doesn't continue it would automatically increase our taxes by over a mill and a half. I had much rather have splost money paying for that school than my taxes going up.
boe member @ 2:02, we've all had enough of yalls b.s. and lies so we would do what yall want. forget it cause we aint doing it any more. yall should have managed right the first time i vote never again
WDM and all,
We seem to forget we are a nation of laws. If our representatives can’t manage to follow the law, there is little hope anyone else will.
It is time to remind our elected officials there are rules. It is also time the county reminded the city they have no right to money or property that COUNTY taxpayers are responsible for. After all, City residents are members of the county and thus benefit equally with other Lamar County residents.
When Lamar County gives the City of Barnesville half of what we all share, City residents (also being County residents) get their county share plus half again. In effect Barnesville is double dipping and winding up with 3/4th of the benefit while those outside the city (county residents) only get 1/4.
No one benefits when we have a SPLOST that legally earmarks money for a specific use, as well as grants the County is responsible for, and that money is given away to some other use that had nothing to do with the SPLOST or the grants. This is a case of few foolish people deciding to ignore promises, representations, and written laws. They want to hand a major portion of money specifically set aside for a certain use over to people or entities that have no legal or moral right to control the money, and this includes the school system. In effect this is taking power and freedom of choice away from voters.
Tom Rauch
I wish you people would stop moaning and crying
Amen anon 7:51. I hear all the whinning and moaning but I see no action, Please all you people put up or shut the he!! up.
All this is political rhetoric. I am so sure that an anonymous blogger (1:36) was inside an executive session at the commissioners meeting. All you have to do is read the ag bill that was posted on the blog a couple of weeks ago and you will know the city was legal in accepting ag authority assets when it dissolved. Calling these people irresponsible and lawbreakers is basically a bunch of crap in my mind. I bet you wouldn't want the law followed to the letter if you got pulled over for doing 56 in a 55 mph zone now would you?
9:31 mentions that shoppers from out of town will come in and help us pay the splost. The only problem with that is that both of them might come in on the same day. People will think that only one person came in and spent $10.00 instead of two people spending $5.00 each.
wdm,
You seem to be the one short on facts and long on political rhetoric.
There is a tolerance in measuring speed (I have designed RADAR and other timing and measurement systems), and so it is necessary to allow a certain tolerance.
This is an entirely different issue. In this case we have clear legally binding guidelines how funds and assests are to be handled, and who is responsible for any misuse or misapplication of funds.
If you read the text, and it is all plain English, Lamar County is solely responsible for the assets. Barnesville has no part of it. The school system has no part of it.
Barnesville is attempting to suck up County money and assets that were dedicated to the Ag Authority and convert them into cash in their account. The school board is also getting some of the money that county taxpayers voted on for a specific application.
This isn't like going 56 in a 55, it is more like grand theft auto.
Tom Rauch
cry babies!
Obviously the county attorney was asked to join in, since he was in a meeting with the commissioners and his law firm's senior partner just prior to the vote taking place. Did our commissioners vote AGAINST the advice of the county attorney? Or, did they go in and vote with the clear understanding from the attornies that no laws had been broken, and thus voted their conscious?
I am big on political rhetoric but it is only to counterattack yours. My advantage is I have seen this whole SPLOST & land swapping deal before when I lived in Emanuel county. They had their spat in 1997&98 so there has been enough time pass that you can see the finished product. To be honest, the changes from it all are impressive. One other big difference between their spat and this one is blogging. Back then the residents were hashing it out in ink every week. As far as your claim of lawlessness, time will tell. I just hope if you are proved wrong and they find no laws broken you apologize.
wdm,
I've been trying to figure out who you are.
Let's see;
1 You take up for those responsible for this fiasco
2 You take up for those responsible for this fiasco.
You wouldn't happen to be a member of the Ag Authority, would you?
I might have to have my guru check into it.
Where have you been? He has already given his name.
WDM,
The Ag Authority failed to perform their dutiies, such as filing paperwork. It appears they became disinterested with the job, and instead of seeking a good solution took an easy path and gave everything away to Barnesville.
The problem is they can't disband and stop functioning just because they have given up, don't have time, or have become bored with the thankless job. Here's what the law says:
authority. The authority shall
17 make rules and regulations for its own government. It shall
18 have perpetual existence.
Check these links out:
http://www.ganet.org/services/leg/ShowBillPre.cgi?year=1995&filename=1995/HB1393
http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/1999_00/fulltext/hb1226.htm
To see the slack job they did look at this link:
http://www.dca.state.ga.us/Planners/PlanReview/RAF.asp?gov=171
It looks like the members of the Ag Authority lost enthusium for the job and quit functioning. They probably assumed people who voted under the terms of a SPLOST or resposible for grants wouldn't care where the money went.
That's what really created the problem.
If someone wants to quit a job, that's fine. It's probably a thankless job anyway. They just should do it in a legal, ethical, and moral way.
So who created this mess? How can we stop things like this in the future?
We could follow the rules! That would be different!
Tom Rauch
Here is my question, if you are wrong (after the lawsuits and investigations by the dca, feds, and irs) will you apologize? And what irony from the 12:03 anonymous, she wants to know who someone is but she hides behind anonymous.
If I said anything that is inaccurate I'll surely be man enough to apologize and correct it. The question is what about everyone else who does something wrong?
There are some things that are certain and not open for debate. For example the Ag Authority didn't following rules. There isn't any question they broke the laws governing reports and how they should function. I showed you the links to the State that show for several years they didn’t file the required spending reports.
Barnesville also is attempting to suck up money that was from a county SPLOST and from grants that were for a specific county use. These are grants the county is responsible for. We know they did that. It's all documented in public record.
What makes Barnesville the Golden Child when Milner and the rest were all part of the Ag deal? It was a COUNTY Ag authority, not Barnesville.
Perhaps what you are asking is if the city waltzes away with half the money, and the school system manages to get away with taking some of the county general funds through some deals and swaps, will I be sorry.
The answer is; you bet I'll be sorry.
As for an apology, the people on the Ag Authority need to come out and say they are sorry. They should be sorry about giving county resources to the city. They should be sorry about not filing the reports required by law for several years. They should be sorry for not letting the public know they were in trouble so the public could at least offer to help out.
The problem we really have here in Lamar County is a few people (generally the same crowd) get together and decide what to do with everyone else's resources. They do things without being open and up front.
That's the recipe that keeps controversy cooking. I'm sorry that happens, and I apologize to the rest of the world we let it go on. It's all about the money, isn't it?
Tom Rauch
Z z z z z z........
To: Tom Rauch
You can't argue with an idiot.
TO: Those of you that this offends
If the shoe fits ... well you know the rest.
Those few people who get together to make decisions concerning everyones resources are usually called politicians. That is what they do. There is no doubt the city came out of this thing on the good end of the stick. But that doesn't mean you start name calling and finger pointing because it didn't work out the way you wanted it. In the end, everyone will benefit.
WDM,
You may think that you and other citizens aren't smart enough to make decisions, or that the decisions or agreements you make don't matter.
I think differently. I think voters have a right to know what the government is doing. I think collectively we are all smarter, if we have accurate information, than any elected official.
You may think that it is OK to ask for and receive money for one purpose and to use it in an entriely different manner in violation of agreements and laws, and even moral obligation.
I don't.
I think things should run the way they intended to run, the way the Government was set up. The school board should pay for their own buildings and property from school levies. Barnesville should use money people intended to give to Barnesville. The County should honor its obligations for bonds, grants, and dedicated use taxes according to the law.
It’s OK if you disagree about these things and think everyone except a few good ole boys are too dumb to know how to spend our tax money, but please don’t pick at those who want thing to run legally or honestly.
Tom Rauch
GO for it...do what you have to do. Just please shut up. Let the lawyers handle it.....Would the fat lady please start singing!
Hell, the school board can't pay for anything because too many old farts cry about every single red cent of their tax dollars that go toward the school. Property taxes are too high, NO MILL RATE INCREASE, NO SPLOTS, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. Where the hell do all you cry babies think money comes from for the school if not from the tax paying citizens of the county. Too many cry babies in Barnesville . I wish all of you would just move to an island somewhere and develop it with what you wish to pay to live in and develop BARNESVILLE. NOTHING.
bet ya anonymous @ 3:51 was a somebody on the board of education. talk about crying well you said a mouthful. do you want some cheese to go with that whine. give yourself a thumbs up and now sit on it and spin and sing givme givme givme so i can waste waste waste. boooowhooooo - whine
bet yall didn't know that the people on the BOE, the city council, the BOC, the IDA as well as the tax assessors don't pay the same taxes you do. They have arranged to approve and reap every tax benefit available. those same benefits that you apply for and get turned down. GO TO THE TAX OFFICE AND CHECK FOR YOURSELF. They pay about 25% of what you pay or 250 for every 1000 you pay. thats why tax increases don't worry or harm them. Ask them about it and bet they won't admit it then go check it out.
Tom, You sure do sound naive on how the real world works having been the man who designed the radar gun. Your always going to have a burr in your shoe because you are looking for perfection in an imperfect world. Good luck and best of luck to you and Gmac on your lawsuit. Don't give that lawyer to much money because they don't refund it (even if they lose.)
As a matter of fact 6:59, I AM NOT on the BOE. Never have been, but I am a parent of children in the school system. I am also a tax paying citizen of this county. I do not have a problem with my property taxes, nor do I have a problem with SPLOST OR ESPLOST to improve the school or the school's facilities. My own spouse disagrees about Barnesville politics, and believes that generally there is a "good ol boys network" here, but doesn't necessarily believe a lawsuit is warranted in this situation. So, while everyone may not be totally in agreement with the whole Ag Authority fiasco, or Barnesville politics in general, not everyone is on board for a lawsuit that will cost us tax dollars either. Spend tax dollars to improve the school, or spend tax dollars to pay lawyers so the county can defend itself from this lawsuit? What's the difference, spending tax dollars is spending tax dollars, just because GMac and his cohorts think it's appropriate for us to spend money to defend a law suit that not every tax payer agrees with, doesn't make it right. At least with SPLOST, the people will get to vote!! The lawsuit will be forced upon us by a select few.
11:39
Why do you blame Gmac and coharts for this lawsuit? If the commissioners would have done their job they were elected for in the first place, there would not be a lawsuit. The city and school system has already come out of this thing ahead. The ONLY LOSERS are the tax payers of the county. They have all the responsibility and almost none of the rewards.
Look at it like this. You loan your friend 100 dollars. Your friend gives it to someone else. Now your friend says they are not responsible to pay you back and that you have to get it from the other person. The other person agrees to give you back 25 dollars but they are keeping the rest. I guess if you agree with the ag authority mess that you also agree that its OK that you only got 25 of your 100 dollars back.
To all who keep telling the people who want to get to the truth to shut up ...you might as as well get used to the noise, because we will not shut up...for too many years people sat in silence and let "the powers that be" or the "good ole boys network" or the "T street crowd" control everything to the benefit of the few while the many suffered. It is wonderful that people are finally realizing that they have a voice and they can use it. Things must change here. We have settled for mediocrity at best and illegalities at worst for far too long. The changing of the guard can be painful, but needed change is coming and it can't come to soon.
9:36
You said things must change here. All we did was change one dynasty for another. The Matthews for the Burnettes. These two families have run things in Barnesville/Lamar County for years. Nothing's changed. I truly think we need some outsider new blood to bring new ideas to the table. Otherwise the more things change the more they stay the same.
9:38
I agree with you 100% ... I didn't say needed change had come ...I said that needed change is coming ... and we cannot give up...
exactly what is a good ole boy? I think some of yall are jealous.
It ain't the good ole boys at fault. They just kepp doing what we let them do. Its the stupid bsatrads that keep electing them so stop complaining about sumthing thats our own fault.
Who are the good ole boys yall keep refering to? Are they the ones on Dukes of Hazzard?
I sure would like to know the qualifications for a good ole boy......Do you people know how stupid you sound talking about "the good ole boys." Shut up already.
2:37-One qualification is thinking they have the right to tell everyone to shut-up. See! You are closer than you think. What other qualifications of thinking you are better than everyone else do you have. Or think you have!
Better to be a good ole boy than just a plain dumba$$ !!!
3:05 maybe we can meet to see if we see eye to eye.
There are a lot of people that think they are better than everyone else....take me for example. Anyway, I am neither old or a boy. Are you trying to say that because some of these people have money, that qualifies them as a "good ole boy?" You have got to give me something better than your 2:53 comment.
good lord! now we have ding dongs wanting to fight.....thats funny!!
Ding Dong! Ain't that a Lil Debbie Cake?
PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC
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