By Kay Harris
VALDOSTA — Issues pertaining to the upcoming legislative session that affect county governments were the topic at a meeting Wednesday of the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) District 11 members at the new Lowndes County Judicial Complex.
Lowndes County Commissioner Joyce Evans, the District 11 board representative, served as host for the event, which brought five state representatives, delegates from the state capital, and county commissioners from a dozen south Georgia counties to Valdosta.
ACCG Executive Director Jerry Griffin and staff representatives presented an overview of issues affecting how counties do business.
“Counties partner with the state to provide state services,” said Griffin, addressing the extensive number of mandates that counties shoulder the burden for, ranging from housing prisoners to paving roads.
“There should be more flexibility for counties to pay for mandates. Not raise taxes, but give counties more tools to make decisions on paying for services,” Griffin said.
The ACCG’s platform for the upcoming legislative session includes:
• Transportation funding, to include the possibility of allowing counties to levy a T-SPLOST dedicated to transportation.
• Local sales tax collections, to ensure that dollars collected in each county directly benefit each county. Other states have a much stronger system for collecting delinquent sales tax, and other models include allowing each county to bypass the state and collect it’s own sales taxes.
• Amendments to the Service Delivery Strategy Act, which fosters disagreements between cities and counties. Changes would allow for a more level playing field in negotiations.
• Funding a statewide Trauma Care Network.
• Statewide water planning. According to Rep. Chuck Sims, speaking briefly at the meeting, “We will not let Atlanta stick a straw into our South Georgia aquifer and take all of our water.” Sims said he thinks the tri-state water wars are far from over and may ultimately have to be decided by the Supreme Court.
• A redistribution of fees to cover the services they are supposed to fund. Now, a number of fees have been redirected to other budget items, and issues such as indigent defense remain woefully underfunded.
For more information, visit the ACCG Web site at www.accg.org.
