Lowndes County to appoint board of assessors

Published 9:30 am Thursday, August 27, 2020

VALDOSTA — Lowndes County is moving forward with replacing elected officials with appointments for the county board of assessors.

Lowndes County will join the rest of Georgia in appointing county assessors rather than electing them. The change following Lowndes County voters choosing to change to appointed positions from a 2016 referendum.

The Lowndes County Commission approved the change in how assessors are selected during the regular commission meeting this week.

Lowndes County Manager Paige Dukes told the commission Lowndes would be the final county out of Georgia’s 159 counties to appoint members to its board of assessors. The size of the board will remain three members but could expand if deemed necessary, Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter said.

Commissioner Demarcus Marshall asked the chairman if expanding the number of assessor board members to five following the 2020 census would be prudent and both agreed to take a wait-and-see approach.

The appointment process will begin almost immediately as Slaughter said he would like commissioners to vote on the three new members during the next two commission meetings.

“We would like to do that as soon as y’all are ready,” he said so the board members can be trained and ready to start Jan. 1. 

In other business, Belinda Lovern will become Lowndes County’s new county clerk.

Lowndes County Commissioners approved Lovern’s appointment as the new county clerk Tuesday evening.

She takes over for former county clerk, Dukes who was appointed to Lowndes County manager following Joe Pritchard’s retirement at the end of July.

Holding the title of administrative assistant prior to county clerk, Lovern has been well acquainted with the clerk’s duties and prepared for the role as Dukes’ backup, Dukes said.

“She is extremely capable,” Dukes said. “There’s no one else I’d rather transfer my duties to.”

Another piece of the administrative team, Sabrina Denson will be promoted to the newly created position of Lowndes County deputy clerk as Lovern’s number two.

Commissioners also approved a series of items, including a $110,000 emergency repair at the Peterson Road lift station by RPI Underground, Inc.

During a sewer cleaning for another project, the pipe collapsed and county employees determined 120 feet of pipe and two manholes would have to be replaced.

An expansion of the Bemiss Road Fire Station was approved by commissioners. The expansion of the fire station will be for the use of emergency medical services, and it will cost $550,000. Funding will come from SPLOST VIII which voters approved during the election last November. 

Another item was JWA winning a bid for $41,840 for a discharge manhole project that will be needed at the Nelson Hill lift station. County staff noted the new manhole will be useful to receive added sewage coming from new developments on Val-Del Road.

In addition, the commission approved a beer and wine license for a forthcoming Italian restaurant to the Lake Park area. Uncle Carlo’s Italian Ristorante will be located at 1024 Lakes Boulevard, Lake Park.

Finally, in the “citizens wishing to be heard” portion of the meeting, the Rev. J.D. Martin who heads Citizens Against Violence asked the commission for a letter of support for the organization.

Martin claimed the group’s goal is to decrease crime, and with 10 organized “crime clubs,” Citizens Against Violence lowered crime by more than 50% in crime club areas, the pastor added.

This story was updated at 2:50 p.m. Aug. 27.