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Budget still on hold

Posted by
Walter Geiger
in News
Wednesday, August 10. 2011
Comments (14)
With more variables coming into play, Lamar County commissioners have put off final approval of the 2012 budget until October at the earliest.

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#1 Anonymous on 08/10/11 at 05:38 AM
Help me out here, have I forgotten something? I thought SPLOST funds were for a specific project, not debt. Is this legal? Sure agree we need to pay the debt but just asking. What benefits are paid for the commissioners? Are they considered employees and get insurance at our expense, are their families covered? Do we pay into a retirement fund for them?
#2 GM on 08/10/11 at 07:00 AM
Walter, is investigation needed? What is the deal on the comment, "include addition of $500,000 in Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax to pay down debt.

It appears SPLOST is an abused tax in Lamar County. The primary intent behind SPLOST is to pay for specifically enumerated projects, not to balance the government’s books or to pay for other governmental expenses.


SPLOST funds may only be used for capital outlay projects approved by the voters in a SPLOST referendum. SPLOST funds must be held in a separate account from other funds of the county or municipality and cannot in any manner be commingled with any other funds until spent on the approved projects [O.C.G.A. § 48-8-121 (a)]. The Attorney General has held that SPLOST proceeds cannot be borrowed from the SPLOST account to pay for other county obligations, even if the funds are paid back.

SPLOST projects must be completed before any SPLOST proceeds can be used to pay on the county debt, and if no debt exists, those funds must be used to reduce property tax.

I would think that an investigation of the SPLOST accounts and completed projects are warranted. Everyone who votes on tax additions such as SPLOST or ESPLOST should become familar on just how those monies collected may be used and accounted for.

http://www.accg.org/library/SPLOST_guidebook.pdf
#3 Anonymous on 08/10/11 at 02:25 PM
anyone have any inflated property for sale? I think that is we all by some and let the county raise the tax rate add in the fire fee we should be out of the red by the end of the year.

Note: See if you can finance it all and then default at the begining of the year, not pay the taxes let the bank have it back and try to sell it agian to some poor sap that cannot afford it!
#4 GM on 08/11/11 at 09:03 AM
I'm assuming that we won't find out who is using SPLOST funds to pay down the debt or who said it.

FYI - SPLOST funds cannot be used until the project is complete. Just because a new SPLOST is started doesn't mean they can take what is in the fund and pay on the debt then start over with the new SPLOST. What kind of crooked corruption can be imagined with that statement?
#5 Julia H on 08/11/11 at 06:42 PM
GM, there are plenty of rules about SPLOST and how it can be used, but there is no enforcement to it except that the people refuse to vote for SPLOST. It is only the people in the county that uses SPLOST dollars wastefully that can stop it.

This means the ballot box is the most important part of a SPLOST vote, and if the project is not completed, then the people need to speak again when it comes time to elect officials. The only way to stop the bleeding from local levels up to national is in becoming the most educated people we can be, and in voting well and sometimes in running for office ourselves if needbe!

Julia
#6 Anonymous on 08/12/11 at 06:10 AM
there is an audit done every year.it is available for anyone to see,if you want to see how the money is spent, get a copy.
#7 Taxpayer on 08/12/11 at 07:15 AM
Are commissioners do what they want. It doesnt matter if its legal or not. Its like speeding you can speed all day until someone does something to stop you. I said a long time ago its just a matter of time until somebody that has the money stops these thiefs. Taxpayers in lamar need to ban together to stop them.
#8 fish on 08/12/11 at 05:39 PM
what about public transportation? we need more services here. forget about the debt raise property taxes and serve all citizens of lamar. also many people need air conditioners in this hot weather. every person should rec one if they need it.
#9 Anonymous on 08/13/11 at 07:14 AM
now, now,,,,,,we all know that republican politicians would not misuse or overly spend taxpayers money.....that is what the democrats do.....
#10 Ginger Knowles on 08/15/11 at 06:42 AM
A gutless wonder replies. No doubt one of the corrupt money spenders of the county hiding behine anaoymous hoping that nobody ever questions the seperation of the general fund and the splost funds.
#11 Anonymous on 08/15/11 at 09:27 AM
not at all.just saying that there is much speculation on here about splost and the general fund.the county pays an auditor to provide an accounting of the money every year.she is very professional and the audit is printed and bound so its easy for you to read.that is if you will take the time.
#12 Anonymous on 08/15/11 at 10:26 AM
And every farmer should get a free cow when their milk cow runs dry!
#13 H B on 08/21/11 at 11:55 AM
Just like the Fire and Ambulance Fees. I had to use the ambulance service to carry a family member to Thomaston. The Cost was $1,000, and didnt include the use of a board or anything else. I think if they are charging that much for a trip to Thomaston, then perhaps they should be paying Lamar County to do business here, and Lamar not charging the taxpayers.
#14 Canis Rufus on 08/21/11 at 03:00 PM
I have a little EMS experience. We are paying them for 911 calls (probably a contract price and not based on call volu) Listen to the scanner and see how many "check me out" calls you hear. Medics and responders are not Dr's, even though some think they are.. Tell your friends to call a cab for transport (if they are able to pay for EMS service) it is those that don't intend to pay that end up costing us. I once worked a call in Newton County 15 yof OB 9m pg at a local grocery store. She had her friends take her there instead of to hospital so she could ride the Ambulance (was closer from where she was originally to hospital that it was grocery . A call in Dalton, Georgia 02:00 hrs,just had tongue pierced and was swelling and needed to go to hospital (1 mile down road). Lots of abuse by those who will never pay and those of us who pay will get hammered until we pay. We are being hammered by them now for the pocket change left that the insurance didn't pay. My wife was almost forced to go with them even though I could have driven her; but she couldn't call me until she was half way to Hospital. You do not have to go with them. You can go POV (your car) or friend or taxi. They will try and transport because the company tells them to. A really good service would even follow you to the hospital to make sure you were ok. Don't think ours would. Also the number of calls I hear on the scanner doesn't add up to what is posted in the news report. Listen yourself. You can listen online for free.
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