February 12, 2018
As this is being written, the BOC is holding a meeting to discuss the “Service Delivery Strategy Agreements.” This agreement shows what services the County, City of Monticello, City of Shady Dale, and School Board will provide and/or pay for or share in paying for.
You can see the old agreement in the agenda packet here.
The current agreement states that the School Board will pay for half of the cost of the library. They do not, and they have not for many years. When the School Board and/or Superintendent come to the BOC with their hands out for a part of the projected JDA future “payouts”, the BOC needs to remind them of their debt to the County for the library funds they did not pay over the years.
The current agreement states that the City of Monticello will pay for its own police force. They do not, and they have not for the last 4 years. The BOC/County has picked up all of these costs, and the Sheriff’s budget has risen 50% over those four (4) years and our property taxes have risen accordingly.
Currently, the agreement states that the City of Monticello will have its own code enforcement (page 9), zoning regs and zoning board (page 22) , and courts (page 10). The City has been pushing the County to take over their code enforcement. Is this how it is going to be done? Through a new SDS Agreement?
The agreement also states that the County and each City will provide its own Fire Protection (page 14). On page 17 the agreement states the City of Monticello will help fund the Jail. On page 21 it states the City of Monticello will help fund Recreation. To our knowledge, none of this is being done by the City of Monticello.
Review the document for yourself and you will see that the County has taken on the burden of providing many of the services the SDS Agreement states should be shared or funded by the City of Monticello.
Most people knew nothing about this meeting until it was too late to attend. There is no doubt the document needs to be updated, but we can only hope the County Commissioners do not take on more of the costs of providing services for the City.
TWG
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The BOC has a vehicle to collect on the promises, if they had the notion to do so.
During SPLOST negotiation, they could reduce the percentage that the city gets to make up for what they owe.
They could discuss with the school board that the amount owed to the library would be deducted from their beer/wine tax proceeds they receive and then send the deducted money to the library.
It’s a shame that the entities don’t live up to their agreements.
Consolidate, your paying for it anyway, might as well get the revenue also!!!!!
The county taxpayers do not need to be burdened with all the city debt.