Board of Commissioners decide to advertise a one mill increase

The Sumter County Board of Commissioners met July 16th. A citizen addressed the board during citizens comments. “My name is Amy Adams, and I live in 193 Timberlane in Americus in Dixie Hills, and I wanted to talk about an issue that happened on 20, June. It was a Thursday and we were having a yard sale and we were shut down by Javaris the code enforcement officer. He said we were a business, and that a neighbor complained about us, and that’s why he came out.”

She told how her and her husband shut down the yard sale before visiting the code enforcement officer seeking details about yard sale ordinances. “The next day we went to the code enforcement officer’s office to talk to him, and we were trying to figure out why it is that we were shut down. He said he would get back to us, and still no answer.” She mentioned that her husband sent two emails seeking details on the ordinance used to shut them down on the 23rd and 24th of June without any answer. They also mentioned meeting with County Administrator Doug Eaves. “So basically, the consensus from our understanding of what we are told, is from both the code enforcement officer and the county administrator, that we are a business, we have to get a business license, and we have to rezone our home for business. Also two, a business is defined as when someone buys and resells anything to make money, which basically negates all private sales in Sumter County if you look at it from that aspect.”

Chair David Baldwin stated that the matter had been referred to the County Attorney. “You’ll be getting something very shortly.”

During employee recognitions, Timothy Holman was recognized for three years of service by Baldwin. Melissa Singley, with Parks and Rec, was recognized for 15 years of service. Merry Singley, with the Correctional Institute, was recognized for 7 years of service, Coretta Mathis, with Probate Court, was recognized for three years of service, and Chiquita Green, with Jail and Operations, was recognized for three years of service.

Baldwin entertained a motion to approve the Sumter County Zoning ordinance changes. Commissioner Jessie Smith made a motion to approve, which was seconded by Commissioner Mark Waddell, which passed unanimously.

Eaves addressed the Board. “During the budget process, the Commissioners approved the use of one mill’s worth of tax dollars.” He mentioned that its purpose was to balance the budget, but “that was not a binding decision, because it still had to get the digest, and go through the hearings.”

While the decision was not binding, he told how it was already factored in; “in the budget that was approved, there are $741,000 worth of anticipated new tax revenue, that 741 was based on the digest value.”

Eaves mentioned the requirements. “If we’re going to continue to have that one mill of new taxes, we are going to have to advertise, put out a press release, and do three public hearings.”

Eaves talked about how the increase would help the budget. “If we don’t have the increase, and we don’t do the advertisements, our millage rate will be 12.150. What would happen in that case, is we would have to use an additional $741,000 worth of fund balance to balance the budget we have already approved. If we do a 1 mill tax increase, it will bring another $762,000 in, which would cover what you already have in your budget.”

He mentioned that they could make a further increase. “There was some discussion at the budget, during the budget hearings, of potentially a 2 mill. That’s strictly the Board of Commissioner’s call.” The Commissioners decided to advertise for a 1 mill increase.

Afterward, Eaves talked about the increase in taxes, answering questions about the 8.2% increase advertised in the Commissioner’s press release. “The 8.2% is the increase over the rollback millage. The County will increase taxes collected by that percent over what would have been collected if we used the roll-back rate to negate the increased revenue from the reassessment.”

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