The Fayette County Board of Commissioners is expected to adopt new, lower millage rates at its Aug. 27 regular meeting.
It’s the only government in Fayette County not raising taxes on property owners. All other local governments — from school board to cities — kept their rates the same, resulting in increased payments from taxpayers.
The proposed 2015 millage rates include a reduction of 7.69 percent for general fund maintenance and operations, from 5.602 to 5.171. Rates for fire services (3.070), EMS services (0.456) and E-911 services (0.210) will not change.
The board will also receive an update on the West Fayetteville Bypass/Veterans Parkway projects, which are SPLOST funded and have been worked on for more than seven years. The commissioners recently requested an update on the project, with particular focus on the intersection of Veterans Parkway and SR 92, across from Westbridge Road.
The presentation for this agenda item is expected to provide a summary of the project’s history, a review of issues delaying the intersection design at SR 92, and identification of next steps and schedule for construction.
The board will consider Chairman Charles Oddo’s recommendation to authorize the county administrator to allow the individual department heads to reduce to minimal staffing beginning Friday, Sept. 4, at 1 p.m. in observance of the Labor Day holiday.
A rezoning application that was tabled last month will be heard again. A request has been made to rezone 10.56 acres on South Jeff Davis Drive from A-R to R-75 for a single-family residential subdivision, and the applicants also asked to add two lots to the minor subdivision plat.
The board will consider the selection committee’s recommendation to appoint Don Wellman, Letitia Naghise and Commissioner Randy Ognio to the Public Facilities Authority for one-year terms beginning July 24 of this year and expiring July 23, 2016. Commissioners David Barlow and Steve Brown made up the selection committee.
The consent agenda includes approval for the Fayette County Juvenile Court to file a $99,000 grant application with the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, as well as approval of the disposition of $657.15 in tax refunds.
The board will recognize Michael Crofton, who recently participated in the Special Olympics World Games, and present two Lights of HOPE luminary bags to the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network in memory of the late commissioner Pota Coston. The bags will be placed at the U.S. Capitol’s reflecting pool during the 2015 Lights of HOPE ceremony Sept. 29 in Washington, D.C.
