How are we paying on something that was 100% paid off? —John S. Quarterman @ LCC 2013-01-08

Why are we furloughing librarians to save $30,000 when we apparently floated bonds for unbudgeted millions on the county palace? That's essentially what I asked the Lowndes County Commission at their 8 January 2013 Regular Session. Nobody had an answer.

Just to add to what Commissioner Lee said, in addition to everyone appreciating all your service, I'm sure we all appreciate all his long years of service.

Of course there are some things that have come up since he was first on the Commission. For example, Internet access.

The Internet is the roads of the future.

Perhaps funding that might be as important as striping roads. It's a thought.

For more on that, see what Idelle Dear said just before.

And I really appreciate that clock there. It's a sign that sometimes change is good.

At least they are doing a few things differently.

When this building complex was opened in 2010, the county put out a double-sheet flyer saying it was completely paid off out of SPLOST money, with zero dollars owed. I'm wondering how it is that then, either in November or December, the Commission just before your one here, refinanced bonds that included I think it was six or seven million dollars for this very building complex? I'm very confused by that. I wonder if someone could clarify how we're paying on something that was completely 100% paid off with zero owed.

It's actually about $8.9 million. Why are we paying that? Nobody answered. County Manager Joe Pritchard, pictured below, on that 2010 flyer I mentioned, paid no attention.

A prominent local member of the fourth estate said nobody was allowed to answer. Actually, the Commission's own Policies and Procedures for Citizens Wishing to be Heard include these lines:

7. Commissioners may in their discretion respond to a speaker at the conclusion of the speaker's presentation.

9. When a speaker makes a request for specific action, the presiding member of the Board of Commissioners may refer the subject to the County Manager.

They can answer if they want to. It's true most of them probably never heard this question before, so let's see what they say in a few days when they have time to think about it.

What about you? Would you like to hear why we owed nothing on the county palace in 2010, but apparently now we owe millions of dollars? How many library employees could those millions pay for?

Here's the video:

How are we paying on something that? —John S. Quarterman
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE), Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 8 January 2013.

-jsq