There were no decisions on how to divide the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) or Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), but everyone involved in the negotiations agreed public safety has to be a priority where tax dollars are concerned.
Representatives of Fannin County and the cities of Blue Ridge and McCaysville met Wednesday, July 20, to negotiate the future divisions of both taxes.
Fannin County currently receives 75.75 percent of the LOST while McCaysville gets 10.25 percent and Blue Ridge receives 14.00 percent.
The SPLOST tax split sees 87.4 percent going to Fannin County, seven percent to Blue Ridge and 5.6 percent to McCaysville.
As the taxes come up for renewal, the divisions must be agreed to by each government receiving money.
Discussions began with Blue Ridge and McCaysville both asking for larger shares of both taxes.
McCaysville Mayor Thomas Seabolt said, “We’ve not asked for nothing in 10 years.” The money is needed for the police department budget to hire two new officers.
Looking at the starting salaries for officers in McCaysville and Blue Ridge, which are higher than starting salaries for county sheriff’s deputies, Commission Chairman Jamie Hensley said, “It’s almost like we’ve got a competition with ourselves...We all have an issue in public safety.”
Hensley also talked about the county’s expenses in public safety, which include fire, rescue and ambulance service.
For example, he said a new fire station will be built on Queen Road, the county is looking at a manned fire/ambulance station near Fannin Regional Hospital, and the Mineral Bluff Fire Station has to be upgraded.
He talked about the expense of the 911 center, including the county’s recent approval of a new, $123,200 phone system and plans to add a fourth dispatcher.
The ambulance service is currently looking to add an additional “day” unit due to the increase in emergency calls.
Hensley said on a recent week the ambulance service answered 51 emergency calls out of Station 1 in Blue Ridge. The corresponding week the year before, the same station responded to 40 emergency calls.
“We do provide all that service” to the entire county he said.
Looking at the tax splits, Hensley said money “needs to go where it will benefit all of us.”
“I’m trying to stay where we’re at,” he said.
Blue Ridge is also asking for more of the tax money, Mayor Rhonda Haight said additional funds are needed for infrastructure improvements.
She said, “we’re bringing in a lot of this income” from the taxes.
After hearing Ensley’s explanation of public safety needs, Haight said “we all need to work on” firefighters’ salaries.
City Administrator Eric Soroka said, “we’re willing to step up and help out” with the fire department.
Soroka asked about the possibility of the county taking over the city elections as a negotiating point over the tax split.
Hensley said that would be up to a vote by the Board of Elections.
He also reminded Blue Ridge officials the county has taken over issuing building permits in the city and assumed responsibility for the city park off Gray Street.
Both McCaysville and Blue Ridge representatives cited another reason for needing more funds as the burden the Georgia Department of Transportation is placing on them in regard to the SR 5 highway improvement between the two cities. They said GDOT is forcing them to pay for utility relocation work.
Hensley said he had not yet received such a demand, but now would be looking for one.
All agreed they should look into what accounts these costs could be paid from.
All agreed to look at their needs and meet again August 2. At that time, deadlines will be set to make sure the negotiations are finalized in time to meet state requirements.