Dawson City Council approves budget resolution
News June 23, 2021
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – City Council unanimously approved the resolution to adopt the FY 2021-2022 budget at Monday’s meeting.
The General Fund budget is balanced at $5,390,489 in projected revenue and expenditures. City Administration is budgeted at $947,570 followed by roads at $520,996 and Planning at $380,300. SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) is expected to produce $556,000 in revenue.
Council held a public hearing on the Allen Street Properties LLC and B & K Turner Family LLP petition to annex into the city limits 70.808 acres located at Perimeter Road, with a request to rezone from County Zoning of RSR (Residential Sub Rural) and RA (Restricted Agriculture) to City Zoning of R3 (Single Family Residential) with a goal of developing 124 lots with a maximum of 212. The petition will be voted on at the July 19 meeting.
Council also approved:
- Charles Alan Barge petition to annex into the city limits of Dawsonville the 44.82 acres combined tracts known as TMP 070 050, located at 612 Duck Thurmond Rd, 2.98 acres; TMP 070 004, located at 690 Duck Thurmond Rd, 2.95 acres; TMP 069 037 located at 694 Duck Thurmond Rd, 14.46 acres; TMP 069 089, located at 788 Duck Thurmond Rd; 2.96 acres; TMP 069 036, located 840 Duck Thurmond Rd, 14.38 acres; TMP 069 073, located at 914 Duck Thurmond Rd, 7.09 acres; with a request to rezone from County Zoning of RSRMM (Residential Sub-Rural Manufactured/Moved) to City Zoning of R1 (Single Family Residential);
- The bid of Summit Construction Development Company for the Allen Street sidewalk project in the amount of $147,244.50;
- The bid of Blount Construction for Roadway Improvements Phase 1, including Main Street and Memory Lane in the amount of $247,819;
- A road rehabilitation joint project with Dawson County for Howser Mill Road not to exceed $$257,000;
- Correction of an inconsistency in the City’s Financial Policy to include the addition of Securities Investor Protection Corporation to cover brokers and dealers.
- A Planning Department request to pass along vendor fees to applicants.
City Council votes 2-1 to take legal action against Dawson County Board of Commissioners
News April 2, 2021
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. — In a special called meeting this morning (Friday, April 2) Dawsonville City Council voted 2-1, with Councilman Mark French opposed, to reject the county-proposed intergovernmental agreement (IGA) regarding Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax VII (SPLOST) and proceed with legal action against the Dawson County Board of Commissioners.
Councilman Caleb Phillips was unable to attend the meeting.
Councilman Mark French
City leaders agreed in March to a resolution to sue the county, challenging the legality of the six-year, $60-million Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) VII passed by Dawson County voters last month. In a special called meeting on Mar. 29, they decided to delay the lawsuit and try again to reach an agreement.
Prior to Friday’s vote, City Attorney Kevin Tallant announced that at he received a response from the county to his request to resolve the dispute at 11:09 p.m. on Thursday and recommended council discuss the response in executive session.
When council came out of executive session, Mayor Mike Eason said, the county’s response was “there is no room for negotiation in this matter.”
Councilman Stephen Tolson
The mayor then asked for a motion to reject the IGA and move forward with the action to resolve this matter in the court.
Councilman Mark French instead made a motion to accept the IGA as presented and forego any further consideration of legal action. The motion died for a lack of a second. Councilman Stephen Tolson then made the motion to proceed with legal action which Councilman John Walden seconded.
“This is a mistake in my humble estimation,” French said. “I feel we are not serving the people who elected us to the best of our ability.”
Tolson replied, “I simply cannot, in good conscience, accept an illegal taxation on our citizens. My ethical and moral compass guides me to work a little harder to get what I think our citizens deserve. It sounds like the only way we can do that at this point is to move forward with filing this action.”
City sets rollback millabe rate at zero
News August 18, 2020
Mayor Mike Eason
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. – City Council voted unanimously Monday to set a millage rate of 8.511 mils for the 2020 tax year and then approve a rollback millage rate of zero which means, once again, city residents will not pay a city tax.
Finance Director Hayden Wiggins calculated that the city’s action would save a homeowner whose house is valued at $250,000 about $851.
Council also unanimously approved a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) budget amendment from $1,812,912 to $2, 269,269,569 to coverage an overage in the cost of the Main Street Park/Farmers Market.
After a lengthy discussion on the status of the 53rd Annual Mountain Moonshine Festival with Rhonda Goodwin, president of Kare for Kids, Mayor Mike Eason said in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Council required more specific information before the city could approve the event. The festival is traditionally held the third week in October.
City Attorney Dana Miles suggested the council not make a decision until September.
“I anticipate if the governor follows the timeline he has in the past you may not have a new EO (executive order) until August 31. It might be prudent to set your meeting Sept. 1. By then we will, for certain, have a published executive order.”
Council voted to postpone any decision until a called meeting Sept. 2 at 4 p.m.
Council members voted 4-0 to utilize the services of Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) to conduct an operational efficiency study rather than participate in a similar study with Dawson County Government and the Etowah Water and Sewer Authority.
Mayor Eason said the cost of the GMA study will not exceed $4,000 while the cost of the other in unknown.
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Council approves CARES Act expenditures
News August 4, 2020
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. — Finance Administrator Hayden Wiggins reported Monday (Aug. 3) the city has received approximately $51,000 of the $169,000 allocated by the federal government under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Wiggins also presented a spread sheet for council that shows how the funds are being used to respond to the COVID -19 pandemic. He said he expects to receive a second payment in two or three months and the final payment by the end of the year.
Items that qualify for CARES Act funding include personal protective equipment (PPE), hand sanitizer, face shields, cameras for virtual meetings, touchless faucets in restrooms. Wiggins said approximately $30,000 to $40,000 has been spent on those items so far.
Council then unanimously approved those expenditures and to authorize future CARES Act spending.
Council moved forward with a decade’s long tradition of not imposing a property tax on citizens. The decision will be made official at the next meeting on Aug. 17. The city relies on its share of LOST and SPLOST proceeds as well as fees for services in order to operate.