DAWSON COUNTY, Ga.- The Dawson County Commissioners approved the millage rollback rate from the current 7.6250 to 7.2225 after the third public hearing.

The commissioners also approved one of the two options proposed for the transfer station improvements. The moratorium on residential rezoning applications was voted on at the meeting as well. The request for the additional fire department positions was approved also.

The county is required to hold three public hearings before making changes to the millage rate to give citizens time to voice their opinions on the rate. The millage rate is used to calculate property taxes, it represents the amount per every $1,000 of a property’s assessed value. To learn more about the millage rate visit https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/millagerate.asp.

Since 2018 there has been a rollback every year. The school board will also vote on a millage rate and the property taxes are divided 66% to the schools and 34% to the county.

At this rate taxes due for the county with no exemptions are $866.70. The approximate tax levy at this rate is $14,695,708. The millage rate is the only part of the property tax process that the commissioners deal with any other concerns need to be addressed with the tax assessor’s board.

At the first board meeting in July County Manager David Headly presented the commissioners with an option on how they could improve the transfer station and get it back up and running. After review, the commissioners asked if there were other viable options for the improvements.

Headly brought the board two options for the improvements. The first option would cost an estimated $250 to 275,000 for the needed repairs. It would also potentially call for two part-time positions to open up at the recycling station to help citizens understand how to properly sort their recyclables. This would just be phase 1 of the process and if it were to work then the commissioners could begin looking at options to buy more equipment and do more work to the areas around the facility.

The second option would cost an estimated $700,000. It would require extensive excavation to put another building beside the old structure, new road construction, and a retaining wall. There is also an EPD concern of potential runoff into the retention ponds with this option.

The commissioners voted to have a budget of $350,000 to come out of the solid waste fund for option 1. This would accomplish the main goal of getting the facility back up and running for residential use.

Heard in the clip above are Commissioner Tim Satterfield, Headly, and Chairman of the Board Billy Thurmond discussing what will be done to the site in option one.  To review what the plans will look like go to https://mccmeetings.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/daga-pubu/MEET-Packet-1f592063f63f415ea879edc50a63f704.pdf, they begin on page 42.

The residential moratorium has been extended until Nov. 2. This is in order to give staff time to look at the residential zoning codes and the CIE. The board will then vote in Nov. to either extend again or allow the moratorium to end.

Chief Thompson requested at the July 21 work session for the creation of two new positions within the fire department to help with recruitment. To review that meeting and what those positions are visit https://dawson.fetchyournews.com/2022/07/22/board-ratifies-emergency-purchase-of-police-vehicles/.

The commissioners voted to approve both positions that Thompson requested. This will give him the ability to hire candidates that lack some of the necessary certifications and be able to help them achieve those certifications. There is no extra money needed in the fire department budget at this time for the positions.

Anne Styles has donated 120 acres of land to Dawson County. This land is to be set up as a park per the donation. Commissioner Fausett has been working with Styles and the County Attorney on this donation for months and it was approved by the commissioner at the meeting on Aug. 4.

To review the complete videos of the work session and the voting meeting visit: