Americus City Council decides to announce intent to opt out of House Bill 581
Published 8:52 am Monday, January 20, 2025
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The Americus City Council met on January 16. Council member Daryl Dowdell questioned City attorney Jimmy Skipper about qualification requirements for elected officials, specifically asking about whether the State had any requirements about paying taxes.
Skipper stated that as he recalled it, the provision in the law stated that you could not qualify if you owed back taxes, but noted there was a loophole. “The provision actually says that it’s not just owing taxes, is that the taxes that you owe have been finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction.” Skipper stated that rarely happened.
Dowdell questioned further, asking if it applied to utilities, to which Skipper responded that the law strictly related to taxes. When asked about the questions later, Dowdell declined comment.
Skipper also commented on the limited forensic audit. “I had recommended earlier, when the office of finance, city finance director changed hands, that the city ought to have a more detailed audit of that office, not because I or anybody else that I know think there’s some irregularities there, but just because, number one, its better if there are some irregularities that you find it out early, and secondly, we got a new finance director here now and I and think he needs to come in here with a clean slate.” Skipper stated the audit would be between $10,000 and $15,000.
Skipper differentiated it from a forensic audit. “Technically, a forensic audit is more like a criminal investigation in that it goes into great, great, great, detail, every scrap of paper, all that stuff.”
Skipper stated the auditors gave him an example. “If we look at everything, and it looks like $5,000, any check over $5,000, we ought to examine in detail, and that’s what they’ll do.” Skipper stated that if a $5,000 check led to a discovery, for example, with a $1,000 check, they would investigate further.
Americus Police Chief Mark Scott addressed the council with a request from both Circle K gas stations to renew their alcohol licenses. Council member Nicole Smith questioned Scott, asking if they were not required to renew by the end of the year.
Scott replied; “They are. I will say in their defense, both the managers of both stores tried their best.” He stated corporate was late in cutting the check for renewing their alcohol licenses.
Council members Nelson Brown, Kelvin Pless, and Terence Clemons voted for renewing their licenses. Council members Charles Christmas, Nicole Smith, and Daryl Dowdell voted against renewing their licenses. Mayor Lee Kinnamon broke the tie in favor of renewal.
After the meeting Christmas commented on his vote against renewing the alcohol licenses, stating all but those two businesses had renewed their alcohol licenses by December 31. He stated it was unfair to those who paid and had their licenses renewed.
Pless commented on why he voted to allow the renewal, stating that despite it being a little late; “we’re not here to stall business.”
Skipper commented on House Bill 581, stating that if the City was to opt out, they would have to announce an intent to opt out soon to meet the requirements before the deadline. He stated it was not a vote to opt out, but to announce intent. The council voted unanimously to announce an intent to opt out. The County and School Board have already announced an intent to opt out.