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Forest Park staff seeks continuation of countywide lobbying contract covering jet-fuel tax recoupment
Summary
City Manager described Forest Park's ongoing participation with Capri and Clay LLC for countywide lobbying related to jet-fuel tax funds; staff requested approval to continue participation but the council did not record a specific separate vote on the item in the public transcript.
City Manager Clark briefed the council in the work session on the city's ongoing participation in a Clayton County cooperative lobbying arrangement with Capri and Clay LLC aimed at recouping a portion of the jet-fuel (aviation fuel) tax and pursuing related federal funding changes.
Clark said the county's municipalities have engaged Capri and Clay since about 2016 to pursue a fair share of funding tied to past jet-fuel tax disbursements. "Our portion of the monthly bill for Capri and Clay is 5.86%, which equates to $278.35," Clark told the council. He described a prior lump-sum payment that local entities received from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs that did not restore recurring annual payments and said the lobbyist engagement continued to pursue a legislative remedy at the federal level.
Staff presented this as a continuation of an existing intergovernmental arrangement; Clark said the work includes monthly updates from the lobby firm on federal legislative activity. He asked the governing body to approve continued participation alongside other Clayton County municipalities.
Council members and the city attorney discussed procedural points about voting during work sessions and whether the mayor pro tem should vote in routine agenda-setting actions. The transcript records the brief staff presentation and procedural remarks but does not show a separate final vote on continuation of the Capri and Clay contract read into the regular meeting record. The item had been moved off the consent agenda during the work session so it could be discussed.
What to expect next
If the governing body chooses to authorize continued participation, staff would implement the monthly billing and continue to receive Capri and Clay's updates on federal efforts to restore recurring funding. The city manager indicated staff would bring follow-up materials and greater detail as requested by the council.
