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Colony Bank and property owners pitch Albany Westover CID to commission
Summary
Colony Bank CEO Heath Fountain and consultants outlined a proposed Albany Westover Community Improvement District (CID) backed by 82 consenting property owners; the group said CIDs are authorized by HB 160 and could leverage state and GDOT funds for infrastructure if the commission approves a CID resolution.
Heath Fountain, CEO of Colony Bank, and his advisers presented the proposed Albany Westover Community Improvement District to the City Commission on July 1, saying the organizing group has secured consent from 82 property owners and raised $75,000 to study the district’s viability.
Fountain outlined how a CID works under Georgia law, referencing the state constitutional amendment and House Bill 160 (passed by the legislature and signed by the governor, effective May 1, 2023) that enables CIDs in Albany. He said the proposed district would cover business properties along Westover Boulevard and Dawson Road and would be governed by a five-member board with one appointment by the city commission and three members elected by a property-owner caucus.
Consultants said the assessment is an additional tax on consenting commercial property owners and that funds must be spent within district boundaries; the organizing group hopes to leverage CID status to access GDOT and other state/federal funds for projects and to provide services not typically funded by the city. Fountain said the next step is a city-commission resolution to authorize formation and that the organizing group will return with a form resolution.
Commissioners asked about district boundaries, whether projects could tangentially benefit nearby nonconsenting properties, and the mechanics of determining the millage/assessment rate. Fountain and consultant Michael Letad said the required consent thresholds and valuation tests had been submitted to the tax director for review and that staff had confirmed receipt of the required paperwork. The commission did not vote on the CID at this meeting; staff and organizers will bring a resolution and supporting documents for a later action item.
