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Ben Hill County commissioners approve timber tax relief, request magistrate‑court technology fee and ratify contracts
Summary
At its July 8 meeting the Ben Hill County Commission approved a temporary property‑tax relief resolution for disaster‑affected standing timber, asked state legislators to allow a magistrate‑court technology fee, approved an intergovernmental election‑services agreement and ratified a public‑defender contract. All motions passed as recorded in the meeting minutes.
Ben Hill County commissioners approved several resolutions, an election‑services agreement and a public‑defender contract during their July 8 regular meeting.
Commissioner John Mooney moved to adopt a resolution providing temporary property‑tax relief for eligible standing timber located in a declared disaster area in Ben Hill County. Vice‑Chair Hope Harmon seconded the motion; the transcript records the motion as passing with Commissioners Mooney, Harmon, Daniel Cowan, Bennie Calloway and Chairman Hal Wiley voting in favor.
Mooney also moved a separate resolution asking state legislators to authorize a technology fee that could be charged by the Ben Hill County magistrate court; Vice‑Chair Hope Harmon seconded. The motion passed. The roll call recorded in the minutes lists Commissioners Daniel Cowan, Bennie Calloway, John Mooney and Chairman Hal Wiley as voting "yes"; the meeting record does not explicitly state the recorded vote for Vice‑Chair Hope Harmon in the roll‑call language for that item.
The commission approved an intergovernmental agreement for election services related to the November 2025 municipal election. John Mooney moved the agreement, Harmon seconded, and the motion carried with the same four commissioners recorded by name as voting in favor in the minutes (the transcript does not enumerate Vice‑Chair Harmon’s recorded vote in the roll call text for this agenda line).
The board ratified the county’s public‑defender contract (Georgia Defender). Vice‑Chair Hope Harmon moved to ratify the contract; Commissioner Daniel Cowan seconded. The minutes record a unanimous vote by Harmon, Cowan, Calloway, Mooney and Chairman Wiley.
The commission also made a personnel appointment: Commissioner Bennie Calloway moved to appoint County Manager Hampton Raulerson to the Solid Waste Authority Board to replace Tim Kegebein. Vice‑Chair Harmon seconded; the motion passed with all five commissioners recorded as voting in favor.
What happens next: The resolutions and contracts adopted at the meeting either instruct staff to proceed under the terms recorded (for the intergovernmental agreement and contract ratification) or request action by other bodies (the magistrate‑court technology fee requires enabling legislation at the state level). The timber‑tax relief resolution provides temporary local policy as described by the county’s resolution language until the board or other authority changes it.
Provenance: the votes and motions appear in the meeting record beginning with the agenda and approvals (SEG 005) and the New Business agenda (SEG 020).
