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State of Ben Hill County: chairman cites financial turnaround, E-911 and manufacturing growth
Summary
Chairman Steve Taylor told the Feb. 4 meeting that Ben Hill County—s finances and operations have strengthened, highlighting a renovated E-911 center, sheriff—s equipment upgrades, a new elections facility purchase and recent manufacturing investment that lowered unemployment.
Chairman Steve Taylor delivered the Ben Hill County—s annual State of the County address at the Feb. 4 regular meeting, saying the county has made "substantial gains" in finances, operations and asset modernization and calling the current state of the county "significantly sound in the areas of finance, operation, and organization."
Taylor credited policies to control spending and to optimize revenue for rebuilding the county—s fund balance and reserves. He said a county accounting representative described the turnaround as "exceptional" for a county government to achieve in such a short period.
Taylor listed completed and ongoing projects in 2019 and early 2020. He said the county fully renovated the E-911 center, purchased modern equipment and used SPLOST funds for most work; he described the center as among the best in Georgia for a community of Ben Hill County—s size. He also said the sheriff—s department received vehicle and equipment upgrades (including cameras, vests, tasers and radios) funded with SPLOST and leveraged USDA funds.
The commission purchased a building at 602 South Grant Street to house county elections and to secure state-mandated voting machines, Taylor said, calling it a more user-friendly and secure location for voters. He also noted road department equipment upgrades and reported approximately $70,000 saved in interest expense by not drawing on the Tax Anticipation Note.
Taylor cited tax collection performance reported by Tax Commissioner Barry Foster: collections of 99.5% for 2017, 98.5% for 2018 and 90.5% for 2019 (figures reported at the meeting). He said unemployment had fallen to just under 5% and credited recent private investment: about 150,000 square feet of new manufacturing and warehouse construction plus another 150,000 square feet repurposed, and redevelopment of the old Delco property by Modern Dispersions.
Taylor praised the work of county management, constitutional officers, judges, department heads and employees, and thanked Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County Executive Director Jason Dunn for facilitating infrastructure improvements that supported manufacturer expansion.
The address concluded with a call to continue investing in people and resources and with an invocation of continued progress for the county.
What—s next: The address is a summary of recent accomplishments and goals; projects cited (E-911, elections facility, infrastructure upgrades) will proceed through their respective implementation steps and departmental oversight.
