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City manager says county has not forwarded millions in SPLOST and T-SPLOST shares
Summary
City Manager Griffith told the Milledgeville City Council that Baldwin County has not forwarded required SPLOST and T-SPLOST remittances; the council discussed possible legal steps after staff reported a combined outstanding balance of roughly $5.4 million and estimated lost interest of about $20,000.
City Manager Griffith reported to the City Council on Nov. 18 that the county has fallen behind in remitting the city’s share of two local option sales taxes and presented detailed figures he said show millions remain unpaid.
"Total collections have been $16,551,237.89," Griffith said, adding that, based on the city’s 26.36% share of regular SPLOST, the city’s portion should be $4,362,906.31, of which he said $1,821,887.50 has been received, leaving a balance of $2,541,018.81. For the T-SPLOST he said $14,593,233.56 had been forwarded to the county; at a 35% city share that equals $5,107,631.75, of which he said $2,239,984.39 has been received, leaving $2,867,647.36 outstanding.
Griffith said the city has not received collections for any months of 2025 and estimated lost interest on delayed receipts at roughly $20,000 to $21,500. "This obviously is a violation of the IGA," he told the council, referring to the intergovernmental agreements that govern distribution.
Council members pressed staff for a response timetable and next steps. Mr. Jordan (speaker 6) and Griffith said the city had sent a letter to the Baldwin County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 27 and that staff will seek an answer from county officials; Griffith added that if the county fails or refuses to remit the funds the city will discuss legal options and the cost/benefit of collection.
The report prompted a short discussion of practical impacts: Griffith noted the city completed approximately $1.75 million in road resurfacing using other funds and said more paving could proceed if the SPLOST funds were timely. Council members asked for follow-up reporting and clarification about whether the Department of Revenue or other state officials had been contacted; Griffith said they had not yet spoken with the Department of Revenue directly and that further outreach was planned.
The council did not take a formal vote on enforcement steps during the meeting; members asked staff to continue discussions with the county and to return with recommendations on whether to pursue legal remedies.
