Council Quietly Requires Info From Development Authority & Tax Board
During the city council meeting held on June 27, city council quietly passed a resolution requiring the Development Authority and the Board of Tax Assessors to disclose certain information. Quite obviously, the info wasn’t being shared in the past. Explore the full story for the details and see the resolution’s full text for yourself.
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An artistic expression of the Seal of Columbus, Georgia superimposed on a colorized image of the city council meeting held on June 27, 2023. The council quietly passed a resolution requiring certain information to be disclosed from the Development Authority and the Board of Tax Assessors.
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Muscogee Muckraker
By
Muscogee Muckraker
Published
July 5, 2023
Updated
January 8, 2024 2:54 PM
ET

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COLUMBUS, Ga. — The city council has very quietly managed to pass a resolution requiring the disclosure of certain information from the Development Authority and the Board of Tax Assessors.

The resolution was passed during the council meeting on June 27, immediately following the passing of the city’s new fiscal budget — which included a reduction in the property tax millage rate after weeks of outcry from local property owners.

Nine of all ten city councilors voted in favor of the resolution. City Councilor Tyson Begly (District 10) gave a lone vote of no in disapproval of the ordinance.

The resolution mandates that the Development Authority and the Board of Tax Assessors must now provide city council with the following:

  • An update from the Development Authority every 120 days, specifically including the disclosure of any tax abatements and incentives that have been approved.
  • A written notice from the Board of Tax Assessors each and every time it approves a tax abatement for the Development Authority.

Given the timing of the resolution’s adoption which immediately followed great debate regarding taxation and the city’s budget — along with the obvious nature of the resolution’s content — it seems to suggest that the Development Authority and the Board of tax Assessors have not been previously disclosing information that council quite obviously deems should have been.

The additional requirement of mandated updates every 120 days also makes plain council’s intent for keeping the two entities on a tighter leash than they have been in the past.

When viewed holistically and combined with the Council’s tight-lipped approach in passing the resolution, it appears to heavily suggest the presence of possible malfeasance by the entities by purposefully hiding information from city council — specifically, as stated in the resolution, through the approval of tax abatements and incentives for the Development Authority by the Board of Tax Assessors.

You can view the entire resolution on page 93 of the June 27 City Council meeting’s PDF agenda packet, though we have also included the full text of the document below:

A Resolution requesting that the Development Authority of Columbus, Georgia and the Muscogee County Board of Tax Assessors provide certain information to the Council of Columbus, Georgia. 

WHEREAS, this Council wishes to be kept informed of the activities of the Development Authority of Columbus, Georgia “the Development Authority” on a regular basis; and 

WHEREAS, this Council wishes to be informed by the Board of Tax Assessors whenever a tax abatement is approved on a Development Authority project. 

NOW, THEREFORE, THE COUNCIL OF COLUMBUS, GEORGIA, HEREBY RESOLVES: 

  1. That the Development Authority will provide this Council with an update on their activities every 120 days to include any tax abatements or incentives that have been approved during that period.
  2. That the Muscogee County Board of Tax Assessors will send a notice to the Council through the Clerk of Council whenever it approves a tax abatement for a Development Authority project; and
  3. That the Clerk of Council will provide a copy of this Resolution to the Secretary of the Development Authority and the Board of Tax Assessors. 

Introduced at a regular meeting of the Council of Columbus, Georgia held on the 27th day of June, 2023 and adopted at said meeting by the affirmative vote of [9] members of said Council.

Councilor Allen voting YES 

Councilor Barnes voting YES 

Councilor Begly voting NO 

Councilor Cogle voting YES 

Councilor Crabb voting YES 

Councilor Davis voting YES

Councilor Garrett voting YES 

Councilor Huff voting YES 

Councilor Thomas voting YES 

Councilor Tucker voting YES

//—End of Transcription—//

Facts are stubborn things — and we’ll keep publishing them, whether city officials like them or not.

-30-

© 2023 Muscogee Muckraker. All rights reserved.

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