Libraries close, commissioners no where near millage rate compromise

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Tuesday’s Macon-Bibb county committee ended with no resolution on the millage rate or budget.

The Macon-Bibb County commission approved a 3 mil increase Thursday, but need a final vote this Thursday.

During Tuesday morning’s meeting, commissioner Joe Allen told commissioners he was going to vote against 3 mils Thursday. That’s going against his previous vote from last Thursday. There were 5 commissioners who voted for 3 mils, and with Allen backing out, that would bring the votes to 4, unless one commissioner who voted against it changes their mind. The commission needs at least 5 votes to pass a millage rate.

Commissioner Virgil Watkins presented commissioners, yet again, with various options for millage rates and how they would affect each outside agency and county department.

.@virgilwatkinsjr presents the commission with different millage rate increase options and how outside agencies and county departments would be funded. @41NBC pic.twitter.com/NmkJcYuI4H

— Edna Ruiz (@ednaruiztv) August 14, 2018

To refund parks and recreation, parks and beautification, and Bowden Golf course, the county would need $7,594,000, which is equivalent to 1.136 mils.

The county commission also found out that by law, the county has to fund libraries the same amount it did the year before, or more. The same goes for Macon Transit Authority (MTA). This means, the county would need to fund $2.8 million for the libraries and $2.3 million for MTA.

The county would need around $12.7 million just to fund those county departments and two agencies. A mil increase would bring in $12 million.

The Middle Georgia Regional Library System Director, Jennifer Lautzenheiser, was at Tuesday’s meeting to tell commissioners that if the library does not receive money by Friday, libraries will have to close indefinitely.

Libraries in Macon-Bibb County are all under the Middle Georgia Regional Library System, which is also under the Public Information Network for Electronic Services (PINES) system. Meaning if you can’t go to a library in Macon, you can’t go to another in any surrounding county, because they are also under PINES. The nearest library you can go to is in North Atlanta.

Lautzenheiser told commissioners this has never happened in Georgia before. Since the county isn’t funding the library system, the state won’t either. That has caused two other libraries to close and the last, the Washington memorial library, will close Thursday.

.@MGRLibraries Director, tells commissioners that defunding doesn’t just end libraries in @MaconBibb, it has other consequences. pic.twitter.com/zkyR7riNCs

— Edna Ruiz (@ednaruiztv) August 14, 2018

If they close and money is reinstated after September first, Macon-Bibb county will have to fund its own libraries because the state won’t help anymore.

Lautzenheiser says the state needed to see local money July first and the county has already received a 2month extension. She says if the commission can write a check by Friday, all of this can be avoided.

The county commission has to vote on a millage rate increase before writing the check. The vote is set to take place Thursday at 3 PM at the Macon-Bibb County commission chambers.