Macon-Bibb County Commissioners approved purchasing 17 acres outside of downtown for up to $2 million, transferred 12.4 acres on Walker Swamp Road near the old landfill to the Urban Development Authority and made provisions for sales tax payers to reimburse the county for up to $42 million in recent real estate purchases.
If the 2025 SPLOST is approved, the bond inducement would reimburse the county for the new properties commissioners agreed Tuesday morning to buy on Lower Poplar, Seventh and Tenth streets, and also put money back in the general fund for recent purchases such as the old Hilton hotel, Macon Charter Academy property and acreage off of Rivoli Drive.
While more detailed plans for the properties will be released before a SPLOST vote, Mayor Lester Miller said the county is prospecting property for a new jail.
During Tuesday’s Committee of the Whole, Mayor Lester Miller also unveiled his $211 million budget for Fiscal Year 2025 that includes a millage rate rollback, pay raises for all county workers, increased spending for public safety and economic development.
Here are highlights from the meeting captured in social media posts, but come back for more details on Miller’s plans for the property.
— Civic Journalism Senior Fellow Liz Fabian covers Macon-Bibb County government entities and can be reached at [email protected] or 478-301-2976.
