Renovations at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport will get up to a $20 million financial boost from the Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority under a bond deal the county authorized Tuesday evening.
Macon-Bibb County Commissioners spent about 70 minutes in executive session before agreeing to pursue an agreement with the authority to issue 20-year revenue bonds at an annual interest rate not to exceed 6.5%.
Mayor Lester Miller encouraged all to take a look at the plans for the guitar-shaped “High Note Aviation” fixed-base operator, or FBO, that will replace Lowe Aviation’s support services and terminal for non-commercial aircraft.
A 1962 law created the local industrial authority to work in the public’s best interest to promote and expand industry and trade while reducing unemployment.
The resolution passed Tuesday night states that it is in the best interest of Macon-Bibb County for the authority to issue bonds to “develop locations for the expansion of industrial, distribution and wholesale facilities.”
Attorneys from Butler Snow will be working with Terminus Municipal Advisors, Stifel, Nicolaus & Company and Security Capital Brokerage to prepare the necessary legal documents to issue the bonds as soon as possible.
The Miller administration and the authority share common goals of expanding the airport and enhancing industrial opportunities in the region.
Fire and police pension boost
Retirees from the Macon Police Department and fire department who were hired prior to consolidation will have more money in their checks after the first of the year.
Commissioners agreed to a 3% cost of living adjustment, or COLA, for retirees in 2025 — double the standard 1.5% typically allotted annually to help cope with inflation.
The members of the Fire & Police Pension Board who are retirees advocated for the increase because the city funded the public safety pension decades ago instead of contributing to the Social Security program. Unless retirees held another job that paid into Social Security, they do not get the federal payments, which are routinely adjusted for inflation.
Former Bibb County commission chairman and retired deputy chief of police Charlie Bishop represents the police department on the pension board and continually reminds his colleagues the local government did not contribute to Social Security for the public safety officers.
“They paid it for everybody else but police and fire, even the secretaries that worked in the police department,” Bishop said last month. “It’s been a bitter thing with me that we actually totally disregarded our police and fire employees. … It would take us about 20 years to catch up with everyone else who is working for Macon-Bibb County.”
Bishop also wanted the county to give retirees an extra check bonus this year to help ease the burden of higher prices due to a recent surge in inflation. These county retirees have not benefited from recent Social Security COLAs, such as the 8.7% given in 2023, he said.
“We can’t do both,” Miller told the board.
The mayor said they shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth as Miller was willing to double the adjustment next year and might be able to continue that amount, if actuaries find it financially feasible.
Fire and Police Pension Board Chair Danny Angelo noted the county granted a 6% cost of living raise to existing county workers who pay the same price for a loaf of bread as retirees.
“Inflation is inflation. It doesn’t matter whether you’re working or not,” Angelo said during the discussion.
Miller pushed back.
“We’ve got an olive branch out to try to give you 3%,” Miller said. “Now, if you want to hit me over the head with it, hit me over the head with it. You’re going to get zero.”
“At some point, it looks like somebody would come along and correct the wrong that had been done by people of the past,” Bishop said.
“I can’t go back in time,” Miller said.
Angelo said it took decades for the pension board to secure the 1.5% COLA that usually renews annually, so by the end of the meeting he and the board unanimously supported the one-time 3% adjustment which commissioners passed Monday night.
Ocmulgee trail expansion
County commissioners also approved NewTown Macon trying a third time to secure a $300,000 Georgia Department of Natural Resources Georgia Outdoor Stewardship grant to encourage people to take advantage of the outdoors.
Trail enthusiast Bill Causey said the grant would help connect the downtown trail through Rose Hill Cemetery and eventually to Amerson River Park.
“It’s a link in the trail network,” Causey said. “We’ve got big plans to go both ways in Macon.”
Causey explained that NewTown arrived in the trail-building business after existing infrastructure was in place, so construction projects have to coordinate with the railroad and utilities, which is not always easy.
“We’re the last group to try to get in there and build something,” he said. “That’s why it’s been kind of piecemeal.”
Honor for Black Confederate divides commission
Three members of the Macon-Bibb County Commission voted against installing a memorial plaque in honor of an African American Confederate fifer.
Darien native and free man Charley Benger, who piloted a riverboat between his hometown and Macon, was buried with Confederate honors from the Macon Volunteers at the Old City Cemetery on Seventh Street after his death in 1880 at age 88.
Benger’s grave cannot be located, so the United Daughters of the Confederacy requested permission to purchase and install a marker in Rose Hill Cemetery’s Soldier’s Square. The group wants to honor the “historic old fifer” who uplifted the spirits of troops as a teen during the War of 1812 and the Civil War, according to the resolution.
At the conclusion of the pre-commission meeting, Commissioner Virgil Watkins said since they “rapidly approved” the plaque, he asked for a “little background.”
Miller told him the information was in the board agenda packet that went out last Friday.
“You should have read it before voting on it today is all I can say,” Miller said before dismissing the meeting with about 10 minutes to spare before the 6 p.m. board meeting.
During the later meeting, commissioners passed all the other agenda items by consent, but some members wanted another vote on the Benger plaque, which unanimously passed in pre-commission, but Watkins later asked the clerk to change his vote.
Although Commissioner Paul Bronson seconded the motion during pre-commission, in regular session he, Watkins and Mayor Pro Tem Seth Clark opposed accepting the donation which did pass by a 5-3 vote, with the District 3 seat vacant.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Watkins explained his reversal.
“My purpose in voting is it’s donated by Daughters of the Confederacy for a Confederate soldier, and I don’t think that’s appropriate here, being they were traitors to America,” he said.
Commissioners also approved the early appointment of commissioner-elect Stanley Stewart to replace Elaine Lucas who effectively stepped down from District 3 to run for Macon Water Authority. Stewart attended the meeting but must be sworn in before taking the seat and voting.
Here are highlights from the meeting captured in social media posts.
— Civic Journalism Senior Fellow Liz Fabian covers Macon-Bibb County government entities for The Macon Newsroom and can be reached at [email protected] or 478-301-2976.
