Macon-Bibb County is proceeding with two major projects under the $450 million, 10-year 2025 SPLOST collection before the first penny is collected later this year.
At Tuesday’s meeting, commissioners agreed to borrow $50 million in bonds to begin road resurfacing projects and also selected a project manager for the proposed New Macon Arena Project.
MFA Program Management, based in Memphis, Tennessee, agreed to a cut of 3.25% of the total cost of a new arena planned in the parking lot of the current Macon Coliseum.
In April, the county issued a Request for Qualifications, or RFQ, and notified 125 vendors and received 13 responses before a panel reviewed and ranked the applicants with MFA securing the winning bid.
In 2017, MFA was formed when three firms combined managerial and construction skills to respond to a solicitation for services for the Memphis Cook Convention Center, according to the company’s website.
Commissioners approved the pending agreement with MFA after a brief executive session when they also presumably discussed a tax dispute with the Academy for Classical Education, or ACE, that they voted to settle when back in open session.
For about eight years, the north Macon charter school has disputed its 2017 tax bill of $247,361.69 and also amassed penalties of $42,051.48 and compounded interest of $126,686.35.
In January, Judge Ken Smith ruled Macon-Bibb County was due all that money but ACE sought a reversal from the Georgia Court of Appeals, according to the resolution.
To prevent further litigation expenses, ACE and the county agreed to settle with the school paying the full value of the unpaid taxes and a reduced sum of $50,000 that covers the county’s legal costs.
In a separate agenda item, commissioners also allocated more than $96,000 from school speed zone camera revenue to enhance security at ACE with perimeter fencing, mapping software and individual panic alarms for educators. The county installed speed zone cameras at ACE in September.
ACE Police Chief William Farrell advocated for the alarms which can help authorities pinpoint the exact location of a crisis or emergency, such as an active shooter.
Farrell spoke during the public hearing on the county’s nearly $220 million budget for Fiscal Year 2026.
Former commissioner Elaine Lucas also addressed the body and congratulated them for the budget that does not require raising the tax rate, but encouraged them to remember the 27% of the community who are at or below the poverty level.
“People can only pay so much,” said Lucas, who later in the board meeting also appealed for SPLOST dollars to be allocated to the Macon Water Authority to avert rate hikes. Lucas also called for a thorough investigation into the authority’s operation and finances.
Macon-Bibb Democratic Committee Chair Renoalda Scott demanded the county provide more affordable housing and keep people from being evicted.
Commissioners are set to vote on the budget at its June 17 meeting.
In other agenda items, commissioners approved more than $800,000 for Sheridan Construction to purchase concrete and supplies to move the electrical vault at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport as the existing executive terminal is demolished to make way for the planned guitar-shaped facility.
Commissioners agreed to hire Tuff Dogg Lawn Care for an annual contract of $396,000 after notifying nearly 400 vendors for landscape maintenance.
They also approved more than $715,000 from the 2018 SPLOST for matching funds for nearly $2.4 million as Macon-Bibb’s share of gasoline tax dispersed by the Georgia Department of Transportation.
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.
