Montgomery County Board of Commissioners Consider Tax Resolutions

The Montgomery County Board of Commissioners passed a timber tax resolution and rejected a resolution to stop requiring mobile home decals during their monthly meeting on July 14, in the Montgomery County Government Annex in Mount Vernon.

The board considered passing a timber tax resolution based on House Bill 223, which would exclude from calculation the taxable net income of disaster relief and assistance grant funds for damage to standing timber caused by Hurricane Helene, as well as providing refundable income tax credits for certain timber producers, including landowners and counties. The tax credits would be based on the timber’s value prior to the hurricane rather than its current market price.

Commissioner Lelland Adams offered a motion to pass the resolution, which passed unanimously.

The board also considered a resolution proposed by Tax Commissioner Renee Wooten-Perry to no longer require mobile home owners to attach a decal to their mobile home. According to Georgia state law, mobile home owners are required to display a decal provided by the local tax commissioner on their mobile homes as evidence of paid taxes and permit ownership.

According to Adams, the law had been altered to allow local governments to lift the decal requirement. However, the commissioners had concerns about lifting the requirement, as the lack of decals could make collecting taxes more difficult and allow bad actors to more easily evade paying taxes.

“I think there’s mobile homes out there that’s not paying their tax[es] now, and I don’t think this is gonna benefit that,” Adams said.

Adams offered a motion to reject the resolution, which passed unanimously.

The board also received two bids for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for paving Hardeman Road and Bowtie Circle, including a $595,147.76 bid from McLendon Enterprises and a $489,621.75 bid from Sikes Brothers, Incorporated. The latter company originally submitted a bid totalling $495,994.40, but lowered the price after omitting a type of concrete unnecessary for a residential area.

The CDBG project engineers, Hofstadter and Associates, recommended the bid from Sikes Brothers. Adams offered a motion to accept the Sikes Brothers bid, which passed unanimously.

The board also considered bids for a new stick steer. However, the bids received were for a 75 horsepower stick steer, while the board wanted bids for a 100 horsepower.

Adams offered a motion to cancel the bids and send out a new request for bids for the proper horsepower, which passed unanimously.

Next, the board considered the Heart of Georgia’s Language Access Plan, which included some language changes for the Georgia Department of Community Affairs’ (DCA) CDBG. The board originally adopted the plan with altered language in 2024, but the DCA requested the language be reverted.

Adams offered a motion to accept the language changes, which passed unanimously.

The Montgomery County Development Authority Director Michael Stanley introduced himself to the board and expressed his desire to collaborate with the board moving forward.

“I would love to, whether it be individually or just, you know, in a group setting, I’d love to hear what all of [your] ideas and things that you would like to see for Montgomery County,” Stanley said.

The board also heard the June 2025 financial report from County Manager Heather Scott. According to the report, the county has received 52.5 percent of its expected revenue and has spent 44.5 percent of its yearly budget of $5,794,561.65.

In individual expenditures, general government costs have totaled 47.5 percent of its budget of $1,410,312.40; judicial costs have totaled 50.1 percent of its budget of $574,884.05; public safety costs have totaled 43.3 percent of its budget of $1,866,647.16; public works costs have totaled 30.9 percent of its budget of $1,151,676.68; health and welfare costs have totaled 50% of its budget of $53,250; culture and recreation costs have totaled 66% of its budget of $120,311.83; housing and development costs have totaled 33.4 percent of its budget of $90,898.35; debt service costs have totaled 49.9% of its budget of $31,656 and other financing use costs have totaled 61.1 percent of its budget of $494,924.65.

Scott also announced the Back to School Bash on Saturday, Aug. 2, to be held on the Montgomery County Courthouse lawn. DBM Construction, the event’s sponsor, has purchased between 200 and 250 backpacks filled with school supplies for the event, alongside other vendors.

Scott also delivered a Montgomery County Recreation Department report on behalf of Recreation Director Kendall Bennamon. According to the report, registration for fall sports will begin on Friday, Aug. 1.

Sports fields are being mowed twice a week due to flooding, and new soccer field goals will need to be purchased, as Hurricane Helene damaged the old goals.

EMA Director Tristan Willis also delivered a report to the board, primarily concerning the train derailment near Hilton Memory Road and Old Water Tank Road. According to Willis, the affected railroad crossing had to be closed for repair, and the railroad company offered training to local fire departments on handling the situation until a railroad representative could arrive.

The railroad company’s leadership is also strongly pushing for an electric rail car to be placed in Montgomery County, according to Willis.