About 100 people showed up Monday night at the Douglass Theatre to take part in a question-and-answer forum with elected officials about consolidating Macon and Bibb County.
State Rep. Allen Peake, R-Macon, Macon Mayor Robert Reichert, Bibb County Commission Chairman Sam Hart, Councilwoman Elaine Lucas and Commissioner Joe Allen each gave brief statements offering their views of consolidation. All five officials said they favor consolidation, but they differed in the timetable of when it should take place.
Peake hopes to get the consolidation issue on the ballot as early as November, something that Reichert said he supports.
“Status quo is not an option for our community,” Peake said.
Reichert noted that a vote in favor of consolidation this fall would mean that Bibb County voters could elect an entire new government in November 2011, when several local elections will be contested, including the offices of mayor and Bibb County sheriff.
But Lucas is pushing for a 10-year plan, saying consolidation now would be too much, too soon. She cited the unknown costs of merging the two governments.
“When you initiate something as drastic as this, it does cost you,” she told the audience.
Allen, however, noted that eliminating duplicated positions between the city and the county would save money almost instantly.
Allen said the community needs to speak with one voice.
Research conducted by Wilson Research Strategies and commissioned by Mercer University and NewTown Macon showed 80 percent of city residents and 51 percent of county residents favor consolidation. That report was announced last week.
Lucas, however, criticized the study, saying it “presented false information to this community.”
Peake outlined in House Bill 1161 how a consolidated government would look: a mayor and a seven-person commission, as well as a police chief and sheriff. Peake noted his bill calls for two tax districts.
Peake addressed an audience member’s question about rising taxes.
“No one’s taxes will be going up because of this,” Peake told the audience. “I don’t want the taxes to go up any more than you do.”
Lucas said a resolution passed by the City Council and the County Commission calls for a plan to merge services between the two entities at a slower pace.
State Sen. Cecil Staton, R-Macon, has tweaked the House proposal and has a competing piece of legislation in the Senate, Lucas told the crowd. Staton’s proposal includes a guarantee that a new merged government would be cheaper to operate than the two current local governments.
“What is the rush? Why are we rushing this?” she said. “Years ago, we had seven elected officials that were seven white males from the same zip code. Do we want that again?”
Allen drew some applause when he countered, noting that the community’s demographics as well as those of elected officials are a mix of black and white.
Glenn Smith, a Bibb County resident, said he favors consolidation because of economic issues.
“I think we’re paying a lot to have two different services,” he said. “We need to pool them together effectively.”
Alan Thiese, another Bibb County resident, echoed that sentiment. He said he’s supported the concept of consolidation since the 1990s.
“We need to find ways to save money and still cover everything,” Thiese said. “Given everything going on (in the economy) and the decrease of the sales tax revenue, there’s a lack of money. We need this. The quicker, the better.”
To contact writer Phillip Ramati, call 744-4334.
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