Monroe, Bibb border dispute may soon end. Millions of dollars at stake over ruling
The seemingly never-ending Monroe County and Bibb County border saga may finally be close to coming to an end.
A spokeswoman for Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp said he is hoping to make a decision in the case before November.
The lingering dispute — more than a decade old — is over where the county line should be drawn across parcels that include the Bass Pro Shops retail store and distribution center, which were believed to be built on Bibb County land. There are potentially millions of dollars in property taxes at stake in the decision.
The latest hold up involves surveyor Terry Scarborough fighting a ruling that he could be held in contempt for not testifying at a border hearing.
“Terry Scarborough’s appeal is still pending,” Kemp spokeswoman Candice Broce wrote in an email. “We should have a decision sometime before November. We would like to resolve it before Secretary Kemp’s term ends.”
Kemp is the Republican gubernatorial nominee and will face Democrat Stacey Abrams in the Nov. 6 election.
The state established the county line in 1822, but no evidence from any original survey remains. Last year, Monroe and Bibb officials failed to make headway during mediation discussions.
“We think everyone is hoping for resolution to this issue and to get the border set,” Macon-Bibb County spokesman Chris Floore said in a Wednesday email.
Monroe County Chairman Greg Tapley echoed those sentiments.
“The sooner the better,” Tapley said with a laugh.
Kemp has faced some pressure over the border dispute. The Monroe County Reporter routinely calls him out on its weekly opinion page because he has “not done his job” to settle the dispute.
Before Kemp became Secretary of State, then-Gov. Sonny Perdue appointed Scarborough to identify the boundary. Through surveying, archaeological evidence and maps, Scarborough concluded that Bibb County had encroached into Monroe County, a claim that Bibb officials dispute.
Kemp later rejected the surveyor’s boundary, but he said Scarborough would be allowed to present more evidence about his findings at future hearings.
This story was originally published August 1, 2018 at 3:43 PM.