Here’s why Macon-Bibb hasn’t violated its charter by overspending, officials say

Have Macon-Bibb County government leaders violated the consolidation charter with out-of-control spending?

That accusation was levied at the mayor and commissioners by Macon native Mike Odom, who said the county could face legal ramifications unless the budget is reduced by millions of dollars by the end of August.

After approving the property tax rate Thursday, the county is looking at a fiscal 2019 budget of $161 million, which appears to exceed the budget limit for that year set by the charter.

If the current budget is not lowered to meet “spending limits,” then the state Attorney General’s Office could be petitioned, Odom said. A judge could then appoint someone to take over control of Macon-Bibb government operations.

“You created this problem,” he said to the County Commission at an Aug. 7 public hearing when commissioners debated the budget. “Whether the state takes over is left up to you.”

But the size of the fiscal 2019 budget doesn’t matter, county officials said, because Macon-Bibb already met the required 20-percent budget reduction in fewer years than expected. Therefore, the county fulfilled its obligations.

The county charter outlines budget limits throughout the early years of consolidation that ends on June 30, 2019. It mentions 5 percent budget reductions, totaling 20 percent over a four-year period, based on the fiscal 2015 budget.

The local legislative delegation later allowed the county to move the base year back one year to 2014. That allowed the 2015 budget to count as part of the mandated reductions.

The charter also says budget limits can be exceeded by up to 25 percent if there are “extreme economic circumstances” or for public safety purposes.

All-in-all, the county was tasked with reducing the budget from $166.8 million in 2014 to $146.3 by 2019. (That includes allowed increases for inflation.)

Macon-Bibb County budget documents show the 20-percent reduction goal was met at the end of fiscal 2016 when the total expenditures equaled $146 million.

But since the mandate was calculated based on the budget passed at the beginning of a new fiscal year, the goal was officially hit in the fiscal 2017 budget that was set at a little under $143 million, a Macon-Bibb County document noted.

Odom said the mayor’s administration is lying about meeting the target. He said the county has grossly over calculated inflation into its figures by calculating rates averaging about $2.4 million yearly.

Even with a base budget of $166 million (along with inflation), a 20 percent reduction from that would mean a $135 million budget — not the $146 million benchmark the mayor’s administration is proclaiming, Odom said.

Former State Rep. Nikki Randall, who was a member of the delegation at the time the charter was written, said that the intention of the mandate was to hit 20 percent within that time period, which the county has done earlier than required.

State Rep. Bubber Epps said he was not aware of any violation of the county charter in regard to the budget.

County Commissioner Virgil Watkins said Odom raised some interesting points. But with some of the exceptions listed in the charter and because the county met the 20-percent mandate prior to the deadline, then there could be strong legal standing for the county.

This story was originally published August 17, 2018 at 12:40 PM.