Political Notebook: Warner Robins City Council supports education tax
The Warner Robins City Council voted this week to support the education special purpose local option sales tax referendum, better known as E-SPLOST.
The council unanimously approved a resolution urging a "yes" vote in the March 1 referendum in Houston County. Councilman Keith Lauritsen, a Bibb County teacher who has also taught in Houston County, made the motion to support the resolution.
The referendum will be held in conjunction with the presidential primary election. It would continue a penny-on-the-dollar tax that expires in March 2017.
Superintendent Mark Scott spoke about the E-SPLOST to Perry City Council at its meeting Tuesday, but the council did not weigh in on whether to support the resolution.
City Manager Lee Gilmour said after the meeting that he expects the council will consider a resolution on the referendum at its next meeting Feb. 2.
WARNER ROBINS NAMES OFFICER OF THE YEAR
David Rice, a 30-year veteran of the Warner Robins Police Department, has been named Officer of the Year.
Mayor Randy Toms made the announcement at Tuesday's council meeting as he was giving Rice his pin for 30 years of service to the city. Rice is a detective who specializes in cases involving elderly victims.
MACON OFFICIALS LOOK FOR TEMPORARY VOTING PRECINCT
About 1,300 Macon voters likely will have a new precinct in 2016.
People who vote at Memorial Gym will likely cast their ballots at another location while construction on the recreation center takes place, Macon-Bibb County officials said during this week's Board of Elections meeting.
The Ingram-Pye Elementary School and Buck Melton Community Center were listed as possible replacements for the recreation center at 763 Long St.
Memorial will still be used for the March 1 presidential primary, but a move will be necessary in time for the May elections, said Elections Supervisor Jeanetta Watson.
MACON-BIBB HOSTING PUBLIC FORUMS ON BROWNFIELDS
As part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's brownfields program, Macon-Bibb County will hold a public forum at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Government Center, 700 Poplar St., according to a news release.
The county is undergoing an assessment of brownfield sites to determine their potential for contamination of properties and possible future development.
"In order to continue the revitalization of our community and attract new development and businesses, we need to determine the sites that are ready or can be made ready," Mayor Robert Reichert said in the release.
At the forum, representatives from Macon-Bibb and Resolute, the company hired to conduct the initial assessment, will discuss project goals and ask about potential brownfield sites and the issues and sites most important to the community.
In June 2015, EPA Regional Administrator Heather McTeer Toney recognized Macon-Bibb County as the recipient of brownfields grant investments totaling $400,000, the release said.
Staff writers Wayne Crenshaw and Stanley Dunlap contributed to this report.
This story was originally published January 22, 2016 at 7:03 PM with the headline "Political Notebook: Warner Robins City Council supports education tax ."