Whitfield County sales tax collections up $1.23 million

Mar. 20—Data presented by the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners earlier this month indicates that the local government's year-to-date Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) collections for January were up by about $1.23 million.

"I just looked back at January and February, that's roughly 3% compared to last year," said board Chairman Jevin Jensen.

The same month, the county's year-to-date title ad valorem tax revenue was up by $431,000 — representing an approximately 4.1 % increase over the figures from the preceding fiscal year.

"Our SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) revenue, I didn't put the percentage there, I assume it is collected with LOST, so it would be a similar percentage to LOST," Jensen said. "But $2.03 million came in for our SPLOST."

Jensen said the full financial figures for January and February will be presented at a public meeting next month.

At the same meeting, the board members voted to approve the appointment of John Thomas as a Whitfield County voting delegate as part of the ongoing National Opioid Litigation Settlement talks.

"We have the county money, we're already receiving that, it's funding the recovery center," Jensen said. "There is state money that's going to be distributed, also, but it is yet to be determined who will get how much."

The commissioners also approved the use of about $20,170 in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to finance duct work at the county's E911 building.

"We've had several ARPA projects come in under budget, so I commend the staff for good project management and good use of the federal taxpayers' money," Jensen said.

The commissioners then approved an additional $24,009.51 in ARPA funding to be used for the connection of eligible fire stations to the Dalton Utilities-owned sewer system.

"The Dalton Utilities-approved contractor will provide material and labor to complete (the) project at negotiated locations," county government documents indicate. "Completing this project provides improved sanitary conditions for the crews occupying these facilities."

An automatic aid agreement between the Whitfield County Fire Department and the Walker County Fire Department was likewise approved by the commissioners.

"There are two minor changes from the previous one related to fees, which those have been removed," Jensen said. "And being able to cancel it, if for some reason we feel like they're not holding up their end of the bargain or we have a problem with covering our own counties."

The out clause, Jensen said, has been changed from 180 days to 90 days.

"That's much more reasonable," he said. "No money is involved in this agreement."

Whitfield County Administrator Robert Sivick also made a pitch for national Park Day, scheduled this year for April 6, at the meeting earlier this month.

"This is an event that's sponsored by the national battlefield trust," he said. "It's a day to not only honor our historic parks such as Rocky Face Ridge Park, but also to clean it up. So we will have a crew out there of volunteers led by county employees."

Activities at the park, he said, are slated to begin at 10 a.m.