The Clarke County Board of Supervisors voted to take out a $3 million bond to buy equipment, among other needs, for the county.
“At this time, we have no intention of raising taxes,” explained Supervisor Darrick Marshall. “We have some money coming from the state, and our JCJC building will be paid off in the next couple of years. We plan to take the money off that particular note and put it towards the bond payment so that we won’t have to raise taxes.”
One of the items the bond money will be used for is to purchase new equipment that will help save the county money in the long run.
“Each year, we’ve probably spent up to a half million dollars on repairs alone,” stated Road Manager Brian Dace. “Our equipment has gotten to the point that we’re just throwing away good money. It’s time to get rid of it and buy some new equipment to make sure we can get the job done.”
Some of the equipment that the supervisors intend to purchase includes motor graders, front end loaders, low board trucks, and other items to assist in road repair.
While the supervisors know that they will be using some of the bond money for road repair, they will not know which roads to repair until they receive the money and can begin the projects.
“We can’t really say specific roads that we would like to fix ahead of time, because different things happen that can cause that to change,” explained Supervisor Joel Speed. “There were roads in Enterprise that were fine before the tornado hit, but after the tornado, they are now damaged and in need of repair.”
Not only are the supervisors intending to update equipment used for county maintenance, but they are also planning to use the money to help update the current 911 dispatch equipment.
“About $800,000 will be spent on communications for our 911 system,” stated Supervisor Paul Mosley. “Our system is outdated, and we have to purchase used parts when we can find them. We need to update that technology now.”
The bond money will also be used on other things for the county, such as creating playgrounds and public parks and surveillance cameras for county buildings.
The county will pay on the bond for 15 years, but it can be paid off sooner. The Board of Supervisors intends to begin work as soon as they receive the money and for all the work to be completed within a year’s time. They are currently accepting bids for the bond.
