Cities, County Agree on LOST

Monticello Mayor Gail Harrell attended the Jasper County Board of Commissioners called meeting last Friday morning, and informed the commissioners that the city of Monticello had agreed to accept 28 percent of the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) revenues so that the tax can continue to be collected.

She asked that the county consider working with the city on that amount so that the stalemate could be broken.

Jasper County Commissioners and Monticello City Council members have been negotiating on the LOST since the beginning of July, and after the last meeting reached a stalemate. The city then filed a suit against the county, and the county answered. But a judge cannot determine the LOST division.

So, Monticello City Council came up with the offer of 28 percent at its regular meeting last Tuesday, and on Friday the commissioners voted to divide lost by 69 percent to the county three percent to Shady Dale, and 28 percent for Monticello.

The current division is 30 percent for Monticello, three percent for Shady Dale, and 67 percent for the county.

All three entities were hoping for a higher percentage of the purse, which is one cent on each dollar spent in Jasper County, and it has increased significantly since it was last negotiated a decade ago.

The law requires the counties and cities to renegotiate every 10 years, with guidelines for what can be taken into consideration.

Also at Friday’s called meeting, the commission approved the Guaranteed Maximum Price Amendment to the construction contract with Barnsley Construction Group for the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office and Jail project with the Guaranteed Maximum Price of $9,046,952.

Construction on the project is slated to begin Monday, March 13. The project is anticipated to take about a year.

Commissioners also approved a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) intergovernmental agreement. Jasperites will vote next May on whether to continue the one cent tax. The county will spend its portion on roads. Shady Dale has water system improvements slated as well as road work. The city of Monticello plans water and sewer improvements, a new public works storage facility and city facilities upgrades, as well as infrastructure improvements.