By WHITNEY SKEETERS
Journal Staff Writer
The City of Centerville is in good financial health,
according to the findings from a 2012 audit performed by Nichols, Cauley &
Associates.
In a council meeting held Tuesday, Todd Giddens, a partner
at the firm, said Centerville received a “clean” audit with no significant
problems to report.
The city of Centerville has nine months worth of
expenditures in reserves, which, according to Giddens, “is very good these
days.” Most cities have just two or three months worth. Centerville Mayor John Harley was pleased with the findings.
“It is because of our people,” Harley said. “They do such a
great job and don’t spend a nickel more than they have to, and this is evident
in our budget.”
The council also discussed the senior citizen property tax
exemption and the option to keep it as is, place a cap on it or eliminate it
entirely. City Administrator Patrick Eidson prepared some soft numbers for the
council to review and compare options. By eliminating the exemption, the city is
looking to recoup over a million and a half dollars over 10 years. Councilman
Edward Tucker said this is a serious issue that the council will need to
discuss over time and that the public should be made aware of it.
“We have to
have real conversations and I think the council is ready for it,” said Tucker.
Harley added that not everyone who is eligible for the
exemption currently takes advantage of it. He will soon turn 70 himself and
will not use it. He said the money lost through the exemption is eventually
made up through other taxes.
“The money has been collected. It’s just that those of you
under 70 have been paying for it,” said Harley.
In other business, Eidson presented a speed study on the
Sentry Oaks subdivision organized after several citizens voiced concerns of
safety back in December.
The information was recorded by experienced patrol officers
certified in radar tracking who studied raw data from accidents and recorded
speeds of 767 vehicles. The study concluded that the incidents of speeding were
not significant enough to warrant changing the speed limit or placing a
full-time officer in the area. Chief Andrews was not able to attend the
meeting; however Eidson said Andrews feels strongly that it is not a serious
speeding issue.
Also, the council approved the use of a new mapping
technology from the Middle Georgia Regional Commission that will provide an
interactive map for city workers and allow the in-house, real-time collection
of city data.
The council also approved a sidewalk plan presented by
utilities superintendent Brumfield to encourage pedestrian traffic.
Implementation and a timeline for the sidewalk development will depend on the
budget.
HHJ News
