Commissioners hear the importance of Flint River FCA, certify rollback millage rate 

WARNER ROBINS — The Houston County Board of Commissioners had a chance to hear from Flint River FCA Multi-Area Director Daryl McElwain. He grew up in South Georgia and started his career as an Air Force Officer stationed at Robins Air Force Base three different times. 

“I retired in 2012 and started serving with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). This is my 13th year now,” he said. “I served as the Multi-Area Director for Southwest Georgia which covers 56 counties.” 

McElwain explained FCA’s vision: to see the world transformed by Jesus through coach and athlete influence. 

“Coaches and athletes have incredible influence…..I know some coaches that love Jesus, and what if they use the platform of athletics and the influence they have to change the world,” he said. 

According to McElwain, FCA’s mission is to lead coaches and athletes into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.

“We partner with coaches and athletes from ages 8 to 80,” he said. “Whatever sport they play, coaches and athletes have influence, and we want them to come alongside us and show them how to compete enthusiastically and still give glory to God.” 

McElwain also mentioned FCA’s E-3 strategy: engage, equip and empower. 

“We can talk about Monday Night Football, Friday Night Lights and the weather, but if I don’t, at some point, engage them with the gospel, I do them a disservice,” he said. “When they respond to the gospel, we want to equip them with scripture and then empower them. What little you believe, go share it. Be a disciple that makes disciples.”

Commissioners shared words of admiration towards McElwain. 

“Thanks for sharing about such an important organization as we’re thankful about the organization being in this community and about you being in this community. Your energy, effort and influence on young people is real, important and it is appreciated,” Commissioner Mark Byrd said. 

“Thank you for your words of inspiration about what can be done, what people should do and what athletes can influence in the world. We appreciate your spirit,” Commissioner Gail Robinson said. 

In the business portion of the meeting, the Board approved a short-term rental ordinance and a lodging tax ordinance. 

According to the agenda, the new short-term rental ordinance will regulate the use of, establish standards for and ensure proper taxation of privately owned residential property used as vacation home rentals in unincorporated areas of Houston County. The agenda also stated the new lodging tax ordinance will permit Houston County to levy an excise tax to provide additional funding for the promotion of tourism, conventions and trade shows in the county. 

Chairman Dan Perdue acknowledged Museum of Aviation Foundation CEO Dan Rhodes, who was in attendance. 

“A portion of this lodging tax will go to benefit the Museum of Aviation Foundation, and we look forward to partnering with you,” he said. “We appreciate the hard work that you do, not just to attract tourists to our county and city, but also to educate young people and to encourage economic development.” 

The Board also approved the certification of rollback millage rate, which matches the county’s current millage rate at 8.501 mills. According to the agenda, this certification was needed due to ongoing uncertainty surrounding the net digest and the fiscal impact of the new floating homestead exemption. 

“This is a new thing we are doing in relation to House Bill 581 from last year and House Bill 92 from this year. This does not affect the county’s being required to advertise a tax increase if we don’t go to the rollback rate, whatever that rollback rate is eventually determined to be,” Perdue said. “We’re still figuring out in our software and with our digest how to exactly apply the floating homestead exemption and how to ensure that the data is as accurate as possible in applying that floating homestead exemption.” 

According to Perdue, certifying the rollback rate at the current rate gives the county more flexibility in adhering to State law and avoids punishment for a possible millage rate higher than what the county certifies as the rollback rate in case the digest data changes. 

In the public comment period, Houston County Fire Chief Chris Stoner mentioned two Town Hall meetings hosted by the Houston County Fire Department, the first being Thursday, May 22, at 6 p.m., located at the Houston County Courthouse in the Jury Assembly Room. The second will be held on Tuesday, May 27, at 6 p.m,. located in the Houston County Annex. 

“The goal of those meetings is both to provide information out to the community on improvements and things that we’ve done within the fire service in Houston County,” Stoner said. 

Stoner and the fire department want community feedback at these town hall meetings. 

“We’re going to present different options, growth plans and things that we’ve looked at as far as how the county has grown and how we need to answer that proportionately with our growth,” he said. “We want community input back as we’re your fire department. We want to know what you want from us.” 

Look out for coverage of one of the town hall meetings in a future edition of the Houston Home Journal. 

The next Houston County Commissioners meeting will be held on June 3 at 9 a.m. at the Houston County Courthouse. 

The full agenda of this meeting can be found at www.houstoncountyga.gov/minutes/2025-05-20%20Department%20Head.pdf