Perry City Council denies townhouse development on Airport Road

PERRY – Houston Springs and Airport Road residents left satisfied after the city council denied a proposed townhouse development on Airport Road.

As mentioned in previous council meetings, the annexation request was to rezone parcels of land on Airport Road from R-AG, County Residential Agricultural District, to R-TH, Residential Townhouse District. 

Resident Clay Nodes has been very vocal in multiple meetings discussing the request. During the regular council meeting, he said he would not oppose the request if the homes matched the existing houses on the street. Since the development would have consisted of townhouses, it would not have matched.

Councilmember Phyllis Bynum-Grace made a motion to deny the request. Councilmember James Moody seconded the motion. Bynum-Grace, Moody and Councilmember Robert Jones voted to deny, while Councilmembers Dan Peterson and Willie King voted to approve the annexation. 

Fiscal Year 2026 Operating Budget approval

Later in the regular council meeting, Mayor Randall Walker and council approved the FY 2026 Operating Budget. City Manager Lee Gilmour said it included a reduction in the increase on the fire fee, which was discussed in the pre-council meeting. 

Gilmour explained a resolution to amend the fee schedule. All fees and charges were recommended for a 3% increase. According to council documents, at the request of Walker and the council, the fire protection fee will be adjusted from a 10% increase to a 3% increase. The water and sewer will remain at a 7% increase, and there will be a 15% increase on building permit fees.

During the pre-council meeting, Gilmour explained that the city followed standard procedures when compiling the budget. The first is the tax rate, which remains the same. According to Gilmour, the largest source of income coming into the city is the property tax; however, the mileage rate is recommended to remain the same. 

Gilmour said they would increase the various fees and charges by three percent, due to increasing costs and to avoid a large jump in revenues. He said they also want to avoid making significant percentage increases.

The overall increase in a city’s services bill for an average home would be about $8, according to Gilmour. 

Both the operating budget and fee schedule will go into effect on July 1, 2025. 

To view the full operating budget, please visit the agenda. 

At the end of the council meeting, Councilman Dan Peterson addressed the known topic of city growth. He said there are many moving parts in decision-making. Peterson shared that the city is a highly desirable place to live, and the demand for housing is high, meaning developers will likely come in with projects. 

Peterson then explained the benefits of annexing property into the city. When a property is annexed into the city, council decides what to do with the property as opposed to a third party, who may not consult with the city. 

Another benefit Peterson shared is an increase in the tax base, which he hopes will keep millage rates at a low level. A key issue on Peterson’s forefront is ensuring people have the right to use the property they have purchased. He said the mayor and council always think about the citizens, and he appreciates input. 

Community Development Director Bryan Wood also shared an item at the end of the meeting. He shared that as he was working on the Oldfield and Hilltop small area plan a year ago, City Planner Emily Carson contacted the Georgia Heirs Property Law Center to discuss whether the organization could assist property owners who have bad titles on their property. 

Wood said that at first, the organization was unable to help them. However, they recently reached out, saying they intend to apply for the grant to further their work. If the organization receives the grant, it would conduct an outreach workshop for the Oldfield and Hilltop communities about Heirs’ property remediation and prevention. They will also provide title clearing and estate planning services for residents. 

The organization is requesting that the city provide a letter of support for their grant application. The mayor and council approved unanimously.

Moving on to the next comment, Director of Human Resources Jenny Burdeshaw reminded the mayor, council and the community that they will be hosting a blood drive. The event will take place on Friday, June 27, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 1211 Washington Street. She encouraged residents to sign up.

The mayor and council will have their pre-council starting at 5 p.m. and regular council meeting at 6 p.m. on July 1. Everyone is invited to attend these meetings, and the agenda can be found here.