FANNIN, Ga. — The Blue Ridge City Council held their last meeting before elections take place Nov. 2. At the meeting, the council dealt with several issues including city finances, infrastructure, and water management.

2022 Budget

Mayor Whitener announced the budget for 2022 is set at $3,157,500, a large decrease from last year. She explains, “that was due to the extra funding we received from GDOT and we received the FEMA money.” The budget was unanimously approved.

 2^nd Reading of Ordinance BR2021-14

BR2021-14 deals with the city’s purchasing policy. During the meeting, Fitts raised concerns about accountability with tax payer money, even suggesting that Mayor Whitener does not always follow the purchasing policies. Questions raised about the transparency of the policy led the council to table the approval.

Ordinance BR2020-09 on Storm Water Management

Tony Byrd spoke to the council to suggest enhancing the current storm water management ordinance. He brought the council an example ordinance from Chamblee, Ga., and the Georgia Stormwater Maintenance Manual, both of which he advocates for incorporating into the city’s own ordinance: “I would love for the lawyer to take this ordinance here and go over it with council … and have one made for our city.” The council made a motion to table it, to let the city look over the ordinances with engineers.

State Fiscal Recovery Fund Application

Utilities Director Rebecca Harkins explained the importance of the potential grant money: “The city has an opportunity to receive up to 50% matching that grant application.” She noted that the grant can only be used for water and sewer infrastructure. Harkins then explained that the Mountain Tops Subdivision constituted 15%, or 22 million gallons, of 2020 city water loss. For that reason, she suggested using the grant money to repair the area’s water infrastructure. The council agreed that applying was a “no-brainer” and unanimously approved it.

Millage Rate

The council unanimously approved Ordinance BR2021-15, which Mayor Whitener explained is: “an ordinance to the ad valorem tax rate for the city of Blue Ridge, for the calendar year of 2021 and the fiscal year of 2022; to provide for the time of the payment of said taxes; to provide for interest and penalties for the failure to pay taxes; is the procedure for the collection of delinquent or ad valorem taxes; to provide an administrative procedure for the collection of delinquent taxes ad valorem taxes for the years prior to 2021; to repeal conflicting ordinances to the extent of the conflict, and any other purposes.” This ordinance also sets Blue Ridge’s millage rate at 5.014, which Mayor Whitener notes is a reduced rate.

Public Comment

Richard Arnold, a candidate for the Post 4 seat on city council, attended the meeting and spoke during the public comment section. He addressed the council, “I was pleased when this council voted on and approved … resolution BR2020-29 requesting the Georgia General Assembly to adopt a local act amending the Blue Ridge City Council charter to provide a city manager form of government.” He then asked the council if they would be resubmitting it. Council member Nathan Fitts told Arnold he does support the change, and hopes the council resubmits the resolution. Council member Ronda Haight also provided her input saying, “I think what Speaker Ralston wants us to do is have another town hall meeting about it. So we were proposing to have one in November, and then maybe submit it right after that.”

The council also took time to discuss changing how the council hears public comments. The council discussed among themselves, and even asked the audience what they would like to see. Members of the council decided to table any changes until next month, so they can discuss changes further.