December 20, 2024
By: Dwayne Page
Another chance!
The DeKalb County Commission may be poised to give the mayor and aldermen of Alexandria another chance to extend the town’s existing local option sales tax agreement with the county through the year 2055.
A decision was expected Tuesday night but due to the lack of a quorum, the Alexandria Mayor and Aldermen could not hold its regular monthly meeting to transact any business.
In October, the county commission went on record making a commitment to fund construction of a new Pre-K to 2nd grade school if the four city governments in the county, Smithville, Alexandria, Liberty, and Dowelltown voted to extend their existing sales tax agreements with the county by January 1, 2025 as recommended by the county budget committee. Since then Smithville, Liberty, and Dowelltown have all voted to extend their agreements and the board of education also went on record to join them in support. Smithville made it conditional that the county issue bonds for construction of a new school within 12 months.
During a committee of the whole workshop meeting Thursday night, County Mayor Matt Adcock suggested that the county commission Monday night vote to extend the January 1, 2025 deadline until February 1, 2025 to give Alexandria city leaders more time to act.
“I don’t think its fair that the county and the other municipalities have at least voted on this and then somebody doesn’t. I think we need to hear a yes or no (from Alexandria). We need to hear what they have to say,” said County Mayor Adcock.
Adcock commended the city governments of Smithville, Liberty, and Dowelltown for their support in extending the sales tax agreements with the county in order to help fund construction of a new county school.