Barrow Journal

The Auburn City Council over the next week or so will have three public meetings that could directly impact the wallets of local residents and businesses. [Full Story »] 

A power struggle inside Winder’s city government may come to a head this week, when the mayor and city council at two meetings square off over hot-button issues involving millions of dollars in public funds and some last-minute political maneuvering.

On the agendas of Monday’s 5:30 p.m. work session and Tuesday’s 6 p.m. voting session are two big-ticket items:

• a new $256,500 engineering contract to keep alive a controversial $4.9 million federal loan application and public works project that the council three weeks ago appeared ready to halt.

• and a new storm water ordinance with a rate schedule that would cost city property owners $380,904 in 2011 and twice that annually by 2015.


MAYOR DELIVERS ONE-TWO PUNCH

Mayor Chip Thompson on Friday ratcheted up the pre-meeting tension by delivering the council a political one-two punch. [Full Story »] 

One of Barrow County’s top developers and real estate leaders warned the Barrow County Board of Commissioners Monday that much tougher economic times are coming and he urged the board to slash spending immediately.

Jerry Maynard of Maynard & Bartlett Realty Group LLP called on the BOC at its Monday meeting to cut spending in half instead of trying to sustain current levels of services and warned that the county faces bankruptcy if leaders don't take drastic action.

In an interview after the meeting, he said both the county and city governments should immediately stop all capital spending. Asked if that includes suspending the county’s multiple sewer projects now under development in order to prepare for future economic development, Maynard responded, “Yes.” [Full Story »]