Last weekend’s torrential downpours not only flooded city streets and backed up sewage, but they also brought back the tabled proposal for a new storm water tax in Winder.
City sources said this week that the council’s water committee would meet as early as next week to begin work on an ordinance establishing a storm water utility and tax.
In tabling the initial proposal Aug. 3, the council directed the committee to study it with the intention that any new tax would not go into effect until this time next year. However, the flooding of yards, streets — and the entire football field of Winder-Barrow High School — has moved the issue back to the front burner.
“I know citizens spoke up, and some were not prepared in the middle of a budget year to spend an additional $25,000-30,000 that (the new tax) might cost them,” said Councilman Bob Dixon. “But we have to step out for the good of the city and the safety of our citizens. The flooding that took place was unbelievable.”
Councilman Ridley Parrish, the chairman of the water committee, said the initial meeting date has not been set, but city staff and consultants from H.S. Feldman Inc. are gathering information for it.
The three-person panel will meet at least once or twice before bringing the issue back to the full council with a recommendation, he said. All committee meetings, under Georgia law, are open to the public. The other members of the water committee are Frank Dunagan and Sonny Morris. Morris, who is the council’s longestserving member as well as the mayor pro tem, said he would insist that the council employ a public process that was neglected when the matter first came up in early August.
“The biggest feedback I got was that this was thrown on there and nobody had input,” he said.
Council members did not receive their copies of the proposed ordinance until the Friday before the Aug. 2 work session, and there were no public hearings planned before the vote. Though no one from the city government has confirmed it, it appears that Feldman consultants drafted the initial ordinance.
That document says the new tax would “be a lien upon the property” on which it is assessed, and the city would enforce the collection of the money “by action at law or suit to enforce such lien in the same manner as foreclosure of mortgages.”
For more on this story, see the August 25 edition of the Barrow Journal or click here to read the full story online when you subscribe to our new e-edition. 
Trying to sneak a provision like that in there and use the excuse you were unaware of it, lets us know you're either trying to hide something or you don't know how to do your job as councilman.
In the case of a vet, they can file a lien against an animals owner PRIOR to getting a judgment.
Counties can place tax liens against property owners without a judgment for unpaid taxes. (Just ask all those people who got notices last year).
Government has too much power, its time some of that power was taken away, which means the citizens need to take back their city.
@ TickedOff, you have it exactly right...it seems they can't do the right things the first time, but then use excuses to charge us more.
In the end we end up paying for their mistakes..I, for one, am tired of paying for their mistakes.
@ I own a boat, they can charge you $1000 a week and it still won't stop the flooding in your yard. They will tell you that its your property and your responsibility, just like they say the gas pipes and the water pipes that are on your property are your responsibility to maintain. What I have to say to that is if my gas pipe bursts, I'd let it blow my house up before I called someone out to fix it at $6000