Chairman Dan R. Brue II Responds To City

While we have not heard from any City of Thomaston elected officials, the Upson County Board of Commissioners has been asked if it is willing to meet the Mayor and City Council on Wednesday, September 3d, at noon for Floating Local Option Sales Tax (FLOST) negotiations.

The Board is excited to negotiate the most tax relief possible for the property owners of Thomaston and Upson County. Having met with City of Thomaston representatives three times already with no clear proposal or substantive movement on their part, the Board accepts the invitation with the following conditions to facilitate constructive negotiations:

Date/Time: Wednesday, September 3d, 6pm (Board will be able to form a quorum; some members are not available at noon).

Location: City/County Meeting Room, open to the public, streamed on Youtube

Host: Chaired by Chairman Dan Brue or Vice-Chairman Ben Watson and Co-chaired by Mayor JD Stallings or Mayor Pro Tem Troy Chaney

Participants: Only elected officials will be recognized and participate in presentations, discussions, and negotiations. Both parties must present a quorum for negotiations to commence.

Procedures:

1. Each party will have 20-minutes for an elected official to present their proposals (without interruption)

2. Each local elected official present from the other party will be allowed one clarifying question at the conclusion of the presentation

3. Introduction of numbers and statistics:

a. All numbers used in presentations and discussions/negotiations shall be based on the City and County 2025 Net Taxable Digest and associated millage calculations as derived from PT 32.1 provide by the Tax Commissioner

b. Any reduction in millage rates will be calculated against approved M&O millage rates of both parties

c. All demonstrations of proposal effects on taxes will be against a hypothetical non-homestead property with a fair market value of $200,000 in both the City of

Thomaston and unincorporated Upson County in order to allow for an apples-to-apples comparison of potential taxpayer savings

d. Any numbers introduced outside of the tax digests must be accompanied by source data

4. Every elected official will have an opportunity to comment on any discussion point after being recognized