Commission approves contract for new arena

The Macon-Bibb County Commission voted to approve a contract with an out-of-state company to plan for a new sports and event arena and oversee its construction.

After meeting behind closed doors, commissioners voted unanimously to approve a contract with MFA Program Management based in Memphis, Tennessee.

The company will be paid no more than 3.25% of the total cost of the project, according to county documents.
A sports and event arena is among items on the mayor’s wish list for projects to build with $450 million to be collected through the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax voters approved in March. At least $50 million has already been earmarked for repaving roads.

Collection of the recently-approved penny-on-the-dollar tax won’t begin until after the 2018 SPLOST collection reaches the $280 million cap, which is expected later this year.

Miller said earlier this year that the county would seek additional public and private funding to pay for the new arena.
The county also gave the green light for attorney Blake Sharpton to start obtaining financing for the mayor’s $50 million road improvement project. Financing will allow the county to get money to begin work before the 2025 SPLOST money will be collected. However, the county will have to pay interest.

The 2026 budget was presented and is set for adoption at a meeting on June 17.

ACE tax dispute settled

In other business, commissioners voted to settle a long-brewing dispute over property taxes owed by the Academy of Classical Education, a state charter school on the northern edge of the county. The litigation dates back to 2017.

ACE Macon One, a limited liability company created by True North Construction Group, bought the property in 2014 and built the school. ACE Macon One owned the property until the academy bought it in Summer 2017.

The school alleged it should have been exempt from property taxes in 2017 but the county board of tax assessors denied the exemption because ACE Macon One owned the property on Jan. 1, 2017.

Court records from January show a judge found the academy was not entitled to a property tax exemption for 2017. However, the academy appealed in February.

The dispute ended Tuesday when commissioners unanimous ly approved to settle the matter and accept $297,362 from the academy, the full value of unpaid taxes plus penalties.

Next, the commission voted to direct $96,595 to the academy from the county’s school speed zone camera fund. The money will pay for panic alarms, mapping software and fencing for the perimeter of the more than 40-acre campus on New Forsyth Road.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the board voted to approve:

• A contract with Tuff Dogg Lawn Care LLC for landscaping at dozens of county parks at a cost of $396,000 using recreation department money.
• An agreement with Sheridan Construction to buy concrete, masonry and electrical equipment for the relocation of the airfield electrical vault from Sheridan Construction for $805,561 using airport fund money.
• Acceptance of $2.3 million in Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant money from the state for repaving roads plus the appropriation of the required 30% match of $715,515 to be paid for with 2018 SPLOST money.