Macon Bibb County Pre-Commission Meeting - January 20, 2026

The Macon Bibb County Board of Commissioners held a pre-commission meeting on January 20, 2026, to review and approve consent agenda items before the regular meeting. The session focused on approving meeting minutes, making a commissioner appointment, renewing three alcohol beverage licenses, setting qualifying fees for an upcoming special election, and authorizing various contracts, grants, and legislative requests. While the consent items passed unanimously, discussion regarding district boundary errors and the jurisdictional authority of code enforcement officers was notable.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes: Approved the minutes from the January 6, 2026, pre-commission meeting.
• Appointments: Appointed Lewis Frank Tompkins to the Macomb Bibb County Fire Civil Service Board.
• Alcohol Licenses: Approved renewals for Tessico Food Mart, Making Drinks, and Barefoot Tavern, all recommended by legal as meeting statutory requirements.
• Fees & Election: Adopted resolutions to set qualifying fees ($450, or 3% of base salary) and call a special election for District 5 on March 17, 2026, to fill the unexpired term of Seth Clark.
• Contracts:
  • Authorized an agreement with McElroy Inc. for asphalt resurfacing at Carolyn Cleighton Park ($228,528.56).
  • Authorized facility repair project management services with Hull Property Group for the mall property ($160,556.96).
  • Authorized renovations for code enforcement offices at City Hall with Stafford Builders ($557,260).
  • Authorized landscape architecture design services with LLF Landscape Architecture for Josh Rogers Way ($82,050).
• Grants: Approved multiple pass-through grants (CDBG/VOCA, GCIP, H.E.A.T., and Family Treatment Court) to various offices (Solicitor General, District Attorney, Sheriff, etc.) with some requiring in-kind matches.
• Legislative Request: Requested support from the state delegation to expand the historic tax credit program cap from $30 million to $60 million annually.
• Ordinance: Passed an ordinance to clarify that Code Enforcement officers retain authority to issue citations under the sanitary code, overturning a recent municipal court interpretation that gave exclusive jurisdiction to the Health Department.
• Property Donation: Authorized acceptance of a 0.088-acre property donation from Charles Bryant Skipper III adjacent to Allen Road.

Public Comments & Testimony

• District Boundary Confusion: Commissioner Bryant raised concerns that voters in District 8 (specifically on Ogusby and Christian Avenue) are still showing their registration as being in District 5, causing confusion ahead of the election. She expressed strong concern that these voters would be incorrectly voting in the District 5 race. The Mayor clarified the Board of Commissioners does not control the Board of Elections or the state database regarding district lines, directing the constituency issue to the Attorney, who agreed to alert the Board of Elections attorney. Commissioner Howell also expressed concern about voter confusion following recent district line shifts.
• Historic Tax Credit: Mr. James Fritz, President/CEO of Newtown Macon, testified regarding the historic tax credit expansion request, highlighting that 17 historic districts contain 6,000 structures, with only 150 rehabilitated in the last decade. He stated the funds are crucial for equity across the city, not just downtown.
• Code Enforcement Jurisdiction: The Attorney presented the case of Evergreen Estates mobile home park, where a court dismissed tickets due to a perceived lack of Code Enforcement jurisdiction, despite historical practice involving joint work with the Health Department. Commissioner Howell expressed indignation that landowners exploited this legal technicality to delay addressing sewage spills.

Discussion Items

• Qualifying Fees: Commissioner Burton questioned if the $450 fee affects the state's pauper's affidavit option. The Mayor clarified the fee is strictly 3% of the base salary per state statute and does not override the separate state process for paupers.
• Special Election Timing: Commissioner Bronson clarified the early voting start date (February 25) based on state statute.
• Mall Ownership Costs: Commissioner Stewart inquired about the ownership structure of the mall and what the $160,556 cost represented. He was informed this covers the county's portion of sinkhole repairs and maintenance under the joint ownership agreement between the UDA and Hull Property Group.
• Salaries & Staffing: Commissioner Bronson asked about police officer salary scales. The Mayor responded that no new salary charts have been adopted since a $5,000 raise three months prior, noting tax increases would be required for further raises. Commissioner Bailey later emphasized that the H.E.A.T. grant is critical for retaining talent and ensuring public safety officers' families are cared for, countering potential public skepticism about spending.
• Grant Clarifications: Clarifications were made regarding the "2022" Family Treatment Court grant label (due to federal funding delays) and that H.E.A.T. funds are for salary and operations, not equipment like cameras.

Key Outcomes

• Votes Passed:
  • Approval of January 6 Minutes (Unanimous).
  • Appointment of Lewis Frank Tompkins to Fire Civil Service Board (Unanimous).
  • Renewal of 3 Alcohol Beverage Licenses (Unanimous).
  • Resolution for 2026 Qualifying Fees and Special Election Call (Unanimous).
  • Contract for McElroy Inc. (Unanimous).
  • Contract for Hull Property Group (Unanimous).
  • Contract for Stafford Builders (Unanimous).
  • Contract for LLF Landscape Architecture (Unanimous).
  • Acceptance of 7 Grants (Unanimous).
  • Legislative Request for Historic Tax Credit Expansion (Unanimous).
  • Ordinance Clarifying Code Enforcement Jurisdiction (Unanimous).
  • Acceptance of Allen Road Property Donation (Unanimous).
• Directives: The Mayor's office will have the county attorney contact the Board of Elections attorney to investigate and correct voter district map errors in the system before the March 17 election.
• Next Steps: The consent agenda items listed above are officially moved to the regular meeting agenda for final confirmation (if required by procedure) and implementation.