As Shakespeare might say: “Me thinks thou doth protest too much.”
First, two Letters to the Editor ( The Eatonton Messenger, Dec. 18, 2025), and now a paid advertisement ( The Eatonton Messenger, Dec. 25, 2025) — paid with taxpayer money? All lauding the virtues of Walter Rocker III and the Helms Farm project.
What is left out? Mr. Rocker, as the principle of Putnam Natural Resources, LLC, joined Tytan Pictures as CFO. Is he still an officer with Tytan Pictures? Mr. Rocker is, or has been, a partner/manager in over 16 LLCs. Several of Mr. Rocker’s LLCs, including Siloam Reserves, LLC; Rockby Reserves, LLC; and Price Tract, LLC; have been found by the U.S. Tax Court to have grossly overinflated the value of conservation properties used for federal tax deductions.
Where there is smoke, sometimes there is fire. As for the Helms Farm project; the letters and advertisement conveniently fail to mention that the agreement negotiated by the PDA would grant an 18-year tax exemption — THE TAX ABATEMENT — costing the taxpayers of Putnam County millions of dollars. Further, the agreement provides for $60 million of investment in exchange for issuing $100 million worth of bonds. What happens to the extra $40 million?
If this project is so essential for positive growth in Putnam County, the developer should be willing to risk their own capital without any tax exemption, the same as any other developer would do.
Stephen Hersey Putnam County Dist. 3 Commissioner