In the letters section of the Dec. 18 edition of The Eatonton Messenger, Judson Doster dismissed those questioning the Putnam Development Authority’s (PDA) Harmony Road project as “Facebook vigilantes” lacking facts. Ironically, it appears he failed to perform basic due diligence. Taxpayer Watchdog did the homework by obtaining the executed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) through open records before reporting a single word and posted the full document on its Facebook page (Taxpayer Watchdog Group Putnam County, Ga), so citizens can see the truth for themselves.
Here are the facts regarding the $100 million deal: Affordable housing: Section 1.1 of the MOU defines the housing as a “market-rate residential rental community” with no legally binding rent caps. The project’s own market study suggests these units will likely serve as second vacation homes and fall on the higher end of the rental market.
Bait and switch: A comparison of the September 2024 and October 2025 MOU’s reveal many changes to the agreement. When the Board of Education and county commissioners denied consent, required by the PILOT Restriction Act (O.G.G.A. § 36-80-16.1), the PDA removed its signature lines and rebranded “PILOT payments” as “Rent” to bypass elected officials. Poor return (three jobs for $6 million): The Bond Resolution quantifies a $6,080,367 property tax forfeiture. However, they calculated the forfeiture on the 2025 millage rate, not the increased rate approved for 2026. While the State of Georgia requires businesses to create two to 25 jobs in the first year to qualify for a tax credit, the PDA has a “aspirational goal” of only three cumulative jobs over 15 years. This deal is an unconstitutional gratuity, not economic development.
Lack of Transparency: This deal was approved under the executive session portion of the agenda, violating the Open Meetings Act and depriving the public of its right to notice a tax abatement that drains millions from the school system and infrastructure.
Bottom Line: We aren’t attacking “integrity;” we are challenging a documented abuse of power that rigs the market for one developer at the expense of every taxpayer in Putnam County. PDA bylaws state it will strive to promote intergovernmental relations between all related county agencies, departments, and authorities, yet the PDA defies both the Board of Education and the Board of Commissioners by signing an MOU that many citizens and both boards oppose. There is genuinely something wrong when the PDA has the power to ignore our elected officials.
The financial fallout for our children is even more staggering, with a per-student cost exceeding $14,000 annually. This project could drain millions of dollars from our classrooms over the next 15 years, forcing the Board of Education to hike taxes on local families.
The BOE estimates 150 students will live in the development, yet the PDA impact study suggested only 18.
These costs are in addition to the $6,080,367 tax forfeiture. The PDA failed to include any claw-back provision stop to be triggered if its 18-student estimate was grossly underestimated and shifted all the risk onto Putnam County taxpayers.
In our democracy, the power to tax is a sacred trust held by elected officials and who are accountable to the voters. This authority should not reside with unelected, volunteer board members — especially those on the Putnam Development Authority who have shown a lack of due diligence and questionable accounting practices.
They are subsidizing market-rate residential projects at the public’s expense rather than recruiting businesses that provide jobs. They are effectively spending our tax dollars without our consent. We must use the next election to demand leadership that restores oversight and ensures the PDA works for the citizens.
Respectfully, Erin Olson