Dear Editor,
At the Oct. 1 meeting of the Putnam County Commission, a motion was passed to purchase materials for renovation of the Uncle Remus Golf Course irrigation system using “overcollections” of SPLOST No. 9. I voted against the motion.
Let me be clear: I do not oppose the upgrade of the irrigation system. This is an important project and long overdue. I only oppose the use of overcollections to pay for the project.
Funds for the renovation of the golf course irrigation system were approved by the voters as part of SPLOST No. 10 – not SPLOST No. 9. Would we be “thwarting the will of the voters” by spending the overcollections of SPLOST No. 9 rather than collections from SPLOST No. 10?
The state statute, O.C.G.A. 48-8-121(g)(2), specifically states that overcollections are to be used to pay down debt, or, if no debt exists, to reduce property tax. Does Putnam County have debt? Putnam County issued $22 million worth of General Obligation bonds, of which more than $6 million is still owed.
The remaining balance of SPLOST No. 9 is less than $80,000 – with the allocation of some $333,000 to the golf course. It could have been well over $1 million if the county had not continued to spend the overcollections.
Can we continue to spend money as if we have it? Will we end up like our neighboring county and have to raise property taxes or ransom our courthouse?
Steve Hersey District 3 Commissioner
LETTERS CONTINUED >> PAGE A8 Response to Putnam
To the Editor,
Commissioner Richard Garrett’s September newsletter offered a candid assessment of one of the serious financial challenges facing Putnam County: the nearly $5 million projected shortfall associated with TSPLOST No. 2.
One statement in his newsletter deserves particular attention. Commissioner Garrett acknowledged that before the 2024 bond referendum, Commissioner Steve Hersey and members of the public – including Jennifer Ray – questioned the logic of borrowing more than the approximately $19 million the county was permitted to collect under TSPLOST 2.
It is easy to identify a problem after the numbers no longer add up. Leadership is asking the difficult questions before taxpayers are left dealing with the consequences. This wasn’t the only time Steve Hersey and Jennifer Ray were paying attention.
In June of 2025, when Putnam County’s senior school tax exemption was being implemented, there was a critical issue involving whether the exemption would be calculated using fair market value or assessed value. The voters had approved an exemption based on assessed value.
Because the exemption was graduated, that distinction had real consequences for our seniors. Under the incorrect interpretation, seniors entitled to a 100% exemption could have received only 50%. Those entitled to 50% could have received only 25%. And those entitled to 25% could have received nothing.
Commissioner Hersey put the issue on the agenda, and Jennifer Ray was among those advocating for the law to be implemented as voters intended. Ultimately, the Board took a stand that the law as passed should be followed and voted to pursue legal action if necessary.
These examples tell me something important about the people I want representing Putnam County. They were paying attention before Election Day. They were attending meetings, reading documents, questioning financial decisions, and advocating for taxpayers when there was no campaign season demanding that they do so.
Meanwhile, where were the Independent candidates who now want to lead Putnam County when these issues were unfolding?
Putnam County faces important decisions in the years ahead. Growth, infrastructure, taxes, and responsible management of public money will require leaders willing to ask questions before a problem becomes a crisis.
We do not need to wait until the damage is done and then ask what happened. And we certainly do not want Putnam County facing the kinds of financial difficulties we have watched neighboring Baldwin County struggle with.
That is why I am supporting Steve Hersey for chairman and Jennifer Ray for District 4 commissioner. For the same reasons, I recommend Erin Olson for District 3.
They didn’t suddenly start paying attention because there was an election. They have been looking out for Putnam County taxpayers all along.
E. Yancey Walker, USAF Col. (Ret.) Putnam County