Commission happy about bond

Columbia County commissioners had big smiles Monday morning as they officially accepted the Nov. 7 general election results in which voters approved a more than $43 million bond issue.

"It's a very happy meeting here,'' Commission Chairman Ron Cross said in the special called meeting.

In the election, voters gave approval to four categories of projects - water, transportation, recreation and public safety - to be funded by the bond issue and paid back with a one mill increase in property tax during the next 13 years. On the average $100,000 home, that will mean about an extra $40 a year in property taxes.

"I'd just like to thank the voters,'' Commissioner Diane Ford said.

Commissioners said items on the approved capital improvement projects list were in serious need of being addressed and that work will get started quickly.

"I'd like to get them all off the ground as quick as possible,'' county waterworks director Billy Clayton said, adding that ground could be broken on some projects as early as spring.

County officials said engineering work could get started even sooner.

Officials said that although there is no priority list stating which projects should begin first, some projects will get started before others based on the complexity of the work.