The Eatonton City Council held a relatively short scheduled meeting on April 7, hearing a citizen’s tax dispute, approving business items, and advancing community events and infrastructure efforts.
It then entered an executive session to discuss real estate matters before ending the meeting.
During public comments, longtime recreation coach Robert “Buster” Williams addressed the council regarding what he described as an excessive “blight tax” on his property at 201 E. Marion St., in downtown Eatonton. Williams said the tax bill rose from approximately $4,700 to more than $13,000 after penalties were added over multiple years.
“We’ve been going back and forth with the blight tax … but in reality, once I had done that, nothing was given back to me after it got completed,” Williams said, referring to prior discussions with city officials about making improvements to the property.
Williams emphasized the financial investment he’s made since purchasing the property more than three years ago, saying he cleaned, painted, and upgraded the building, and then spent approximately $40,000 to acquire adjacent property and add a parking lot.
“The place has been cleaned up to the best of my knowledge … to what they had told me to do,” Williams said. “But when I got there (to the tax office), they said, ‘Oh no, we got to add a blight tax to it.’”
He told council members the rising tax costs have become unmanageable and feel unfair, especially after he recently permitted city-contracted road construction crews to park and lock up their vehicles and equipment on his lot overnight and on weekends.
“And I did not charge them, not one time,” he stressed.
Williams asked the council to provide a letter to Putnam County Tax Commissioner Terrell Abernathy confirming the removal of all added blight taxes so he could pay just the original amount.
“That’s all I need, just a letter stating that y’all are willing to release that from me,” he said.
Four of the six council members attending clarified that the total reflected three years of accumulated taxes, then unanimously agreed to review the documentation before responding to Williams’ request.
Council members next unanimously approved an in-person request by downtown business owner Janie Reid to expand alcohol sales at her Sips 31024 restaurant, allowing liquor-by-the-drink service in addition to its existing beer and wine offerings. Prior to the discussion, the mayor had recused himself from voting since he is married to Reid.
A community-focused initiative also received support, as the council approved use of the municipal complex grounds for a “Better Health and Fitness Together” resource fair on June 11. The event, backed by Morehouse School of Medicine, is expected to bring healthcare providers and community organizations together in Eatonton. Attendance estimates remain uncertain, though organizers said they anticipate a strong turnout.
Infrastructure and beautification efforts also were addressed, as the council approved a city resident’s request to remove several deteriorating dogwood trees in front of his 203 N. Madison Ave. home, to be replaced by the resident with similar crepe myrtle or cherry trees at no cost to the city.
In other business, the council tabled an appointment to the Downtown Development Authority due to a lack of applicants.
It also approved a resolution naming City Administrator Gary Sanders as its voting delegate for the upcoming gas authority election, with Councilwoman Mylle Mangum as the alternate.
The council also renewed a tire recycling agreement, noting a modest cost increase from previous years, and then conducted a first reading of a proposed ordinance regulating special events and large gatherings, with a second reading expected at its next meeting, scheduled for 7 p.m., April 20.
Mayor John Reid and Sanders also acknowledged ongoing roadwork through Eatonton along U.S. 441 Business, cautioning residents about traffic disruptions. Sanders acknowledged challenges with traffic control but emphasized the long-term benefit of improvements.
“It will be a bit of a nightmare, but it will be well worth the pain once we get through it,” he said of the Georgia DOT project expected to last until late fall.
The meeting concluded with updates from staff, including news from Eatonton Fire Department Chief Jamey Williamson that the department had secured approximately $22,000 through a state fireworks grant to fund equipment purchases. Williamson said the bulk of that money will go toward purchasing new, larger-diameter fire hoses for EFD trucks.
Council members then entered an approximate 30-minute executive session to discuss real estate matters; however, no announcements were made upon returning to close the meeting.