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New direction for Damascus
"People need to understand it's not the mayor and council responsible for the changes, it's the citizens of Damascus," stated mayor Heath McDowell. "They decided to put five people in office that would do something about the city's problems." The five people they elected to office were McDowell, councilmen Kevin Tabb, Hoyt Patterson, Robert Brunson and Connie McDowell, Heath's wife. According to McDowell, the city was in such dire straits when the present officials took office that there was a question as to whether or not the city would be able to keep its charter. McDowell said city clerk Gloria Wynds at first refused the new officials access to records or city computers. "Among the things we finally found was that only approximately 40 of the city's 120 water customers were paying their bills," he stated. Wynds, who had been city clerk less than two years, quit the next day. The city now has a new city clerk, Rita Jackson, the water customers are now paying their bills and the city has regained its financial standing to the extent they were able to borrow $100,000. The city's other revenues are from Local Option Sales Tax collections, Georgia Power and Three Notch franchise fees and a 5.99 mill ad valorem tax being implemented this year. The City of Damascus was prohibited from participating in the latest round of SPLOST revenues because city officials were unable to account for the $50,000 they had received earmarked for recreational facilities approved by voters. Last February Mayor McDowell and the council voted to have the city's 2001 - 2006 financials audited. Those audits subsequently revealed where the misappropriated funds had gone. "They had put it in the general fund and used it for salaries and operation expenses," McDowell stated. Repayment of the misappropriated funds puts them back in good standing for SPLOST projects. In fact, they can now request draw downs on that $50,000 and another $45,000 that had never been transferred from the SPLOST account to the city. The city officials have planned three town meetings at which they will be soliciting ideas from the citizens about how to spend the SPLOST monies. The first is Oct. 27 at 3 p.m. The other meetings are Nov. 3 at 10 a.m. and Nov. 8 at 7 p.m.
"We couldn't have gotten where we are without the support of the people in Damascus," McDowell stated. "We need their continued support to get our city back where it needs to be."
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