County appoints 6 to finish SPLOST Committee lineup

The Floyd County Commission made its six appointments to the 2017 Citizens SPLOST Committee Tuesday — completing the roster of the group charged with reviewing projects for a special purpose, local option sales tax package.

Commission Chair Rhonda Wallace said none of the six have served on previous vetting committees.

“We have some from Lindale, some from Armuchee. We have people from all over the county,” she said. “And I don’t think picked anyone who has an agenda on anything.”

Added to this list are Jeff Chandler, who works for the state Department of Juvenile Justice; Toni Hannah with Georgia Power Co.; local developer Doc Kibler; David Mathis, assistant athletic director at Georgia Highlands College; Tannika Wester of Darlington School; and Ghee Wilson, a special agent with the Georgia Department of Corrections.

The board also chose an alternate, Jim Howell, who was a member of the 2013 committee.

Rome’s appointees are newcomers Julie Smith and Mike Burnes and veteran committee members Alvin Jackson and Jim Bojo. Cave Spring reappointed J.C. Boehm and David Newby — who chaired the 2013 committee — will chair the new 12-member group.

Wallace said Newby will get the contact information for everyone today and he’ll work with them to set meeting dates. Elected officials have said they’ll back the citizen board’s recommendations.

Assistant County Manager Gary Burkhalter said a package would have to be submitted by early August to meet the deadline for the Nov. 7 ballot.