County to consider Berry TAD

♦ Commissioners also will receive a census response update.

The Floyd County Commission will receive an update on the 2020 Census during their premeeting caucus on Tuesday.

According to the Census Bureau website, as of Sept. 3, Floyd County has a response rate of 62.2%, which is a little more than 2% higher than Georgia’s overall response rate.

Currently, census workers are looking at facilities that house large groups of people, such as senior living centers, prisons and colleges, to make sure everyone is counted.

Commissioners will also discuss proposed Tax Allocation District financing for the Berry hotel project during their caucus. The Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott hotel will be adjacent to the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College and will have 92 rooms available for visitors.

With TAD financing, the increased property taxes that are generated by a project are put back into the project — instead of government and school budgets — for a set number of years. The idea is to support a long- term improvement that would not be financially feasible without the help.

The Rome Redevelopment Agency had a split vote over the proposed $ 1.72 million TAD at their meeting a few weeks ago. County Manager Jamie Mccord and Commissioner Larry Maxey spoke against the potential loss of tax revenue at that meeting.

During their regular meeting, commissioners are expected to approve the purchase of new security doors at the Floyd

County Jail for $ 180,000 from Cornerstone Detention Products. This is part of a 2017 special purpose, local option sales tax project for prison system security upgrades budgeted for $ 2.7 million.

Towards the end of the meeting, commissioners will vote on a revision for the corrective action plan at the former recycling center on Watters Street from Maxis Engineering. The $ 24,000 proposal will be paid through the Solid Waste Management Fund.

The consent agenda also includes the purchase of a 2008 F- 250 extended cab pickup truck for the rescue and transportation of animals by Public Animal Welfare Services. The new PAWS vehicle is being funded by a $20,000 grant from Petco.

Caucus will begin at 4 p.m. in the caucus room of the Floyd County Administration Building at 12 E. Fourth Ave. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in the Community Room. Both meetings are open to the public but seating is limited.