Looking ahead at Land Bank
♦ Idea starting to gain traction with county, cities for joint venture
Rethink Rockmart founding member Sherman Ross has remained determined in his goal to help create a land bank within Polk, and he once again spoke with the county’s commissioners to share some insight into the project.
Abandoned, unwanted properties can be foreclosed and sold through the land bank -- helping to remove market stagnation. This puts otherwise unclaimed houses and buildings back on tax row and gives the structures a chance to be used again.
While each municipality in Polk would be free to use the tool, it can’t be created at all without the county’s approval.
“It will take in properties, abandoned properties, primarily where people owe back-taxes,” Ross explained at an earlier Rethink meeting. “Those can be foreclosed on and put into the land bank authority, and the land bank authority can offer those for sale. Primarily, what we like to do is get developers involved,” Ross said. “Get them interested in acquiring these properties, and if its an abandoned home, either renovate it, tear it down, or build something new. Its going to be a great tool that will benefit the whole community.”
Ross mentioned that Polk’s individual cities have shown approval, but one of the last remaining obstacles towards creating the bank is assigning board members to help manage it.
An odd number of representatives is required for voting, so the group is looking for at least one member from each city. The county is currently being allotted two seats due to their size and the fact they would provide the initial seed money in the event the land bank is created.
“The cities are in the process of working to identify representatives,” Ross said during the Sept. 10 meeting.
The process is still in its early stage, however. How many, and who, will be on the board is still very much on the table. Since Polk is separated into three distinct districts, County Chairperson Jennifer Hulsey demonstrated an interest in appointing three county representatives.
“I wonder if we should do three,” Hulsey said. “Just to represent the districts. I don’t want to be overpowering, but is that something to talk about?”
Since the land bank must have five to eleven members, either the municipalities would have to assign more representatives or the county would have to include more than three members. A land bank chairperson would also need to be appointed before properties could be claimed, but there is some still some leeway time.
Ross mentioned that there were potential guidelines for when a board must be set in place, however.
“Fiscal year for the board runs from January to December, but there’s nothing that says it (the land bank) has to be in effect Jan. 1,” Ross explained. “I think the board has to be nominated and in place within a specified time before we can actually operate.”
The county agreed to seek out their representatives, but commissioner Jose Iglesias mentioned that, since the land bank would be a line item for the county, they need to figure out how much paying a land bank administrator would cost.
“I understand this is seed money, but from the get-go, this is a line item for the county,” Iglesias said. “We need to get an idea of how much that administrative person is making in the other counties similar ours. Do you have an idea of how much an administrative or executive director would make?”
Iglesias mentioned that most other Georgia counties with land banks had far larger populations, so whether or not Polk could compete with the paying rate of the surrounding land bank counties was naturally raised.
“I don’t think the county size has anything to do with it,” Ross said. “Most counties aren’t aware of this tool. Because its a tool to improve neighborhoods and put properties back on tax rows.”
Ross did follow up with the Rockmart City Council following the Sept. 10 county meeting that he believed the idea is being received well, and that he expects it to move forward in the near future.
It was enough of a priority for at least one Commissioner to bring up funding for the effort twice. Commissioner Hal Floyd sought in August ahead of the approval of the budget and millage rate to add to the 2019 Fiscal Year expenditures a sum of $5,000 to be spent to help develop the Land Bank.
He later pointed out in his commissioner comments during the Sept. 11 meeting that in an e-mail sent out to his fellow members, that it remained one of his priorities for funding in the months ahead.
While nothing was officially approved or declined, locals likely won’t have to wait long for updates to the land bank that seemingly makes progress every day.