08/07/2026
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Waycross City Commission Meeting Recap – August 4, 2026
I wanted to take a few minutes to share a recap of tonight’s City Commission meeting and highlight some of the items that were discussed and voted on.
🏛️ Public Hearing
The Commission unanimously approved (5-0) a rezoning request for property located near Forrest Avenue and Screven Avenue. The property was rezoned from R-90 Residential to Office (O) zoning.
👏 Employee of the Month
Congratulations to Eric Gordon, who was recognized as the City’s Employee of the Month. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to serving the citizens of Waycross.
🚜 Surplus Property
The Commission unanimously approved declaring several pieces of city-owned equipment and miscellaneous items as surplus so they can be sold or properly disposed of, allowing the City to recover value from equipment that is no longer needed.
🏗️ Engineering Services Contract
One item where I voted differently from the majority involved the engineering services contract for upcoming Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) infrastructure projects.
The recommended engineering firm received the highest evaluation score of 69 points, while the second-highest scoring firm received 68.75 points, a difference of only 0.25 points.
However, the recommended firm’s proposal included a 12% fee (9% engineering plus 3% construction costs), while the second-highest scoring firm proposed an 8% fee.
While I respect the evaluation committee’s recommendation, I voted no because I believed such a small difference in scoring did not justify paying a significantly higher fee. I felt the lower-cost proposal deserved stronger consideration. My responsibility is to be a good steward of taxpayer dollars, and I believed this vote reflected that responsibility.
The motion ultimately passed 4-1.
🏨 Hotel-Motel Tax
The Commission unanimously approved a resolution requesting our local legislative delegation authorize increasing the Hotel-Motel Tax from 5% to 6%.
I want to point out that this does not increase taxes on Waycross residents. This tax is paid by visitors staying in hotels, motels, and other lodging establishments within the city. It is not a property tax or a sales tax on our citizens.
The resolution now moves to the Georgia General Assembly for consideration before it could become law.
🐾 Animal Management
Animal management continues to be an important topic of discussion, and we are still reviewing recommendations and evaluating possible policy changes. No final decisions have been made, and the conversation is ongoing.
If you have suggestions or ideas about how we can improve animal management in Waycross, I encourage you to reach out. I genuinely value hearing from citizens, and your input helps me make better-informed decisions.
As always, thank you for allowing me to serve as your District 4 Commissioner. I remain committed to asking questions, doing my homework, listening to your concerns, and making the decisions I believe are in the best interest of our community.
If you ever have questions about something discussed during a Commission meeting, or if there’s an issue you’d like me to look into, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I appreciate your support and the opportunity to serve the City of Waycross.
