Jeffersonville City Council discusses blight, refurbishment project

City Councilman Joseph Albert proposed the implementation of a “blight tax” in Jeffersonville Monday night. If approved, the ordinance would aim to crack down on neglected properties by financially incentivizing property owners to maintain and rehabilitate their buildings.

Albert said the proposal drew inspiration from a model ordinance adopted by the city of Griffin.

“This ordinance gives the city more teeth,” Mayor Charles Williams said during the discussion. 

With the ordinance, property owners that violate city codes would have to pay a seven-mill tax on the property until it is brought back to code.

“If it’s found to be a nuisance or in violation of our code, our code enforcement officer, which is our chief of police, would issue a warning or citation to the individual,” Albert said. “That would then go before municipal court, and the judge would decide whether or not the case is factually based.”

The tax would apply only to properties officially declared “blighted,” functioning similarly to Griffin’s ordinance, which has served as a model for other Georgia cities in recent years. The Center for Community Progress defines blight as “a shorthand term used to refer to properties perceived as problematic in some way: appearing unsafe, visually unpleasant or a threat to neighborhood property values.”

The council did not take a vote on the proposal during the meeting, but council members agreed to take up the issue in future meetings. If the proposal were to be adopted, Jeffersonville would join a growing number of cities across Georgia using a blight tax to address urban decay and promote redevelopment.

Councilwoman Annie Williams announced the appointment of new members to the Planning and Zoning Board: Debbie Brantley, Dennis Beal, Tammy Albert, Nelson Williams and Javares Bryant. She said the newly appointed members bring diverse expertise and are expected to play a key role in guiding Jeffersonville’s future development.

Four County Area Exchange Club vice president Milton Sampson addressed the council again after his first visit in March to propose turning over the city’s historic fire station to the club so that it could apply for grants and refurbish the building. The city cannot currently apply for grants itself due to multiple years of overdue audits.

The building, located at 51 North Ash St. next to the sheriff’s office, was the first fully-furnished volunteer firehouse in Georgia. Other than city employees using it to eat lunch, the building is only used to store old records and a fire truck that is no longer in service, Sampson said. 

The Exchange Club hopes to “bring it back to life” and transform it into a “productive” space for the community, he said. After renovations, the club would return the building to the city, he said. 

“What we would like to do is get that place repaired and added to the historic register as a historic place to visit in Twiggs County and Jeffersonville,” Sampson told the council last month. “But there are some steps that would have to be taken before we can do that.”

The council voted unanimously to approve exploring the proposal. Councilman Chris Pritchett was absent.

The council also discussed the community Easter Egg Hunt to be held in the city park from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, as well as plans for the upcoming annual yard sale. Mayor Charles Williams suggested, “Why don’t we try to help the community by doing it for free?” proposing that the city waive vendor fees to encourage greater participation and support local families with the annual sale.