Walthourville considers outsourcing Public Works Department

The City of Walthourville is considering whether to privatize its Public Works Department as deadlines loom for the city’s first proposed millage rate.

As of publication, the city was still waiting on the Liberty County Tax Commissioner’s Office to finalize Walthourville’s first tax digest, after having conferred on at least two drafts. The Board of Commissioners needs to have the city’s final tax digest by Nov. 20 for approval. But the city needs the final version before then to make the required public notices for millage rate hearings on time.

Councilwoman Bridgette Kelly announced a town hall meeting to answer citizens’ questions will take place from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17, at the Liberty College and Career Academy, 246 Dorsey Road. 

Mayor Sarah B. Hayes told The Current GA Thursday that councilmembers had not informed her of the town hall before Tuesday night’s meeting and that she already had family commitments.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Councilman Mitchell Boston gave an update on a request for proposals (RFP) to privatize the department, which operates with a small crew out of a rundown building below the city’s aging Hardman Road water tower. 

Hayes pointed out that the city’s Public Works employees come out to help with problems like storm damage and asked that any RFP include language about contractors doing likewise. 

Boston agreed to an “addendum” to the draft RFP.

Councilman Robert Dodd, who is also emergency manager for Liberty County, said he did not think the city should get rid of Public Works: “It’s like you said: ‘What if, what if, what if, what if.’ We’ve got our Public Works and I don’t think we’re in a position to make another bill, as we see with the trash, I mean, I’m just not ready to get rid of our Public Works.”

Boston replied, “Well, Councilman Dodd, like I said, we’re not necessarily set on getting rid of Public Works. We’re seeing what else is out there. Because, I mean, we have a bill regardless. Whether it’s the payroll that we’re already paying, to include vehicle maintenance, the gas — we’re gonna pay money regardless. The purpose of this is to see if it even makes sense.”

“I mean, I understand what an RFP is,” Dodd replied, “but we keep going back and forth, and our employees, which is our biggest asset in the city, have to hear that we’re getting rid of Public Works. We got rid of trash, we did an RFP for that, we’re doing an RFP for Public Works.”

“Well, in my opinion, we have to see what all options are out there,” Boston said. “Because we can’t continue to do the same thing and expect different results.”

Hayes asked Boston whether an RFP would be cost-effective, “because my thing is this: We’re jumping into quite a bit right now. We know financially where we stand. Would it be better to look at this now, or wait until after we get our millage rate set and things in place so we could look at what’s going to benefit the city? That’s all I’m asking — is it feasible right now?”

Boston said his concern with the millage rate “is that, even when we talk to our CPA, it’s still — I mean, we’re not all, like, the pastures just aren’t green. Like, we’re still struggling. And I think what this can do is at least give us an option. I’m a fan of options.”

Kelly pointed out that the vote was on the RFP only, not on any bids to take over the department. She made a motion to publish the RFP, with addenda to address acts of God or acts of nature and to allow the city to revisit the contract annually.

The council voted 4-1 in favor, with Dodd opposed.

For more on the city’s efforts to fix its finances, see our story “Q&A: Walthourville, its budget & challenges.”

Learn more about the pros and cons of privatizing public services from the Environmental Finance Center Network, a group of universities and nonprofits that address water system capacity development and related issues.