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The Teachey Board of Commissioners approved its budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year at its regular monthly meeting Monday night, June 10, and also continued a discussion from the previous month’s meeting regarding the town’s animal ordinance.
The proposed budget included an increase in water rates of 10% this year, 5% next year and 3% in 2026 for a total increase of 18% over the next three years.
Rates haven’t been increased since 2021, Mayor Bobby Jones said, and the increase is needed to keep up with the cost of living.
“The town of Wallace is going up, and we’re trying to keep it the same for our residents,” said public works director James Parker. “By next year, we should be pretty much even.”
The budget also includes a new town position, public works assistant, which will be open as of July 1.
At last month’s meeting, numerous Teachey residents were on hand to ask for the town’s pet ordinance to be updated, perhaps adding a monetary fine for ordinance violations.
Commissioner Patrick Williams had proposed a $50 fine for violations at the last meeting, and the mayor followed up with County Commissioner Wayne Branch and County Manager Bryan Miller on how the ordinance might be enforced.
“They said in order to amend their ordinance, they would not move the needle on service for our town unless there was a fee for service or a monthly contract that we would pay for that service,” Jones reported, adding that the town would need to amend the county’s ordinance so that livestock such as cows, chicken or pigs would be prohibited inside the town limits.
Commissioner Wanda Henderson asked if the county is set up to handle enforcing the ordinance for the town. The mayor responded that there are two new county employees that could possibly help respond to issues within Teachey, if the town decides to go that route.
“In the meantime, I think we still need to adopt a fine for each complaint, while that process is being handled with the county,” Jones said. “Because at least we’d be doing something proactive to try to mitigate the issue while this whole red tape process is happening.”
Commissioner Jamie Moore, Jr. stated that he felt any complaints should come before the board so that the fine “has some teeth to it.”
Ezzell advised the board that there has to be validation to any complaints about pets that come in, so that the town won’t be going on hearsay when issuing fines.
Parker said that currently there is no form for a complainant to sign; instead, he issues work orders for each complaint. Ezzell stated that the person in violation of the ordinance should be notified by a town representative in order for the fine to be valid.
The commissioners finally decided that the town should send a warning before a $50 fine is issued, and ensure that a town representative has validated the complaint. The motion was approved unanimously.
“I think the citizens are going to be pleased to know that we moved on this pretty quickly,” Jones said.
New town clerk/finance officer Morgan Jacobs was also sworn in during the June meeting.
In other business at the June meeting, the board:
- Voted unanimously to extend the contract for sewer services with the town of Wallace for another 10 years, making it valid through September 2034.
- Decided against purchasing solar-powered speed limit signs and agreed to install speed bumps in problem areas of town instead. Mayor Jones said that he felt speed bumps would neutralize the situation more than the flashing speed limit signs. Town Attorney Joseph Ezzell advised the board to notify everyone on the streets in which speed bumps will be going in, to ensure that all affected citizens are aware.
- Approved a resolution directing the town clerk to investigate a petition for annexation for the Mill Creek project. A public hearing will be held at the next meeting, on July 8.
- Learned about a Juneteenth festival and parade, scheduled for June 22, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
