11 months ago
Macon's city council adjourned a special meeting without voting on the proposal to split hotel-motel tax revenues among the Music and Sports halls of fame, the Douglass Theatre, and a proposed new amphitheater.
Mayor Robert Reichert called the special meeting for council members to vote on a proposed four-way split of the one cent increase in the sales tax.
The council listened to the Mayor's presentation and adjourned without acting on the proposal.
The Council already endorsed raising the hotel-motel tax from 6 cents to 7 cents solely to support the Georgia Sports and Music halls of fame. State legislative leaders have threatened to move the halls of fame out of Macon if they do not become financially self-sufficient.
But Democratic state Representative David Lucas wants to split that money four ways to also fund the Douglass Theatre and an amphitheater or stadium.
With many audience members showing their disapproval of the new proposal, Mayor Reichert presented the plan to council members.
He said a quarter of the tax would go to the Music Hall of Fame, a quarter to the Sports Hall of Fame, a quarter to the Douglass Theatre, and a quarter for a feasibility study for the construction of an amphitheater.
He said if the study shows the amphitheater is not feasible, that money would go back to the other three entities, each receiving a third of the tax increase.
Reichert says they are all in agreement that they want to help the halls of fame, and this may be the last chance to do so this legislative session.
But that agreement was not enough to convince council members to support the new four-way tax split.
Council President Miriam Paris says the decision to adjourn shows that council stands behind its original proposal of a 50-50 split for the Halls of Fame.
She says the council wants the General Assembly to honor the legislation it sent to Atlanta.
Councilman Tom Ellington says a compromise is important at the General Assembly, but that has not happened yet, and he had no indication that the mayor's proposal had any more chance of moving forward than the one the council already passed.
Ellington says Bibb County Commissioner Joe Allen addressed council before their meeting and told them the county would not support the four-way split.
Both the city and the county would have to approve the four-way split in order for legislators to vote on it.
Councilwoman Elaine Lucas, the wife of state representative David Lucas, says the adjournment was a defeat of an effort that could have enriched the community.
Council members say they are pushing for the local legislative delegation to reach a compromise.
Ellington says he is prepared to support any legislation that will actually save the halls for Macon.
Councilman Erick Erickson says the best option would be for the local legislative delegation to stop putting themselves ahead of the local officials who decided on the two-way split.
The resolution remains in the hands of the local legislative delegation, but Ellington says they appear to be deadlocked.He also said they are running out of time to make a decision.
Monday was day 35 of the 40 day legislative session.
