Special to the Herald

GUYTON – Nearly 50 citizens were showered with information during the Effingham County Board of Commissioners District 1 Town Hall Meeting at Marlow Elementary School on March 13.

District 1 Commissioner Forrest Floyd and County Manager Tim Callanan delivered a bevy of facts and figures about a variety of topics important to the district and the county as a whole. These included property taxes, transportation, recreation, residential and industrial development, and more.

Floyd kicked off the meeting in the school’s gymnasium by addressing traffic.

“The morning drive out of Effingham County is comparable to yelling ‘fire’ in a crowded theater – and that’s the truth,” he said. “There are limited exits out of the county. The (Georgia Department of Transportation) controls Highway 21, 30, 17, 80 and I-16, and those are our major routes. All (county roads) feed into those routes.”

Floyd noted that the majority of Effingham County commuters are employed in Chatham County and head to their jobs at the same time students are being taken to school. He expects the Effingham County Parkway, set for completion toward the end of next year, to ease the congestion.

The parkway begins at Highway 30 approximately 1.5 miles west of Highway 21 and ends at Blue Jay Road about 3.2 miles west of Highway 21.

“That’s going to take a lot of traffic off of Highway 21, hopefully, and free up some of these roadways,” he said.

Floyd added that nine roundabouts are planned for heavily traveled areas. Eight are in Effingham County and one is in Chatham County at the intersection of Highway 30 and Hodgeville Road.

“The goal is to safely keep traffic flowing,” he said.

After a few minutes of transportation talk, Floyd pivoted to another issue.

“We’ve got low taxes here, folks,” he said. “There has been no tax increase since I came into office in 2012. In 2023, we actually rolled taxes back a mil, saving the average homeowner $400.”

Commissioners reduced the property tax levy for 2023 from 6.939 mils to 5.939 mils, a 14.4 percent decrease.

“Effingham has the lowest taxes of the surrounding counties,” Floyd said.

Callanan later showed slides that proved Floyd’s point. At 6.655 mills, Bryan County’s Maintenance & Operations millage rate exceeds Effingham County’s by 12.1 percent.

Other nearby counties with even higher millage rates include Evans County (56.26 percent), McIntosh County (66.53 percent), Chatham County (77.13 percent), Bulloch County (LOST adjusted, 92 percent), Camden County (135.8 percent), Long County (148.32 percent) and Liberty County (193 percent).

Warehouses were next on Floyd’s agenda. He acknowledged their unpopularity with some citizens before explaining why they are important to the county’s future. He added that commissioners are determined to confine warehouses to specific areas.

“A lot of people say warehouses don’t pay taxes, but they pay significant taxes in Effingham County,” he said.

Last year, commissioners created three industrial service tax districts. All properties located in them are charged an additional 1.1 mills over the county’s Maintenance & Operations rate of 5.939.

The funds generated in the districts help pay for infrastructure improvements such as roundabouts, road widening and heavier pavement installations near industrial operations.

Sparked by the nearby Port of Savannah, industrial growth in the county has surged over the past four years, adding $1.1 billion to the tax digest.
That equates to an additional $6.6 million in revenue for the Effingham County School District and an extra $3.5 million for county government.
It would take the construction of 5,164 houses to match the tax revenue generated by the four-year spurt of industrial growth.

Floyd said the county needs more affordable homes for its growing population. According to a U.S. Census projection, the county currently has 74,631 people. That is 20,000 more than when he was initially elected in 2012.

“Housing values have skyrocketed in Effingham County just like everywhere else in the nation, and sales have been at a premium,” he said. “The average sale (of a house) in Effingham County recently was $348,000. That’s pretty tough for young people.

“A lot of young people can’t afford it.”

Considering current mortgage rates, Floyd said a young homeowner making a minimum down payment on an average home can expect monthly payments approaching $3,000.

“That’s affecting our school system,” he said. “(The Effingham County School District is) having a hard time hiring new teachers because they can’t afford to live here and there’s nothing available to rent.”

The commissioner said Effingham County has been adding nearly 600 homes annually over the last few years. Nearby Bryan County is building at a much faster rate.

“We have less planned development than our surrounding neighbors,” Floyd said. “… If we just look at our kids – we graduate 800 to 1,000 a year and we have been doing that for I don’t know how many years – we don’t have enough houses for them if they want to stay in Effingham County, much less all the influx of (newcomers).”

“All this growth brings a lot of families and kids,” he said. “These families want outdoor activities from walking trails to soccer fields. Our recreation department has grown tremendously in the last few years and we are making upgrades to our existing parks and we are adding others.

“The biggest of these projects is right here in District 1.”

Floyd was referring to the former Atlas sand plant and lake property near I-16. Callanan showed a video (bit.ly/3viNDba) from a drone flyover of the property after Floyd spoke.

“We are getting close to opening that lake up for fishing, swimming, canoeing, picnicking, a pavilion and a beach area,” Floyd said.

 In closing, Floyd told the audience that county officials listen to their concerns before making decisions about recreation and other matters.

“We are trying to strike a balance – looking at revenues versus needs,” he said. “There is a lot of growth, a lot of changes, and a lot of challenges. I still believe Effingham County is a great place to live and raise your family.”

See complete video of Floyd’s presentation on the Effingham County Commissioners website at: News Flash • District 1 Town Hall Presentation (effinghamcounty.org)