Options coming soon for Columbus Council on Government Center repairs, mayor says

In her 30th and final “Let’s Talk With the Mayor” forum, Mayor Teresa Tomlinson was peppered with usual questions on crime, development, prison labor and other projects but offered some possible options for problems facing the Columbus Government Center on 10th Street.

Nearly 100 residents and city officials filled the Community Room of the City Services Center Thursday as Tomlinson completes the last three months in the office she has held almost eight years. The Government Center has been at the center of issues for the 47-year old building plagued by three floods since June 18 and the closure of the 10th and 11th floors.

After a meeting Thursday with the judges, Tomlinson said they are working on a couple of proposals, possibly with a suggested alternative during the Oct. 9 meeting of the 10-member Columbus Council.

“”We are going to have options for council , very specified options with proposed costs , time lines, pros and cons,” she said.

A referendum may be one of the options but the mayor said that would add two years to any solution. “If we do a referendum, we’ve got to go to the Georgia Legislature, wait for the next ballot then wait for the other penny sales tax to roll off,” she said. “Then you can’t start building , you can’t start sending out bonds for two more years. It’s all got pros and cons.”

Officials need a quicker solution for the $6 million in repairs just to get the two floors repaired. “ I think we’ve got some creative options the citizens will find very palatable to make this a good investment,” she said.

Theresa El-Amin , founder of the Southern Anti-Racism Network, praised Tomlinson as the only mayor she has known during her time in Columbus and what she has been able to accomplish. She still had questions about prison labor and Crime Prevention grants.

The mayor said the city fields more than 500 prison trustees to mow , trim, work on the right-of-ways, in city parks and perform other duties. “ They are a great asset to us,” she said.

Without the prison labor, the city would have to come up with $15 million to replace it, she said.

Dwight Hamrick, warden of the Muscogee County Prison, said the total figure is more like $21 million a year. The work camp in Columbus is tops in the state because inmates they seek out the facility to work and learn a skill. The prison also offers a GED program to help inmates. “We believe in inmates working hard,” he said. “A lot of inmates want to do the right thing and be successful. “

Seth Brown, director of the Crime Prevention program, said the city gives about $750,000 a year to community groups to help reduce crime. It was started by Mayor Jim Wetherington who served as Columbus police chief.

Residents were also concerned about 23 homicides for the year this year and how $10,000 will help the city reduce crime. Police Chief Ricky Boren said the department has $10,000 but can’t give it out at one time for the reward. There may be some signs posted to help spread the word about the money. “There is a possibility that the company that gave money will give more money,” he said.

A south Columbus resident is concerned about digging at the corner of Brennan and Cusseta roads. Officials said the work on the roundabout and realigning the roadway is under construction from Cusseta Road south to the Fort Benning gate on Benning Road.

During the forum, Tomlinson pointed to a fact sheet with accomplishments during her two terms. They included decreasing the homless population, increasing police salaries, breaking ground on the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard streetscapes and other projects. “We couldn’t have don’t those things without your support,” she said.

Tomlinson said she is pleased the next mayor, Mayor-elect Berry “Skip” Henderson, has tremendous experienceI with 20 years on the council and serving on the Budget Committee. “He knows what it takes to be mayor of this city,” she said. “He knows where we are financially. We are in very good hands.”

This story was originally published September 20, 2018 at 10:45 PM.