MCSD board approves SPLOST accountability committee members

During its monthly meeting Monday night, the Muscogee County School Board unanimously appointed 22 Columbus residents to the committee that oversees the 24 capital projects being funded by the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax voters renewed in March 2015 by 54-46 percent.

This 1 percent sales tax, which started July 1, 2015, will last for five years or until $192,185,000 is collected.

The committee members are:

▪ District 1: Wanda Jenkins.

▪ District 2: Hal Kirven.

▪ District 3: Betsy Ritch-Reed and Bart Steed.

▪ District 4: Green Lewis and Rickey Harrow.

▪ District 5: Joel Fine and Tammy Yancey.

▪ District 6: Joe Coley and Paul Voorhees.

▪ District 7: Shannon Smallman and Joseph Brannan.

▪ District 8: Cecil Calhoun.

▪ Countywide: Meredith Jarrell, Charles Lawhon and Eva Smith.

▪ Others, not representing a particular district but they asked a board member or the superintendent to be appointed: Alton Russell, Will Clark, Sam Wellborn, Bennie Newroth, Ryan Willoughby and Lisa Jenkins.

According to the agenda item, the committee’s purpose is to “maintain accountability and transparency within the community” for the SPLOST projects. Committee members cannot by employees of the Muscogee County School District.

Superintendent David Lewis said Jarrell will chair the committee.

This story was originally published July 17, 2017 at 8:44 PM with the headline "MCSD board approves SPLOST accountability committee members."