Dodge County accepted a bid from Colony Bank for a line of credit at 2.89% at their meeting on Monday, June 15.No bids were opened at the meeting. When asked who the other banks were and what their percentage rates were, county clerk Kim Smith wrote in an email to The Dodge County News that “One of the dilemmas we had when getting bids was the banks didn’t want to bid because they didn’t want their names and rates being published afterward.”
Bids were not submitted from the Bank of Eastman and Citizens Bank, however, bids were submitted from financial institutions from outside of Dodge County.
According to Georgia Press Association Attorney David Hudson in Atlanta, the bids are public record and should have been opened in public.
In past years, The Dodge County News has always been given all the bids on the county’s line of credit.
Board member Brian Watkins made the motion to accept the bid from Colony Bank, which was seconded by board member Terry Niblett. The motion passed unanimously. Board members Jr. Howell and Karen Cheek were not in attendance at the meeting.
Commissioners did discuss beginning their search for a new county manager. The advertisement for the position is on Page 8 of this edition of The Dodge County News.
The next regular meeting of the Dodge County Board of Commissioners is scheduled for Monday, July 6, 2020 at 6:00 p.m.