The Hazlehurst City Council handled a lengthy agenda Thursday evening, Sept. 17, with action ranging from the city’s 2026 property tax millage rate and a developing data center study to cemetery improvements, infrastructure projects and changes to city purchasing procedures.
The work session and regular meeting also brought several residents before the council with concerns involving the temporarily closed animal shelter, sewage backups, property maintenance and other city issues.
Council Votes to Set Millage Rate at 7 Mills
One of the most significant actions of the evening came when council members voted 3-0 to set the city’s 2026 property tax rate at 7 mills, an increase from last year’s 6 mills.
The discussion began with information about growth in the city’s property tax digest and how that growth would affect revenue. Council members were told that the increase in property values would require additional public-hearing and advertising procedures under state requirements.
During the discussion, council members also referenced an earlier plan to gradually return the city’s millage rate to 8 mills. One council member said the city had previously lowered the rate following Hurricane Helene and indicated the anticipated plan would be to increase the rate by another half-mill next year and an additional half-mill the following year. Those future rates were discussed but were not approved Thursday night.
The millage issue returned during citizen comments when one citizen questioned how additional tax revenue resulting from the increased digest and millage rate would be incorporated into the city’s already adopted budget. City officials indicated a called meeting is planned to address the budget.
Data Center Committee Begins Taking Shape
Data centers, an issue already receiving considerable attention at the county level, also came before the City Council. Oakley G. Perry explained that the Joint Development Authority is organizing a committee to research the possible impacts of data centers in Jeff Davis County.
Perry emphasized that the committee is intended to be a fact-finding group rather than a pro- or anti-data center committee. Members are expected to research both potential positive and negative impacts, work with experts and eventually prepare information that can be provided to Jeff Davis County, Hazlehurst and Denton.
Perry also stressed that the effort does not mean the Development Authority is recruiting a data center developer. Council members likewise said the city would remain neutral while information is gathered. The council voted to appoint Councilwoman Elizabeth Oliver as the city’s elected representative on the committee. Oliver said she looks forward to learning more about the issue and understands that her role will be to approach the work neutrally.
Two additional Hazlehurst residents are expected to have an opportunity to participate through an application process.
Historical Tours Planned for City Cemetery
Council members approved plans for historical tours of the Hazlehurst City Cemetery as a tourism initiative. Perry explained that the tours would focus on local history and people buried in the cemetery — not ghosts or Halloween scares. Among the people whose stories could be included are individuals who played roles in the history and development of Hazlehurst and Jeff Davis County. The tours could also highlight unusual monuments, architecture and symbols found throughout the cemetery.
Tentative dates discussed were Oct. 24 and Oct. 30. Perry said his staff would conduct the tours, and parking is planned for a nearby lot rather than inside the cemetery. Local businesses are also helping sponsor the project.
Council members raised questions about respecting the families of those whose graves might be featured. The council approved the tours with the understanding that reasonable efforts would be made to contact living family members when possible.
City Cemetery Map Going Digital
The council also approved a project to replace the deteriorating map currently used for the cemetery on the Lumber City Highway. Officials described the existing map as badly worn and difficult to use. The proposed replacement would provide a new printed map along with an online version and an index allowing family names and grave locations to be located more easily.
The estimated project cost discussed was approximately $1,500 to $1,750, with tourism and hotel-motel marketing funds potentially covering a significant portion and the city responsible for the remainder.
The discussion also prompted broader questions about the city’s cemetery ordinance and procedures for burials, particularly during weekends. Council members approved moving forward with the map and discussed making cemetery rules readily available alongside the digital information. Officials also indicated the ordinance itself may need to be reviewed separately.
Animal Shelter Expected to Remain Closed Into October
The condition and temporary closure of the Hazlehurst Animal Shelter returned during citizen comments.
A representative from Voices of the Hazlehurst Animal Shelter, asked for an update on repairs and when the facility could reopen. Mayor John Ramay said construction is underway and described the work as extensive enough that the city expects to have a substantially improved facility once repairs are complete. Officials did not provide a reopening date.
Council discussion indicated the shelter is expected to still be closed at the time of the October council meeting. The representative told officials that the closure is creating difficulties for residents trying to find somewhere for unwanted or displaced animals. She said a local rescue organization had been contacted about 24 animals in the previous seven days alone.
She also asked about procedural changes discussed during an earlier special meeting concerning evacuation of shelter animals. A council member acknowledged those changes had not yet been formally adopted and said the issue would be brought back for action in October.
Questions were also raised about what happens when a dog must be quarantined following a bite while the shelter is closed. Officials discussed using an available quarantine pen temporarily while determining the appropriate placement for an animal.
Ward Four Resident Describes Longstanding Sewage Problems
One of the evening’s more extensive citizen comments came from a Ward Four resident who described recurring sewage backups at her home during heavy rain. She told council members that the problem has existed for years and said sewage has repeatedly backed up onto her property despite privately funded attempts to install backflow-prevention equipment. The resident asked the city to investigate the larger sewer system and nearby pump stations rather than continuing to leave individual homeowners to deal with the problem.
Mayor Ramay told her the city would begin looking into the issue. City officials also discussed whether documentation from residents experiencing similar problems could help support a future Community Development Block Grant application. The city clerk encouraged the resident to document other affected households, noting that citizen participation can be important when seeking those grants.
Officials also discussed the importance of the Kersey lift station to the city’s wastewater system and concerns about the amount of wastewater handled by that station, particularly during heavy rainfall.
City Reports Major Reduction in Water Pumped
During the earlier work session, city officials reported what they described as significant progress in reducing water loss. The city pumped approximately 64 million fewer gallons of water from Jan. 1 through the current reporting period than during the same period last year, according to information presented at the meeting. Officials attributed the reduction to work that has included repairing leaks.
The city was also reported to have met its water permit requirements for the previous month — something officials said had not happened for some time.
Major Sewer Project Preparing to Begin
Officials also provided an update on the city’s Community Development Block Grant sewer project. Plans have received approval from the Environmental Protection Division for work that includes more than 2,000 feet of gravity sewer line, a new pump station and replacement of the Carrie Johnson Circle pump station.
A required project sign is expected to be installed, with the contractor anticipated to be on site shortly afterward. Officials said material availability contributed to delays in beginning the project but indicated the overall completion timeline had not changed.
Cromartie Street/Bell Telephone Road Project Goes Out for Bids
The long-awaited Cromartie Street/Bell Telephone Road project is also moving forward. The city is currently advertising for bids, with bids due Oct. 14 at 2 p.m.
Council members discussed the importance of ensuring the project is properly inspected once construction begins, including attention to manholes and other infrastructure affected by paving.
Officials also discussed the need to plan for rerouting 18-wheelers during construction. The project is expected to include widening and resurfacing work along the route.
City Applies for $150,000 Water Planning Grant
City Clerk Vernice Thompson informed council members that the city submitted an application for a $150,000 grant for water-system planning after learning about the opportunity on the final day applications were being accepted. Thompson said the grant, if awarded, would help the city plan for future water infrastructure needs.
According to the discussion, the city’s required contribution would be provided through in-kind work rather than a cash match. No award has yet been announced.
Purchasing Procedures Updated
Council members also addressed city purchasing procedures that had not been substantially updated since April 2000. The existing procedure generally required city employees to obtain prices from three vendors. Officials said that requirement has become increasingly difficult because some businesses do not submit prices or respond to requests.
The council voted to reduce the minimum requirement from three vendors to two. Officials emphasized that the change does not prevent employees from obtaining additional prices when available. The goal, they said, is still to obtain the best value for taxpayers while avoiding delays when a third quote cannot be secured.
Other Action
Council members approved the 2026 Jeff Davis High School Homecoming Parade, scheduled for Oct. 8 beginning at 7 p.m., and approved moving the SMA Awareness 5K to Oct. 24.
The council also approved the Third Annual Stop the Gun Violence event, scheduled for Oct. 10 at Mary Frazier Park.
The council approved a proclamation recognizing Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month in Hazlehurst.
Council members also approved Downtown Development Authority recommendations naming Casey Williams as chair, Matthew Rentz as co-chair and Nikki Moore as secretary. The discussion included renewed interest in downtown revitalization, historic preservation and greater public awareness of the DDA’s work.
The evening’s work session also included updates on completed sidewalk and drainage work, the city’s FEMA-approved hazard mitigation plan and other ongoing Public Works projects.
With infrastructure projects beginning, the animal shelter undergoing repairs, a data center study taking shape and the new millage rate moving into the required tax process, several of Thursday night’s issues are expected to return before the council in the coming months.
