>> LOCAL RECREATION
The Milledgeville Pickleball Group enjoyed a round-robin tournament and lunch this past Friday, and two guests joined the players and volunteers at the tables.
Approximately 45 players took part in the tournament, and most stayed for the meal. Also present then were District 4 County Commissioner Henry Craig and County Manager Carlos Tobar. Craig, recently named president of the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG), spoke briefly before the food was served and talked about the county budget and requirements.
“Of all resources we get, 83 percent goes to constitutional requirements. That means with 17 cents of every dollar, we can do non-constitutional requirements.” Craig pointed out that roads, animal control, and recreation are examples of those services.
“Recreation is much more than pickleball,” he went on to say. “But, we do understand we need to improve pickleball in Baldwin County.”
The three-term commissioner briefly highlighted the history of pickleball locally. It started in the recreation department gym with just a few players, then moved outside to the tennis courts, with lines painted to outline the smaller pickleball courts. He said the county spent $20,000 to transform two tennis courts into four fully-dedicated pickleball courts, then, about a year and a half ago, spent $20,000 more to do four more courts, making eight available for pickleball only.
Craig has seen those courts, with the cracks that are expanding at what appears to be a rapid rate.
“We all know from our experience if we do those pickleball courts the same way we did before, in a years or less than a year, we would be in the same shape. To do $20,000 every year or two years is not the right thing to do,” he added. “I’m talking about resurfacing with an asphalt product.
“That will cost $150,000-$200,000 that we don’t have right this minute,” Craig explained before thanking the crowd for support of the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) in the most recent referendum. Collection of that penny tax doesn’t start until April 1, 2024.
“We don’t intend to borrow money to get things done,” Craig cautioned. “We’re going to collect money, then do it, so we don’t have interest.”
He talked about other recreational projects that would require significant funding, such as $500,000 for lighting, but told the pickleball lovers not to worry.
“I promise you we’re going to do it. But, it’s not going to be tomorrow. It’s going to be a year or two or more before we get to it.”
According to a spreadsheet showing costs of anticipated recreation projects that was utilized as part of the campaign for support in the SPLOST referendum, $250,000 is earmarked for pickleball expansion, $100,000 in FY 2027 and $150,000 in FY 2028. Tobar noted that there is always the possibility that grants or other funding sources could advance any project, but added there is no guarantee or even any way of knowing at this point whether that could happen.
At the conclusion of his remarks, Craig was asked if roads and such did not meet constitutional requirements, what did.
“When you go in the courthouse, everything there is a constitutional requirement,” he replied. “The jail is a constitutional requirement, the sheriff is a constitutional requirement.
“Everything I have just described to you is 60 percent of our budget.”