WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — Warner Robins council members agreed on a new ordinance they hope gets people's attention. It's called a blight tax and it's aimed at ridding the city of eye sores.
The International City is always welcoming new families. In 2008, Michael Hatcher was a town newbie.
"I started working with a defense contractor then got picked up out on Robins," he said.
It's now much more than a place to work. He says he's pretty active in the community, and is the Vice Chair of the Blight Task Force.
"This is my home. I don't want my home to be overrun by blighted property," he said.
Hatcher says many people divide the city in two parts, The south part, he says people believe is the side where everything's growing. He says people see the north side as the old and bad side.
"There's nothing bad about it. It just needs a little TLC and that's what this is all about," he said.
With work from the task force, mayor, and council the city adopted a blight tax.
"Individuals with blighted properties that are unoccupied will receive 10 additional mills for their tax rate," Mayor LaRhonda Patrick said during the council meeting.
Hatcher says this is a last resort, when other efforts fail.
"I'm glad that it's as much as it is, because someone will look at the property tax that's $2,000, now it's $20,000 if they don't comply," he said
According to the new ordinance, before a building is taxed, a city officer or at least five residents have to submit a complaint.
"Start turning them in. This is how we get them cleaned up," Patrick said.
The ordinance goes on to say that the property owner will get a written notice. They will have 30 days from that notice to schedule a hearing at the municipal court. After further inspection from the city, the court judge will make the final decision.
Hatcher says it's another tool for the city to put action behind their words.
"Unlike past administrations, she's doing things that she said she was going to do," Hatcher said.
Plus, he said it will encourage people to take care of their properties.
"When people take pride in their communities it's easier to keep it clean, because they're proud of where they live and proud of where they go to work everyday," he said.
Hatcher says the blight task force has other recommendations they'd like to see, like starting a recorders court, which focuses on property code violations. He says they'd also like to see the city hire more code enforcement officers.