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Milledgeville takes step to avoid service delivery strategy disruption

The city filed a petition to ask the current service delivery strategy to run as is until a new agreement can be reached

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — The funding strategy between Baldwin County and Milledgeville is set to expire early next week, causing many in the county to worry about the state of their public services. On Thursday, the city took measures to prevent services from getting disrupted.

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Baldwin County and the city of Milledgeville's Service Delivery Strategy agreement is set to expire in just two days. The county and city are butting heads over whose money will be spent where. 

The constant back and forth bickering has left people like Christopher Lowe feeling frustrated.

"It's frustrating unfortunately that those services won't be met because of politics is what I feel like," Lowe said.

The Service Delivery Strategy is required by state law and after three different sessions of mediation neither side has budged, but the city may have a solution -- albeit a temporary one.

The city passed a resolution to file a petition in Baldwin County Superior Court to have a judge allow the current SDS agreement to run "status quo," meaning services will be funded as is until a new agreement can be reached. Interim City Manager Hank Griffeth said hopefully that will put a hold on any consequences from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.

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"If the agreement is status quo, there'd be no reason for them to levy sanctions against the city, so that's what we're asking the courts to do," Griffeth said.

He warned another lengthy stint without any progress between the two sides could lead to trouble for both parties, including loss of funding, permits, and other necessary state-provided functions.

"I think it's only a matter of time, no matter how much litigation we do, that a judge will ultimately say 'y'all are not moving forward on this,'" he said.

The agreement ends on July 1 and technically certain services could end for certain parts of the county. Griffeth said the city has no plans to allow citizens to suffer for the actions of the two government entities.

"We are in the business of providing our citizens the services that they're paying for, whether they're in the incorporated area or the unincorporated area, and we have no intentions of stopping that service or changing that service come July 1," Griffeth said.

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The city plans on filing the petition as soon as possible, but may have to wait until the current SDS agreement expires. If the petition is granted by a judge, Griffeth said he's not sure how long the agreement could be extended or on what terms.

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