Waycross will seek to increase its hotel-motel tax one percent after the city commission’s approval of a resolution last week.
The OK for a hike from five to six percent now goes to the local legislative delegation for consideration and possible adoption during the 2027 General Assembly that starts in early January. The request is still lower than the state-approved eight percent for a municipality’s occupancy tax.
The resolution was one of three commissioners approved during their bi-monthly meeting Tuesday, August 4 in City Hall. The others approved an engineering contract for infrastructure projects and items to be surplussed for sale and/or disposal.
The commission also recognized Public Works staffer Erik Gordon as the August Employee of the Month. In a public hearing prior to the meeting, commissioners approved a zoning change request for a parcel of land owned by Central Baptist Church to subdivide a portion of its property for possible sale.
All five commissioners were present for the meeting conducted by Mayor Michael-Angelo James. There was no executive session.
Resolutions
A penny increase in the hotelmotel tax would net the city about $140,000 annually based on this year’s projection of collecting a little more than $700,000, said Business and Systems Integration Director Patrick Simmons.
The additional penny would be split with 60 percent to the general fund and the rest to tourism and city promotion, said Simmons, who’s a member of the Waycross Convention and Visitors Board.
Simmons said the board consulted with local hotel-motel officials of the proposal and all supported the action. The increase would bring the city more in line with surrounding communities, he said.
For example, the tax is eight percent in Valdosta, Jesup and Fitzgerald, and seven percent in Alma.
The tax is on only those people staying in local hotels and motels.
TR Long Engineering of Hinesville, Ga., was approved for a contract to handle the city’s Community Development Block Grant disaster recovery infrastructure improvement projects for fiscal 2026.
The firm was among four to submit bid, Purchasing Director Mamie Jackson said.
The bid will pay the company nine percent of construction costs and three percent for engineering.
The final resolution declared surplus various city equipment including a zero turn mower, street sweeper, utility trailer, bus and a variety of officerelated items. They will be sold on govdeals.com, as scrap metal or disposed of.
August Employee
Gordon has been a worker for the city just shy of two years, yet has risen from part-time to major responsibility, Public Works Director Matt Elwell said in introducing his staff member.
Elwell said Gordon is a perfect example that “with a little determination and hard work you can go as far as you want. The only limit is yourself and what you want to achieve.”
Gordon began as a parttime worker on the cemetery maintenance crew because he didn’t have a driver’s license, riding a bicycle to work daily, Elwell said.
After a few months he obtained his license, which qualified him for a full-time position and pay increase. That came shortly in the storm water section at the department’s main shop near the CSX Rice Yard, across town from his home.
“He still rode his bike to work, never late and no matter the weather,” said Elwell, who added Gordon was saving a portion of pay to buy a vehicle.
Gordon’s next stop was as a storm water technician, which had him working with concrete, pavement and laying drain pipe.
Elwell said his staffer told him his next goal was to get a Commercial Driver’s License, which he did after taking classes at Coastal Pines Technical College and passing the CDL test.
“So (Gordon) goes from someone who didn’t even have a license when he came to now able to operate anything on the road,” Elwell said, adding he informed Gordon the next opening that required a CDL would be his.
About five months later, that opportunity came for operating a truck for leaf and limb collection, his current post which Elwell said is about double his starting pay from two years ago.
Elwell said Gordon’s nickname is Lucky. “We’re lucky to have him and no doubt he’ll be here for many years and this won’t be his last promotion.”
Rezoning
The church on property on Screven Avenue at Forrest Avenue and Raymond & Ann Cooper Drive will move from R-90 Residential to Office.
The church sought the change to open the parcel to businesses to locate office space on the property.
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