“I have no problem with the $900,000 (proposed amount),” said Jimmy Douglas, councilman. “Concerned citizens who want the pool can contribute, too, as funds become available.”

If the cost of the project increased and there was not enough funds, said Moye, then the county would have to make up the difference.

Douglas and Burns both said that the sooner pool construction could begin, the better.

County Attorney Kevin Cauley told those present that once the project was on the ballot, that it had to be finished.

“You have to do it,” he said. “You can be careful in defining it and can scale back if you need to, but you have to do it and construct that facility.”

He also suggested not specifying amounts for each project on the ballot (like the Grady County Board of Education did in its 2005 SPLOST), but including those amounts in the intergovernmental agreement.

Another topic of discussion was funding Whigham’s $325,000 request.

“There is a real need at this time for SPLOST funding for Whigham,” said Moye.

Representatives from the City of Cairo asked if Whigham would have any share in excess SPLOST proceeds because it was not giving up any funds for special interest groups.

“No,” said Moye. “The $325,000 allotted to them would be all the funds they would receive. They would have no share in additional SPLOST proceeds if there was any excess.”

Representatives for the City of Whigham were not present at the meeting.

The current SPLOST ends March 31, 2008, and, to ensure continued collections of SPLOST monies, the 2008 proposal must be approved six months prior to its end.

“Now we draw up an intergovernmental agreement and everybody has to agree to it and sign it,” said Moye, on Wednesday. “We have to pass a resolution in September calling for the SPLOST ballot and that will be given to the superintendent of election’s (Sadie Voyles) so she can call for the election.”

The proposed special election for the SPLOST ballot is March 20, 2007.