ON NOVEMBER 5TH, VOTE FOR CHARLES W. ODDO, FAYETTE COUNTY COMMISSIONER, DISTRICT 5, AT-LARGE. ALL VOTERS ARE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE IN THE AT-LARGE DISTRICT. GREATLY APPRECIATE YOURS!
  • About
    • Greetings Fayette County
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  • Observations
    • Car show, religious liberty, and public safety - 06.25.2024
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      • Q&A Fayette News - 04.22.2020
      • Q&A Fayette News - 04.29.2020
      • Q&A Fayette News - 05.06.2020
      • Q&A Fayette News - 05.13.2020
      • Q&A Fayette News - 05.20.2020
      • Q&A The Citizen - 05.25.2020
      • Q&A Fayette News - 05.27.2020
      • Q&A Fayette News - 06.03.2020
    • Our Animal Shelter 03.21.2020
    • "YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE 03.21.2020"
    • District Lawsuit Settlement Facts 04.27.2016
    • Celebrate America 04.03.2016
    • District Lawsuit Settlement 01.26.2016
    • 2015 Year in Review 01.20.2016
    • Endorsment 05.11.2016
    • New Water Pact Is 'Significant" 11.17.2015
    • ‘Sky Is Not Falling’ 08.18.2015
  • PRESS RELEASES
    • Fire and Emergency Services Smartphone App
    • German CEO Thanks Fayette County First Responders Who Saved His Life
    • Water System Staff Wins Second Place in Statewide Competition
    • Fayette County Fire And EMS, Southern Crescent Sign Educational Agreement
    • County Tag Office Celebrates Renovation
    • ​Feyette County Commissioner, Directors Recognized For Academic Achievement in Lifelong Learning Academy
  • Animal Shelter
    • County Names New Animal Control Director
    • Fayette County Animal Shelter wins Friends Animal Society Award 2023
    • Fayette County Animal Shelter wins Friends Animal Society Award 2022
    • Shelter Improvements
    • Fayette County Evaluated and Implemented 77% of upgrades suggested for New Shelter
    • Animal Protection Inspection Reports >
      • Animal Protection Inspection Report 06.13.2024
      • Animal Protection Inspection Report 05.28.2024
      • Animal Protection Inspection Report 05.20.2024 - 3:30 PM
      • Animal Protection Inspection Report 05.20.2024 - 3:00 PM
      • Animal Protection Inspection Report 05.15.2024
      • Animal Protection Inspection Report 04.19.2024
      • Animal Protection Inspection Report 03.22.2024
    • Our Animal Shelter 03.21.2020
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‘Sky Is Not Falling’ - Tuesday, 08/18/2015​


Let me give you some good news about our county:
 
Fiscal Year 2014:
Budget was balanced. No deficit spending. No tax increase.
 
FY2015:
Budget was balanced. No deficit spending. No tax increase.
 
Now, FY2016:
Budget is balanced. No deficit spending. No tax increase.
 
FY2016
Continues the Board of Commissioners’ philosophy of fiscal conservatism, superior local government services, no deficit spending, no tax increases.
 
So if you read or hear that this Board of Commissioners has suddenly lost its way, here’s a fact. This Board of Commissioners has consistently had a strong majority willing to balance the budget. Regardless from which corner those acorns drop, the sky is NOT falling, as Chicken Little lamented.
 
Our balanced budgets reflect what can be achieved when county leaders work together .... elected officials, constitutional officers, department heads, and our incredible Fayette County employees. All play a vital role in this TEAM effort, and all achieved what one alone could not.
​
 
Highlights FY2016:
 
  • No property tax increase.
 
  • Full millage rollback.
 
  • General Fund revenue $50.5 million, expenditures $49.7 million.
 
  • $859,794 added to the county’s fund balance.
 
  • Projected fund balance $26.8 million.
 
  • Projected vehicle & equipment fund balance $5.5 million after planned capital improvement expenditures.
 
  • $7.5 million overfunded retirement plan with an estimated $493,000 reduction in future, yearly operating costs, the
         only county in Georgia with an overfunded plan.
 
  • Triple AAA Bond Rating from Moody’s and Standard & Poors.
 
One more thought: Sometimes we overlook the good stories. My Mom always said no one ever notices a clean house. There’s a lot of truth to that. Well, here’s a story we should not overlook. You could say it’s one of those “clean house” stories. This story needs to be told.
 
When it came time to pass our FY2016 budget this past June, the commissioners could not agree on a COLA (cost of living adjustment) for county employees. Without our fifth commissioner, the remaining commissioners could not reach consensus. To ensure passage of a budget, the proposed COLA was withdrawn. But here’s Mom’s “clean house” story.
 
Shortly after the budget vote, as word spread, something incredible unfolded. It brought to mind the closing scene of one of my favorite movies, “It’s A Wonderful Life.” One by one, each and every Fayette County department head volunteered to forgo his or her COLA if it could mean securing a COLA for the employees of the county.
 
Although one might conclude the real life story didn’t end as happily as the movie, I would argue the real story was the display of close-knit loyalty among our department heads and staff. From the county administrator to the department heads to the more than 700 employees working in Fayette County, there exists a level of camaraderie that is rare today.
 
The intangible benefits to our county cannot be ignored, and I offer my thanks to each and every one who made their selfless offers.
 
Personally speaking, the sky is NOT falling.
​

Charles W. Oddo
Vice Chairman
​Fayette County Board of Commissioners
Candidate, District 5, At-Large

On November 5th, vote for Charles W. Oddo, Fayette County Commissioner, District 5 At-Large 
​Committee to Re-Elect Charles W. Oddo | Web Site developed by María del Pilar Oddo - Ricardo Arango | All rights Reserved © Copyright 2024
  • About
    • Greetings Fayette County
    • Philosophy
    • How I Decide
    • My Fayette Story
    • Family Photos
    • Campaign Photos
  • Accomplishments
    • Looking Ahead
    • Swearing-in Ceremony 2013, 2017 and 2021
  • Observations
    • Car show, religious liberty, and public safety - 06.25.2024
    • News Interviews 2020 >
      • Q&A Fayette News - 04.22.2020
      • Q&A Fayette News - 04.29.2020
      • Q&A Fayette News - 05.06.2020
      • Q&A Fayette News - 05.13.2020
      • Q&A Fayette News - 05.20.2020
      • Q&A The Citizen - 05.25.2020
      • Q&A Fayette News - 05.27.2020
      • Q&A Fayette News - 06.03.2020
    • Our Animal Shelter 03.21.2020
    • "YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE 03.21.2020"
    • District Lawsuit Settlement Facts 04.27.2016
    • Celebrate America 04.03.2016
    • District Lawsuit Settlement 01.26.2016
    • 2015 Year in Review 01.20.2016
    • Endorsment 05.11.2016
    • New Water Pact Is 'Significant" 11.17.2015
    • ‘Sky Is Not Falling’ 08.18.2015
  • PRESS RELEASES
    • Fire and Emergency Services Smartphone App
    • German CEO Thanks Fayette County First Responders Who Saved His Life
    • Water System Staff Wins Second Place in Statewide Competition
    • Fayette County Fire And EMS, Southern Crescent Sign Educational Agreement
    • County Tag Office Celebrates Renovation
    • ​Feyette County Commissioner, Directors Recognized For Academic Achievement in Lifelong Learning Academy
  • Animal Shelter
    • County Names New Animal Control Director
    • Fayette County Animal Shelter wins Friends Animal Society Award 2023
    • Fayette County Animal Shelter wins Friends Animal Society Award 2022
    • Shelter Improvements
    • Fayette County Evaluated and Implemented 77% of upgrades suggested for New Shelter
    • Animal Protection Inspection Reports >
      • Animal Protection Inspection Report 06.13.2024
      • Animal Protection Inspection Report 05.28.2024
      • Animal Protection Inspection Report 05.20.2024 - 3:30 PM
      • Animal Protection Inspection Report 05.20.2024 - 3:00 PM
      • Animal Protection Inspection Report 05.15.2024
      • Animal Protection Inspection Report 04.19.2024
      • Animal Protection Inspection Report 03.22.2024
    • Our Animal Shelter 03.21.2020
    • TNVR
  • Voting
  • Contact
  • Help Us Win
    • Donate
  • Links
    • WHEATER INFORMATION
    • COVID >
      • Symptom Checker
      • Fayette Factor
      • SBA Disaster Assistance
      • Georgia 16347 Press Release
      • Georgia SP16347 Press Release Spanish