The Catoosa County Board of Commissioners closed its final meeting of 2012 by significantly changing the relationship between county government and the Boynton Youth Recreation Association.
Revising the partnership between the county and BYRA is the result of months of negotiation centered on the acquisition of property, its management and long-term use.
For years, using Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax revenue to support the recreation nonprofit group has been problematic. In each of the last two SPLOST cycles, $500,000 has been allocated to each of the area's three recreation associations: Ringgold, Fort Oglethorpe and Boynton. Of those, BYRA held title to the ball fields located on what is commonly referred to as the Stephens Property.
County Attorney Skip Patty said SPLOST money could not be spent for maintenance or construction on the fields because they were not public property. Instead, the money was used to acquire two adjacent tracts with the remainder essentially being held in escrow.
Last week, the commissioners agreed to purchase the Stephens Property by paying off the remainder of BYRA's obligation, less than $50,000, to complete its purchase. Once owned by the county, it, and the two tracts the county already owns, can be leased for a nominal fee to BYRA for management of recreational programs at the site.
Day-to-day operation should continue unchanged, but transferring title to the county means that SPLOST money earmarked for BYRA can now be spent anywhere on the property.
Part of the agreement with BYRA stipulated that proper accounting of funds must be maintained. Any request that involves spending more than $15,000 would require approval by the County Commission, anything less will be paid when receipts or invoices are presented to the county's financial officer.