Patti Dozier/Times-EnterpriseAlicia Hester is the Thomas County tax commissioner.

THOMASVILLE — Thomasville and Thomas County managers keep a watchful eye on the entities they are charged with overseeing.

City general government has 270 full-time employees and its utilities arm has 202 full-time employees in electric, water, natural gas, sanitary sewer, sanitation, Rose.net, CNS, marketing and communications and technical services.

The total payroll of city government for general government is $11,340,935 — 28 percent of the total budget.

For utilities, payroll is $8,000,414, or 9 percent of the utilities budget.

City payroll figures do not include fringe benefits.

City government has 45 salaried employees and 225 hourly workers in general government.

In utilities, 18 people are salaried, and 225 are hourly.

City Manager and Utilities Superintendent Steve Sykes said public works has 14 additional employees because the city is no longer contracting all rights-of-way work.

“We’ve just increased the beautification in town,” Sykes added.

The city does not levy property taxes.

“We can’t raise the millage,” the city manager said. 

City government administration numbers show:

•  General government — Fiscal year 2007, 238 employees; FY 2017, 270 employees 

The 1.25 percent annual growth is primarily from an increase in the level of service for public works and planning and a switch from outsourced fleet service to internal staff, requiring an additional eight full-time people.

In utilities:

• FY 2007, 190 employees, FY 2017, 202 employees.

The 0.60 percent annual growth is mostly from an increase in technology service growth.

In Thomas County government, County Manager Mike Stephenson said county services are a result of county commissioners’ decisions.

When asked if county government expenses are justified, Stephenson responded, “I think it’s justified, because the county commissioners are the ones who ultimately decided the scope of services.”

With a county population of 45,000, county government employs 353 full-time people.

The Thomas County government payroll, which includes fringe benefits, is $20.2 million — 60 percent of the budget.

Some 16 employees are exempt from overtime provisions.

County government has 38 departments that are functional, 11 department heads, five constitutional officers and eight administrative employees.

Like Thomasville city government, Thomas County government employee numbers are about the same as 10 years ago.

“I think county commissioners understand county needs and act accordingly,” Stephenson said.

Dennis Ezell, a Meigs resident, does not think local government is doing what it should.

He said laws are not enforced — “not to me, anyway.”

“From what I hear, there’s a lot of unfairness on a lot of things,” Ezell said.

Jimmy Kimmons, a diabetic, is homeless and lives in Thomasville.

Neither does Kimmons think local government is doing all it should.

“The services are all right, but the law ain’t too well,” ‘he said.

Kimmons said people who use drugs are not “bothered” by police, while who those who do not use are. 

“They’re the ones they’re messing with,” Kimmons said.

Local government does not help the homeless, he said. The town has several shelters for homeless women, but none for men, Kimmons added.

“I think they need to do something about that,” he said.  

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820