Floyd County Manager Jamie McCord addressed questions about the proposed Floyd County Agricultural Center during Tuesday’s Floyd County Commission meeting, offering a timeline of the project and responding to concerns raised by residents over delays, costs and changes to the original concept.
Several citizens spoke during the meeting, questioning why the project has taken years to advance and expressing concerns about its growing scope and potential expense.
The agricultural center was originally proposed by residents and included in the 2017 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) referendum, which voters approved with 60.8% support.
McCord explained that although voters approved the project in 2017, funding was not immediately available because collections for the 2017 SPLOST did not begin until April 2019, after the previous SPLOST program expired. The agricultural center was also scheduled as a fifth-year project, allowing additional time to develop a plan for the facility.
He noted that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted planning efforts, with serious work on the project not resuming until around 2022 beyond the search for a suitable location.
Another setback occurred when wetlands were identified on the selected property behind Mount Berry Square. The environmental discovery delayed the project for approximately nine months and required officials to reconsider how the proposed facility could be designed on the site.
McCord said equestrian facilities have been part of the project since its inception, but visits to similar agricultural centers across Georgia convinced county leaders that horse-related events are essential to generating enough revenue to support the overall operation. As a result, equestrian amenities became a larger focus of the proposed design.
However, expanding the equestrian component also increased projected construction costs beyond the amount currently available through SPLOST funding.
McCord emphasized that the commission has not approved a final design, budget or construction proposal for the agricultural center and said the project remains limited to its original $8 million budget unless commissioners decide otherwise.
He also discussed the long-term financial impact of the project, explaining that a facility without equestrian events would likely require an annual subsidy from the county’s general fund. Based on current estimates, that operating shortfall could range from $400,000 to $500,000 per year.
McCord also reflected on the county’s financing strategy. Rather than issuing bonds when funding became available, officials chose to wait until enough SPLOST revenue had been collected to pay for the project with cash. Looking back, he said beginning construction sooner through bond financing may have been the better approach.
According to McCord, the agricultural center was fully funded through SPLOST collections by May 2024.
To date, the county has spent nearly $3 million on the project, with most of those expenses covering the purchase of the property and construction of supporting infrastructure. The project remains in the planning stages as county leaders continue evaluating design options and future costs.
