Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Lowndes students bound for California convention

Twenty-three Lowndes County students are bound for California to attend the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) convention in Anaheim, California June 29 through July 2 thanks to the generosity of their community. The Lowndes County Commissioner had a part in sealing the deal for the opportunity by voting unanimously to appropriate $15,000 toward the final funds needed for the trip.

According to FBLA advisor and Lowndes County Career Technical Center instructor Bridget Davis, costs for the trip, including lodging and transportation, total around $54,000. Students have been raising funds to supplement budgeted CTE monies for the journey, but prior to Monday’s commission meeting, money collected so far fell short $15,000.

Commissioners had been floating options for assisting with trip costs since Davis and FBLA State President, Aziyaa Flynn, who is a student at The Calhoun School, attended their May 13 meeting. At the commission’s June 9 meeting, Chairman Charlie King, Jr. advised commissioners the group still needed help and asked commissioners to appropriate the needed funds.

“Ms. Davis called me,” King said. “Whe said that they had everything with the exception of $15,000, so they need $15,000 from this commission.”

Commissioners voted unanimously to appropriate the money from the general fund budget. Davis expressed her gratitude for their generosity and that of all community members who made the trip possible.

“We are grateful to commissioners for voting to give the remainder of the balance,” Davis said. “We want to thank all of our supporters for helping create this opportunity for students to explore the world outside of Lowndes County and compete at the national level.

“This is giving them a first experience to make memories… first time ever riding an airplane, first ever being out of Alabama, first ever going to California. There’s a lot of first and to give them that opportunity to attend things, for the county to come together to help provide the funds for the kids is wonderful.” 

In other business, commissioners:

* discussed Commissioner Robert Harris’s concerns that a proposed development project known as Bragg One would require sales tax abatement for 30 years. According to Thomas Ellis with the Lowndes County Economic Development Board, the requested abatement is for only 10 year. No renewal is requested;

* approved Tax Collector Rosalyn Smith report detailing insolvent state taxes, errors in assessments and taxes in litigation;

* appropriated $500 to the Lowndes County Partnership for Children;

* requested Emergency Management Agency Director Charles Sigler contact Haynes Ambulance Service regarding slow response times.

The commission’s next meeting is set for Monday, June 23 at 6 p.m.