The Henry County Board of Commissioners voted at its February 18 regular meeting to approve a capital improvement plan that is intended to address a number of needs in a variety of areas.

  After a presentation by deputy county manager Brad Johnson along with Courtney Rogers of Davenport & Company, a consultant retained by the county, the board pulled the trigger on a $365 million five-year CIP which is a first for the county and what some officials believe is absolutely necessary to get going in the right direction.

  “Henry County has never had a capital improvement plan,” said Johnson. “It has always been hit and miss, and we need to have a planning mechanism to move forward.”

  It was approved 3-2 after a considerable amount of discussion. Dee Clemmons, Bruce Holmes voted in favor, while the opposing votes came from Johnny Wilson and board chair June Wood. Gary Barham was not present at the meeting.

  A central topic of discussion was the request from several commissioners to include funding to address road improvements, which resulted in the addition of $50 million for that purpose. The resolution also called for $18.5 million to be financed this year. The $50 million will be divided between the five commission districts to be used for signalizations, road widenings, sidewalks, lighting and other road infrastructure improvements and projects.

  Substantial projects to be funded over the next five years through the CIP include a state-of-the-art convention center/arena, a vehicle replacement plan, a jail pod, additional courthouse space, a morgue and upgraded technology.

   A key reason for the opposing votes was the convention center, which Wood called a “want, not a need for Henry County.”

  Johnson explained that each year, the plan can be adjusted based on projects completed and needs in the county. Discussion among commissioners, county leadership and Davenport also centered on the fact that due to Henry County’s Triple A Bond rating, excellent credit, and debt ratio, money can be borrowed at very low interest rates in order to complete needed projects.

  This action came almost one year to the day after commissioners approved the capital project list and authorized Davenport & Company to issue a request for proposals regarding finance options for the capital needs presented. During that meeting, Johnson presented a list of project categories to the commissioners stating that the listed assets were in need of immediate attention. The categories included maintenance and repairs, vehicles, sidewalks, technology, the courthouse, buildings, jail pods, a convention center, an aquatic center and an amphitheater.

  The CIP is funded by several sources, including from SPLOST, the general fund, impact fees and general obligation bonds.

  According to county officials, the next steps include working with Davenport for a request for proposal that will obtain the most favorable terms of financing on behalf of the county.