“Once again, Hampton residents will not pay city tax. Y’all have a good day!”

  That was the message Hampton City Council member Stephanie Bodie posted on Facebook the morning of July 29, just minutes after the council voted in a special called meeting to roll back the millage to zero. This has been a common practice in Hampton for years.

  Council member Marty Meeks told the Times that he has a receipt from when his parents paid city tax back in the 1970s. Apparently, you have to go back that far to find one.

  Tommy Smith, who served on the council in the ‘70s and then more than two decades as mayor, recalled working with other city leaders in 1979 to eliminate city property tax. To meet the requirements of Georgia law, a millage was levied and then rolled back the same amount. The practice was repeated in the years that followed.

  “There were no property taxes when I resigned in 2001 and I don’t think they have levied a property tax since,” he said.

  Meanwhile, there was also a regular council meeting July 14 in Hampton. Action that night included adoption of a second reading of an ordinance to improve efficiency in the operations of the Hampton Youth Council.

  An alcohol beverage license was approved for on-premises consumption of beer and wine at Rutabaga’s Market & Café on Cherry Street. Because it was approved in the middle of the year and is typically renewed in January, the council approved a prorated amount for 2020 of $250 instead of the usual $500.

  The council approved a first reading of an ordinance amending certain city code sections regarding fireworks. This is being done to become compliant with state law on the regulation of fireworks, according to a city staff report. Also approved was an annual solid waste services contract with Waste Pro of Georgia Inc.

  Two items on the July 14 agenda were deferred until a special called meeting July 27. At that time, a resolution was approved establishing a schedule of fees for solid waste, recycling and bulk trash removal. Also, two vacant positions were filled on the Main Street Advisory Board.