Results of Gumlog Incorporation Survey Split Down the Middle

The results of a survey regarding whether incorporating Gumlog is worth pursuing are in and the yes’s only slightly outnumbered the no’s.

Franklin County Manager Derrick Turner reported the numbers Tuesday evening to the Board of Commissioners at their work session.

According to Turner, 548 Franklin County citizens responded to the survey on the County’s website, and of that, 65.4% were Gumlog residents.

Survey results showed 44.7% are against the idea of incorporating Gumlog and 46.4% are in favor.  8% of respondents had no opinion.

And many of those Gumlog citizens who are against incorporation turned out to the Board of Commissioner’s work session Tuesday evening to voice their opinions and express their concerns.

Most who spoke, like Marie Whitworth, who is also a former county commissioner, said they were against incorporation because of the higher taxes it would bring.

Whitworth noted many residents of the Gumlog community are retired and are on a fixed income and more taxes would be a hardship.

Whitworth and others outlined other issues they said are bigger than whether to incorporate that the County has not dealt with adequately – drug dealing and drug use, roadside trash, and inadequate road maintenance.

Another Gumlog resident who lives in Poplar Springs Road said she’s more concerned about the amount of traffic that has increased in the four years she and her husband have lived there, and she believes it has to do with drugs.

She said cars run in and out of Chandler Place from 11p to 3a in the morning and she suspects drug dealing is involved.

Others complained of the enormous roadside trash problem that they believe the County has let get out of control, and still others said the County needs to do a better job fixing and resurfacing deteriorating roads.

Commission chair Jason Macomson said he proposed the idea of incorporation because of the many problems in the Gumlog Community that the County cannot afford to address.

He said since he’s been commissioner most of the calls he receives about problems in the county come from Gumlog residents.

But another citizen pointed out that other counties in rural areas are able to provide better services such as water, sewer, paved roads, and law enforcement on less than what Franklin County citizens are charged in property taxes.

After hearing from the citizens, the Board took no action and Turner later recommended doing more research and discussion on what action, if any, should be taken regarding incorporation.