Walker County, Georgia —

There’s been some chatter about the fiscal policies of the Walker County government, particularly when it comes to transparency. Some folks feel that these policies weren’t quite as open as they could have been.

The county, however, argues that it provided plenty of opportunities for public input and claims it never concealed its plans or removed them from the agenda during public meetings.

On Monday, Walker County mentioned on social media that it had a meeting with Regions Bank. This meeting led to a decision to transfer a part of taxpayer funds, which, according to the county, helps make better use of those resources.

They say this move will actually help lower property tax rates.

Yet, some residents argue that all county funds should remain exclusively in Lafayette Bank.

“Are we all in favor? Yes. Any objections? The motion will pass. We will have a new financial partner.”

Now, there’s some unease among residents regarding the county’s decision to establish a new connection with this community bank.

“They’ve supported us over the years, but there’s an opportunity to raise money and actually generate some significant revenue for us.”

One of the main concerns is that, unlike Lafayette Bank, Regions Bank doesn’t have a branch located in Walker County, with the nearest one being in Somerville.

“Why would you take our money that supports community banks and put it into a huge national chain that doesn’t really care about this community? If they cared about this community, they would have a branch here,” questions Bill Buoni.

The lack of transparency has led to further questions from residents, prompting the county to provide an explanation on its Facebook page.

The county stated that it had met with five banks, including Lafayette Bank, to explore ways of bolstering its financial stability. They highlighted that Regions Bank offers “aggressive interest rates that will save the county money.”

The county plans to keep working with Lafayette Bank while also engaging with Regions.

A statement from Regions Bank reads…

“We appreciate the opportunity to compete with multiple banks and capture a piece of the county’s business. Regions brings the support of a solid team of bankers with years of experience meeting the financial needs of municipalities and local governments. Our focus is to be a dedicated servant of Walker County and a trusted source of financial insight and guidance.”

We reached out to Walker County spokesperson Joe Legg to understand why the county didn’t issue a request for proposals for bids from other banks.

Legg clarified that their policy requires an RFP only for goods and services, not for a “savings account.” However, he also mentioned that the county plans to create a request for proposals later this year to look into more banking options.