• Tift County has 500 miles of road and 200 of them are dirt. “We have paved and resurfaced probably 50 to 60 miles,” he said.

• Tift County partnered with other counties to bring in the ethanol plant. “It did not come into Tift County but we were still partners,” he said.

Thompson said, “The future is very bright for Tift County.”

During a question and answer session, Thompson was asked about the ethanol plant. The question was, given the costs to produce a gallon and the large amount of water use, “Was it something we really want to do?” Thompson answered, “I’m not concerned about water. In Atlanta, not down here.”

Another question was about why “the only two dirt streets” in town were not paved. The streets are near St. Anne’s Episcopal Church. “Is that city or county?” Thompson asked and everyone laughed.

Another question was about the cost of the EMTs. Thompson answered by saying that two of the ambulances are “down now.”

Asked if they were going to consolidate the city and county, Thompson said, “We are closer than we ever have been.” He said he did not know “the will of the people” and then asked for a show of hands pro and con. Most people present voted for consolidation.

To contact reporter Jana Cone, call 382-4321, ext. 208.