DAHLONEGA, Ga. – As if the injuries and trauma that often accompany an automobile accident aren’t bad enough, a Fox 5 I-Team Investigation this week revealed that Lumpkin County officials have knowingly double billed for accident cleanup for years.

Georgia Insurance and Fire Safety Commissioner Ralph Hudgens told Fox 5 News that insurance providers already pay for the cleanup via a premium tax paid to local governments. Last year, Hudgens said, Georgia insurance companies paid out more than $526 million and Lumpkin County received $1.3 million.

But the county still allowed a third-party biller, Fire Recovery Services, to charge unsuspecting drivers for the cleanup a second time.

County Manager Stan Kelley defended the practice, saying the county needs the money to make ends meet.

“It’s kind of like fishing,” Hudgens told the Fox 5 reporter. “They’re throwing that bill out, and if the consumer pays it, they’ve caught a fish. If the consumer doesn’t pay it, they fold up their tackle box and go home.”

Fetch Your News contacted county officials Friday for their comments.

Commissioner Doug Sherrill said the county has contacted the Attorney General’s office for a ruling on whether the practice is legal. But, legal or not, Sherrill said he plans to push for the county to rescind the policy immediately.

“I plan to bring this up at the October county commission meeting,” Sherrill said Friday morning. “I believe it is in the best interest of the county that we rescind the policy.”

He also said it is important to make a distinction between accident cleanup and transport. While the premium tax does cover cleanup, it does not cover transport of an accident victim to the hospital.

Commissioner Rhett Stringer said there is no doubt the policy is legal. “It’s really a matter of whether it’s right or wrong. It’s not fair for individuals to have to pay and it’s not fair for the insurance company not to pay because they are charging you for this type of thing in your policy premium.”

Commissioner-elect David Miller said in the interest of transparency the current policy is not a good one but he declined to say more until he has spoken to other county officials to get a better understanding of the issue.

According to Lumpkin County Sheriff’s office there was an assault reported on Monday, March 28th, around 8:00 p.m. at Lake Zwerner near the dam.   Currently the Sheriff’s office has issued a notice soliciting information from those who were present at Lake Zwerner between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on Monday.  

Details regarding the incident are not known at this time.  If you have any information please contact Investigator Cole at 706-482-2622.

DAHLONEGA, Ga. — Lumpkin County officials met with Caleb Davidson, a regional planner with the Georgia Mountains Regional Development Commission, Tuesday in an ongoing effort to draft the county’s Comprehensive Plan.

Davidson said the plan is important because it helps communities plan for future commercial, economic and residential development. “Once the community develops a vision, the comprehensive plan will help them to realize that vision,” he added.

Counties are required to adopt a comprehensive plan as a legal basis for land use planning and to qualify for state and federal grants.

Officials spent much of the two-hour meeting adopting the vision statement: “An historic mountain community merging small town tradition with responsible, focused growth while promoting the expression of recreational living and southern charm.”

Stakeholders are invited to provide input at a public hearing scheduled March 31 at 6 p.m. in the County Administration Building.