COLUMBUS – Former Polk County Commissioner Keith Holbert spoke during citizen comments at a recent county meeting and recommended the county consider a new special tax for Lake Adger residents to help pay for costs to maintain the lake and the dam.

Commissioners met Jan. 9 and heard from Holbert, as well as Sky Conard who brought up other issues concerning the lake as well as recommendations that have not yet been done from studies.

Holbert said the county purchased Lake Adger for $1.6 million and the lake was recently appraised for $5 million. He said during an informal conversation with one of the appraisers, it was mentioned the county could impose a special tax on lake residents such as is done to maintain Harmon Field to help with some of the costs.

The county is looking at millions of dollars to make repairs to the Turner Shoals Dam. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has announced it will dredge the marina area of the lake sometime during this fiscal year.

“I’d like to recommend the board consider a new tax for this area,” Holbert told commissioners.

Conard said she’s always been concerned about the sedimentation and referenced a recent letter to the editor she wrote in the Tryon Daily Bulletin regarding what is happening with a barge because of the sedimentation at the marina. She also said sedimentation is pushing up against the dam and she mentioned recommendations from studies and asked commissioners to address the recommendations so the next stages will be done adequately and safely.

County manager Marche Pittman told Conard that the recommendations are being worked on.

Commissioner Shane Bradley said during commissioner comments that it’s going to take a lot of money and the county needs to look at all of its options and how much it’s going to cost.

At one point last year commissioners decided to look into selling Lake Adger and had it appraised. There has been no interest from anyone to purchase the lake from the county.

Commissioner Myron Yoder said there are new developments and asked people to wait a little longer on Lake Adger. He said the county is working on some things that he thinks will really help the county on the lake. Maybe, Yoder said, the county can get some things done by mid-February.