- Bainbridge residents and District Attorney Joe Mulholland are scrutinizing a newly proposed $3.5 million Series 2025 revenue bond to ensure transparency and proper use of funds.
- The city states the bond will fund sewer upgrades and a fiber internet project, while denying any connection to the bankrupt Danimer Scientific, despite past bond ties.
- Watch the story to learn why locals are watching city government's actions so closely.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
What might seem like routine city protocol has residents of Bainbridge, Georgia, watching closely and asking questions.
A newly submitted series of revenue bonds by the City of Bainbridge has drawn the attention of local citizens—and the South Georgia District Attorney himself—as questions of transparency and financial purpose loom.
District Attorney Joe Mulholland, who represents the South Georgia Judicial Circuit, is among those keeping a close eye on the process.
"Just to make sure that there's complete transparency and that the bonds are going to be used for an appropriate purpose," Mulholland said. According to court filings, the City of Bainbridge submitted a request in May to validate “Series 2025” revenue bonds, totaling $3.5 million.
A city spokesperson says the funds will go toward essential infrastructure upgrades.
In a statement, the city noted:
"A significant portion of the funding is allocated for upgrades to aging sewer infrastructure in the Calhoun Street area. The telecommunications portion of the bond will support the completion of our Fiber to the Home (FTTH) Project."
"It's been piggytailed to the old bonds that we had for Danimer, which is now going through bankruptcy," said Mulholland.
The city, however, denies any connection between the new bonds and Danimer Scientific.
"These revenue bonds have nothing whatsoever to do with Danimer Scientific or the Downrange Industrial Park," the spokesperson stated. Despite Bainbridge’s long history of successfully validating bonds, the Series 2025 proposal is facing increased public scrutiny. Mulholland says that’s a good thing.
"The revenue bonds that we've had with the Safer Human Medicine folks, the city and the development authority… I just think it's better to go ahead and take this extra procedure," he explained.The reference to Safer Human Medicine (SHM)—a primate research company—recalls a controversial bond from 2024, which was ultimately upheld by the Georgia Court of Appeals after no initial motion was filed to intervene.
This time, however, resident Latoria Green has formally filed a motion to intervene in the bond validation, stating she believes she has a vested interest in how the funds will be used.
The bond validation hearing is scheduled for June 16 at 9 a.m., and will take place in court. Community members are encouraged to attend.
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