County officials to meet with Agri-Center contractor Thursday

Grady County officials are scheduled to have a face-to-face meeting with the contractor the county hired to renovate a suite of offices in the Grady County Agri-Center leased to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency.
Subcontractors on the project, including J&J Carpets and Carter-Wilkes Heating & Air, both of Cairo, have completed work on the project, but have not been paid.
A meeting has been scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 28, between the contractor, Brent Taylor of Taylor Construction, J.J. Scott of MLD Architects of Tallahassee, who represents the firm that was hired to oversee the project, Grady County Administrator Carlos Tobar, Grady County Commission Chairman Ray Prince and Grady County Attorney Kevin S. Cauley.
The issue of the subcontractors not being paid became public last Tuesday night when commissioners questioned Grady County Administrator Carlos Tobar about his management of the project.
J&J Carpet is owed $9,250 for work and materials as of May 28 and Carter-Wilkes Heating & Air is owed $10,000.
According to Tobar, an electrician and plumber, neither of which are local, are also owed money on the project.
The board of commissioners discussed the matter extensively last week and Commissioner T.D. David offered a motion for the county to pay the subcontractors then work to settle the matter with Taylor, but the motion was voted down 3-1.