Newspaper Page Text
Come help United Way of the CSRA
STUFF THE BUS
at Walmart this Saturday from 9-1
o
04
■'3-
O
04
03
oo
Vol. 143, No. 23 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830
Established in 1882
Wednesday, July 26, 2023 - $1.00
State department addresses Keysville open record defiance
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
A July 19 letter from the Georgia
Department of Law, and addressed
to Keysville City Attorney Doug
Kidd, states Keysville has 10 days
to answer to allegations the city did
not respond to The True Citizen’s
June 13 and June 30 requests for
public records
“Under Georgia law, the Attorney
General, as an independent consti
tutional officer, has the discretion
ary authority to enforce the Open
Records Act and the Open Meetings
Act...,’’the letter states. In part, the
Attorney General exercises that dis
cretion through a mediation program
where citizens may raise issues and
concerns regarding the Acts. The
Department of Law attempts to re
solve disputes between citizens and
local government. The office also
reserves the right to pursue litigation
in matters where it deems doing so
is appropriate.
A complaint with the Attorney
General’s Office has also been hied
for a July 14 open records request
that was ignored by the city. The
True Citizen has asked Keysville for
2018-2022 audits.
Additionally, the Environmental
Protection Agency cleared up confu
sion about a $197,000 grant.
Mayor Linda Wilkes told the
Keysville City Council July 10 that
Burke County was holding up the
process of paying for the second
well.
“Right now, it’s in Waynesboro
and it has to be released,” she said
in response to Councilman Freddie
Harden’s inquiry about what hap
pened to the $197,000 from Sen.
Raphael Warnock “It’s in Burke
County... We are trying to get it
released now.”
After Assistant County Manager
Adam Flakes confirmed the County
was NOT in possession of the fund
ing last week, The True Citizen con
tacted Sen. Wamock’s Office to find
out the status of the Congressionally
Directed Spending (CDS) grant. A
spokesperson from his office referred
The True Citizen to the EPA for ap
propriation questions. According to
EPA Spokesperson James Pinkney,
Keysville has not received the grant
money because the city hasn’t sub
mitted the grant application.
“The EPA is working with the city
to help them prepare their applica
tion,” he said. If awarded, the EPA
expects the funds will be awarded
directly to the city.
There are some stipulations at
tached to the funding. According to
the EPA’s website, the funds may
not be awarded solely to repay loans
or to repay other debts unless there
are explicit instructions to do so.
The funds must be used for the well
project and not for operation and
maintenance expenses. Keysville
will be required to provide a cost
share from nonfederal sources, un
less a cost share waiver is approved.
The cost share amount is 20% of
the total grant project cost. Eligible
non-federal funds include public
sources like state appropriations and
local government matches. However,
EPA supports waiving required non
federal cost share for
projects located in SEE
disadvantaged com- KEYSVILLE,
munities. 3A
250
YEARS
Old Botsford Baptist Church
OF
SERVICE
Current Botsford Baptist Church
DON LIVELY
It all began in 1773.
America, in its eventual form, was still three years
in the future, still just a dream to a relatively small
group of revolutionaries standing against the tyranny
of Great Britain.
George Washington would not become the nation's
first president for another sixteen years.
Abraham Lincoln wouldn't be born for another
thirty-six years.
Botsford Baptist Church was first established in
1773, before America was America.
This Sunday, July 30th, 2023, Botsford will cel
ebrate its 250th year with a two day homecoming
celebration. What's even more remarkable than a 250
year existence is that the little country church in the
Shell Bluff community has never had an interrup
tion in its service to the community. Botsford is the
second oldest church in Georgia and the oldest that
has continued to keep its doors open since it opened.
The church has stayed active through numerous
wars including the Revolutionary War, the War of
1812, both World Wars and every war since. Even
during the Covid year when many other churches
closed their doors for months, Botsford only missed
two Sundays.
The historic church building even survived being
completely moved across the road in 1965. The move
was done to allow expansion of the building and there
fore to allow for more outreach into the community.
Edmund Botsford was born in England in 1745 and
was orphaned shortly after his birth. When he turned
21 he sailed to what is now America, arriving in
Charleston, South Carolina in 1766. He converted to
Christianity under the Reverend Oliver Hart and was
baptized in 1767. Edmund Botsford was licensed to
preach in 1771 and set out on a horseback preaching
on both sides of Savannah River in Georgia and South
Carolina. During the year 1772 Botsford preached at
New Savannah, a small town on the Georgia side of
the Savannah River. That was the beginning of what
would come become Botsford Baptist Church.
Botsford Baptist Church will cel
ebrate the 250th anniversary with a
two-day event beginning Saturday, BOTSFORD
July 29th, with a "Family Fun Day" ’
beginning at 4PM. The day will fea-
BOC decides BCSO salary
adjustments must wait
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
The Board of Commissioners
directed their staff NOT to make
salary adjustments after they asked
the Sheriff to hold off on promotions
until the next fiscal year.
The decision not to pay the raises
is related to the Burke County
Sheriff’s Office’s/Detention Center
budget statuses. It is unclear when
the BOC made the decision, however
there is some indication it may have
been made under the advisement
of County Attorney Barry Fleming
during a closed executive session.
“When a constitutional officer runs
out of money the staff must seek
direction from the Commission on
what to do,” Assistant County Man
ager Adam Flakes wrote in an email.
“...In the case of the Sheriff, who
has sued the commission before and
threatens to do so again, the direc
tion is sometimes held in executive
session as the (Board) seeks advice
of counsel in efforts to avoid more
lawsuits.”
Ignoring that the Sheriff is nearly
$1 million over budget this fiscal
year, a July 19 press release signed
by Public Relations Director Clare
Allen, defended the promotions stat
ing they were part of a reorganization
plan that would “ultimately” save
$200,000 over a 12-month period.
Additionally, the letter reiterated
the Sheriff’s requirement by state
law to carry out the duties and ex
ercise control over his own budget,
ignoring that little of the FY 2022
budget remains unspent.
“We are disheartened by the inac
tion that not only has affected the
20 employees that were promote
deffective July 2, but the morale of
the agency as a whole, “ Allen wrote.
“Playing politics with the salaries of
the dedicated men and women who
leave their families each day and
place themselves in harm’s way to-
protect the citizens of Burke County
should never be allowed. We will re
lentlessly defend our actions and are
resolved to fight for our employees.”
A request for Allen to clarify how
the BCSO intended to “defend their
actions” and “fight for their employ
ees” went unanswered.
In a July 24 press release, the BOC
labeled the Sheriff a "divisive voice"
in the community. The board accused
him of making false and demeaning
allegations against county staff who
do not bend to his whims.
“The County has an approximate
$50 million operating budget for
2023,” the board stated in the press
release. “The Sheriff’s budget is just
one of over 20 departments that must
be properly funded and overseen.
The BCSO is funded better than any
county of our size or population.”
The BOC stated the Sheriff’s Of
fice will run completely out of funds
next month and he should blame no
one but himself for his overspending.
BACK TO SCHOOL INFORMATION & BUS ROUTES CAN BE
FOUND IN BACK TO SCHOOL SECTION INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Corrections to the Waynesboro Primary and Blakeney Elementary bus routes
can be found on page 5B and SGA bus route corrections are on Page 6B.
These changes were made after the Back to School section had been printed.
Understanding the public’s right to know
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Editor’s note: This is part one of
a two-part series on Georgia's open
records and open meetings laws. It
is being published in an effort to
help local government agencies and
entities as well as the general public
to understand how the law is to be
followed.
Georgia law leans in favor of in
spection of requested public records
without delay.
The purpose of the Open Re
cords Act?
The General Assembly is in fa
vor of open government and ac
knowledges that open government
is essential to a free, open and
democratic society. Public access to
public records should be encouraged
to foster confidence in government
and so that the public can evaluate
the expenditure of public funds and
the efficient and proper functioning
of its institutions.
Who is subject to the Open Re
cords Act?
Basically, the Open Records Act
applies to all entities that are an
“agency” of state and local govern
ments and nonprofit organizations
that receive more than one-third of
their funds from a governing author
ity or agency.
What records fall under the act?
The public has a right to see, in
spect and copy all public records in
cluding, documents, papers, letters,
maps, books, tapes, photographs,
computer-based or generated infor
mation, data, data fields, litigation
settlements, police incident reports,
public officials’ salaries and ex
pense reports, municipal bid offers,
licensing, permitting and zoning
regulations and decisions, reports
of restaurant sanitation conditions,
campaign contributors and amounts
and education budgets.
What records are exempt?
Agencies and government entities
are not generally required to supply
the following: records protected by
Federal statute, medical records,
law enforcement records that would
identify a confidential source, re
cords pertaining to ongoing law
enforcement investigations (except
initial arrest and incident reports),
motor vehicle accident reports, jury
list data, records gathered while
hiring or bring of an employee is
under consideration or while the
acquisition of land is contemplated
and sealed bids before a task has
been contracted.
However, when possible, the
agency should redact the portion
of the record that meets the exempt
exception.
Also, agencies are not required
to produce documents that do not
already exist.
What does “without delay”
mean?
Agencies and SEE
government enti- RIGHT TO KNOW,
ties must produce 3A