Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
The Braselton News
Page 3A
Jackson Countv
Sales tax income drops in Jackson
A s a further sign of just
how deep the economic
slowdown and housing
bust has hit the area, Jackson County
reported a nine percent drop in its
Local Option Sales Tax income for
January.
The county received $428,100 in
LOST taxes in March for January
sales. That compares to $471,400 the
county received in January 2007.
Also down were county SPLOST
taxes with a drop of 9.7 per
cent in January. For the month,
Jackson County collected $680,800
in SPLOST taxes compared to
$754,500 in January 2007. This
year's collection also reflects a
16 percent drop from the all-time
high for the month of $814,800 in
January 2006.
For all of 2008, Jackson County
has a budget of $6.3 million. If the
current trend continues, officials
say, the county could fall short in
LOST income by $1.1 million for
the year.
BOC approves bond underwriter in split vote
BY SHARON HOGAN
There is apparently some disagree
ment over who should be named as
underwriter for Jackson County's
2008 economic development bonds.
Three votes have been held on the
matter with motions to hire three
different companies.
At a called meeting Thursday, a
third vote was taken by the Jackson
County Board of Commissioners on
hiring a bond underwriter. In a 3-1
vote, the BOC approved Morgan
Keegan, Atlanta, as the bond under
writer for the 2008 economic devel
opment bond issue for roads.
At a meeting earlier last week,
the BOC voted to hire Miller &
Martin as the underwriter. Also at
that earlier meeting, a motion was
made to name Merchant Capital as
the underwriter, but it failed due to
the lack of a second.
Those voting in favor of Thursday's
motion were commissioners Tom
Crow, Jody Thompson and Bruce
Yates. Commissioners Dwain Smith
voted against this motion and BOC
chairman Pat Bell wasn’t present.
The BOC also heard from Bucky
Kinsey of Morgan Keegan, and
Jamey Wilson of Merchant Capital,
before the vote was taken. Smith
questioned Kinsey about the differ
ence in the price of the courthouse
bonds issued in 2003 at a rate of $16
and the current rate of $3.15 offered
for the economic bonds.
Smith said the county paid well
above the national average for the
bonds in 2003 and 2004. Kinsey
said there were a lot of issues that
played into the price of the bonds
in 2003. No traditional bond insur
ers would bid on the bonds in 2003,
Kinsey said.
The only other item discussed at
Thursday’s meeting was a resolution
authorizing Bell to act as the official
representative of the county to sign
all documents related to the applica
tion to the Georgia Department of
Community Affairs for a $500,000
Community Development Block
Grant (CDBG). The funds will be
used to add square footage to the
current senior citizens’ center.
IDA offering reduced price of land to company
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
A Jefferson company may be getting a bargain for
land to expand its operation.
The Jackson County Industrial Development Authority
agreed on Friday to offer $15,000 an acre in the
Central Jackson Industrial Park to World Technology
Ingredients, Inc. (WTI).
The previous asking price for the estimated 10-11 acre
property was $20,000 an acre, according to IDA chair
person Scott Martin.
Martin acknowledged that while the new asking price
is “slightly below” market value for the area, the particu
lar parcel has a “challenging” topography.
WTI has a 46,000 square-foot facility at the Central
Jackson Industrial Park, located off U.S. Hwy. 129,
between MLK Avenue and Galilee Church Road. The
company is slated to add a second building to its Jackson
County operation.
WTI provides the food processing industry with func
tional ingredients and new technology, according to the
company’s website.
WTI had initially asked the authority — which owns
the property — to make some improvements to the site
before making a deal, Martin said. The improvements
included some grubbing and grading of the property.
John Buchanan said water and sewer lines would also
have to be relocated on the property. He favored the pro
posal to offer a better price for the land to WTI.
The City of Jefferson was recently awarded a grant
Submit your school or social news from Braselton, Hoschton, Chateau Elan
Creek, South Hall, Barrow County or West Jackson by e-mailing news@mainstreet
news.com, faxing items to 706-387-5421 or calling 706-367-5986.
to help improve road access to the Central Jackson
Industrial Park. Martin said he hoped that WTI’s com
mitment to expand its operation would be the “catalyst”
for Jefferson moving forward with the road improve
ments.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the IDA:
•held a closed-door meeting for 25 minutes to discuss
real estate acquisition. The authority took no action
when the meeting was opened to the public.
•heard from Gerry Nechvatal, vice president of
economic development for the Jackson County Area
Chamber of Commerce, about several prospective com
panies looking at Jackson County. Nechvatal said the
chamber is working on three distribution projects, two
of which haven't made the official announcement about
coming to Jackson County. Those two companies are
expected to make announcements very soon, he said.
One of the companies is seeking a tax abatement and is
comparing tax rates to Buford. If those companies move
to Jackson County, they will use an estimated 1.5-2 mil
lion square feet of the 4 million square feet of distribu
tion space currently available in the county, he added.
Nechvatal said two manufacturing companies are also
eyeing the county.
•agreed to contribute $30,000 to the Jackson County
Area Chamber of Commerce. The authority’s contri
butions to the chamber have ranged from $25,000 to
$50,000 in the past.
Barrow County
Lack of sewer holding up new middle school
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
The lack of available sewer, and
questions about who should pay for
it, is holding up planning for a new
middle school in Barrow County.
Barrow County assistant super
intendent for facilities, Jake Grant,
said the main holdup on the project
is the installation of county sewer.
Grant said no other construction has
begun in the area near Mulberry
Road so there is no county sewer
installed in the area.
Grant said the school system
plans to bid out construction for the
project by the middle of May.
“We have to send out adver
tisements for bids in a couple of
weeks,” Grant said at Tuesday
night’s Barrow County Board of
Education meeting. “The sewer
issue is holding us up right now.
We don’t want to have the bids
until the sewer issue is cleared
up.”
Among the issues are question of
who will pay for extending a sew
erage line to the site.
“We are trying to work out our
understanding with the county on
who is going to pay what for the
installation,” Grant said. “We have
to have sewer for the project to
move forward.”
The new middle school will be
the fifth in Barrow County and has a
projected completion date of spring
2010. The Barrow County School
System currently has Haymon-
Morris, Russell, Westside and
Winder-Barrow middle schools.
In other business at Tuesday's
BOE meeting:
• the board heard a report that
$627,300 in Educational Local
Option Sales Tax was collected
in March. That amount is down
from the previous month's check of
$847,084.87. The total for March
2008 was also lower than March
2007 which was $757,000.
Barrow finances on track for FY08
BY KRISTI REED
So far, Barrow County's FY08 is going well, officials
said Tuesday night. Barrow County finance direc
tor Beth Horacek told the Barrow County Board of
Commissioners that five months into fiscal year 2008,
revenues are up six percent from FY07 while expendi
tures are down three percent.
All county departments are currently under or within
budget according to Horacek.
In addition, the county's 2007 annual audit is com
plete and the results indicate Barrow coffers increased
by $1.2 million in FY07, bringing the general fund
reserves to $9 million. That amount represents 2.88
months of operating expenses, Horacek said.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the board:
•approved the appointment of Robert Lanham to
the planning commission. Lanham was appointed by
District 3 commissioner Bill Healan.
•awarded a $109,000 bid to McCart Pipeline for the
completion of three water system projects. McCart
was one of 22 bids received.
•executed a memorandum of understanding with the
Father, son killed in wreck
City of Auburn regarding improvements to 1,300' of
Scott Industrial Boulevard. Barrow County and the
City of Auburn have agreed to split the costs of the
project. Officials hope the improvements will poten
tially lead to a $50 million business investment and the
creation of 80-100 jobs in the area.
•authorized election supervisor Kristi Royston to
file an agreement with the state relating to the receipt
of a $9,300 grant for the purpose of upgrading several
Barrow County polling locations to meet the require
ments of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
•approved a request to rezone 5.21 acres on Pierce
Road from AG to R-1 for the purpose of creating four
residential lots.
•approved a request to rezone 1.4 acres at 670
Enterprise Drive for the purpose of precast stone manu
facturing.
•denied a request to allow a one acre impound yard
within 7.5 acres located on Chandler Road. Several
area residents as well as commissioners Isaiah Berry
and Bill Brown spoke in opposition to the zoning
request citing concerns ranging from safety issues to
resale values.
Bank accounts set up to help Braselton family
Two bank accounts have been established to help a
Braselton family who lost a father and son in a wrong
way crash in Cobb County on Sunday, March 16.
Rodney James Godfrey, 47, and Eric Godfrey, 17,
were killed when their 1995 Ford Taurus was struck by
a 1999 Mercury Villager traveling on the wrong way
of the Canton Road Connector, according to Marietta
police. The driver of the mini-van was also killed.
A mother, Mary Clare Godfrey, 51, remains in criti
cal condition. A son, Jacob Godfrey, 12, survived the
crash.
Eric Godfrey, a student at Jackson County
Comprehensive High School, recently played in the all-
state band. Rod Godfrey was also active in the JCCHS
band booster club.
Two bank accounts have been established to assist
family members at Hamilton State Bank in Hoschton.
The accounts are named “The Godfrey Fund” and the
“The Rockwell Lodge Godfrey Endowment Fund.”
Checks can be made to either account funds and
taken or mailed to: Hamilton State Bank, PO. Box 249,
Hoschton, Ga. 30548.
Please Recycle
This Newspaper!
§ ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS §
b o
ONLY ONE SPECIAL
PER SESSION
Mother/Baby, Children
Family, Seniors
Says Thanks for 10 Great Years
We Opened in March 1998, So Each Week in March 2008
We Will Have A Different “10” Special To Say Thank You
This Week - YOUR CHOICE $ 10 Dollar Session Fee,
10 5x7’s or 10-5x5’s in an Album FOR ONLY $100
You Must Mention The Special When You Schedule your Session
All Sessions Must Be Completed Don’t Miss Out
by April 2,2008
www.leecullipherphoto.com
Call 770-718-1900 Today!!!!
W & W METAL ROOFING
“We Got You Covered”
Residential • Commercial • Agricultural
• Ship Anywhere In The USA
• We Stock Your Metal Needs
• Visit Our Showroom
www.wwmetalroofing.com
706-654-5836
30 Year
Paint "4
mm
Hwy. 60 / Candler Hwy. • Pendergrass, Ga.
Warranty
Sales
Service
Installation
I
i
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
?
M. Pitts, DMD
Dentistry
706-335-7793 f
y
T
J
T
T
T
J
T
T
T
J
T
?
215 Mercer Place,
P. O. Box 1241
Commerce, GA 30529
Website: drlpitts.com
Email: drlpitts@drlpitts.com
j
J
I
J
J
J
I
J
J
J
I
J
?
Come Meet
The New Owners At
A
kjUatt’s kjUusic
Washburn • Ibanez •Takemine • Ovation
• Ashvelle • Burswood • Stella • Hondo
• Sigma • Crate • Line 6 • Peavy • RMS
•Behringer • Pearl and More....
Instrument Repairs
Now accepting consignment instruments
Offering guitar, bass and drum lessons.
Tues. - Fri. 10-6 • Saturdays 10-4
15 Stafford Street (behind Wendy's) • Winder, Ga.
678-425-1532
Danny Greeson Stoney Byrd
678-425-8722 770-601-9691
A
