About The Braselton news. (Jefferson, Ga) 2006-current | View Entire Issue (March 26, 2008)
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!!!! 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