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Serving Braselton, Hoschton, Chateau Elan, Traditions, Reunion, Deaton Creek and West Jackson $1.00 copy
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
Vol. 13 No. 2 A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. www.BraseltonNewsTODAY.com 16 pages
Shake-up in Hoschton
Mayor, councilman and city administrator gone
By Alex Buffington
alex@mainstreetnews. com
Two embattled Hoschton leaders are out
of office following months of controversy
in the small West Jackson town.
Mayor Pro Tem Jim Cleveland resigned
last week, just days before Mayor There
sa Kenerly tendered her resignation. The
Hoschton City Council held two special
meetings on Dec. 11 and Dec. 14. accepting
their resignations and to call for a March 24
election to fill the vacated seats.
The resignations leave in a three-mem
ber council, which cannot operate under
the city's charter. That forced the council to
pursue a court decision to allow its contin
ued functioning until the two vacant seats
are filled.
Meanwhile, the council also voted to fire
its current city administrator Dale Hall for
cause instead of accepting his resignation.
That move — on top of the two city council
resignations — leaves the town with essen
tially no experienced executive leadership
in city hall.
BACKGROUND ON RESIGNATIONS
Kenerly came under fire in May after a
fellow council member said she did not
include the resume of a candidate for city
administrator because he is black and she
didn’t know if the city was “ready for that.”
In a news article, Cleveland defended Ken
erly and added his views against interracial
relationships.
The backlash was swift, with citizens
calling on the two council members to re
sign. When that didn't happen, a group
formed and pushed for a recall election.
After months of working through that pro
cess, gathering signatures from citizens in
the town and going through court hearings,
the recall hearing was set for Jan. 14. By re
signing, Cleveland and Kenerly will avoid
See Hoschton, page 3A
Only three members of the Hoschton City Council were present at its Dec. 11
called meeting. Council member Jim Cleveland resigned, Mayor Theresa Ken
erly was absent, as was city administrator Dale Hall. Only council members
Shantwon Astin (left), Hope Weeks (center) and Adam Ledbetter (right) were
present, along with city attorney Thomas Mitchell (center left). Ledbetter was
named mayor pro tem at the meeting to replace Cleveland in that position.
Jason Wester (center) celebrated his selection as
principal of Jackson County Comprehensive High
School with April Howard, left, superintendent of
Jackson County Schools, and Chanda Palmer, prin
cipal of East Jackson Comprehensive High School.
Wester named
principal of JCCHS
Jason Wester was named
principal of Jackson Coun
ty Comprehensive High
School when the Jackson
County Board of Education
met Dec. 9 for its month
ly meeting at East Jackson
Middle School.
Wester has served as in
terim principal since July
11, when Dr. Pete Jones left
for a position at the Gwin
nett School of Mathematics,
Science and Technology,
and he has done “an out
standing job,” said Dr. April
Howard, superintendent of
schools.
She pointed out that the
process to select the school's
new principal included par
ents. students and staff.
“Mr. Wester has a passion
for his work and bringing
the Panthers to new levels,”
she said. “He wants to do
what’s best for kids.”
Wester and Chanda Palm
er, principal at East Jack-
son Comprehensive High
School, shared information
about a design team's work
on high school planning and
schedules at the BOE meet
ing.
“We are blessed to have
two outstanding high school
leaders,” she said, noting
that Wester and Palmer have
been “working diligently”
on the plans that will incor
porate the new Empower
College & Career Center
into the curriculum.
Wester joined the JCCHS
administrative staff in 2018
as an assistant principal.
He served three years be
fore that as a member of the
Social Studies department,
teaching AP U.S. History,
U.S. History and Econom
ics. He was a member of the
Panther football coaching
staff and helped coach the
Panther tennis team.
Wester has worked as a
social studies teacher and
an administrator in sever
al different states and dis
tricts during his 21-year
See BOE, page 3A
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www.BraseltonNewsTODAY.com
Photo by Wesleigh Sagon
SHERIFF COMPETES IN WRESTLING MATCH
Jackson County Sheriff, Janis Mangum, smacks Bronson Garrett as Silas Dooley keeps his arms
pinned behind him during the wrestling match benefitting the Jackson County Explorers program.
Here, they are shown at the Historic Braselton Gym. See more on page 3.
School tax break to
be on March ballot
Mini golf, batting cages
on planners ’ agenda
Braselton planners will
consider a request for a
special attraction at its up
coming meeting.
The Braselton Planning
Commission will consider
a conditional use to allow
an outdoor amusement or
recreational attraction at
its Dec. 23 meeting.
Joanne Liu is requesting
the conditional use for a
little over 2 acres at 7304
and 7310 Spout Springs
Rd. Liu plans a miniature
golf course and batting
cages on the property.
The Braselton Town
Council will hold a second
hearing on the request at
its Jan. 9 meeting.
BUFFER CHANGE
In other business, the
planning commission will
also consider a zoning
condition change for 3705
Village Way in Liberty
Village.
Lensned, LLC. is re
questing a change to the
planned unit develop
ment's conditions, reduc
ing the required 40-foot
development buffer on
Hwy. 211 to a 20-foot buf
fer.
Town council could vote
on HECE project Dec. 18
Some older proper
ty taxpayers could get a
break if local voters ap
prove making a change in
the local school homestead
tax provisions during the
March elections.
In addition to the pres
idential preference prima
ry being held on March
24, 2020. voters in all
three school districts in
Jackson County will vote
on whether or not to raise
the income provisions to
qualify for a school home
stead tax break.
Currently, property tax
payers age 62 and older
can qualify for a school
homestead tax break
if they have less than
$ 18,000 per year of earned
income (which excludes
retirement income.) The
election in March propos
es to raise the earned in
come limit to $25,000 per
year.
Theoretically, that
would allow more taxpay
ers to qualify for the tax
break. That break takes
$10,000 off of the 40 per
cent assessed value of the
home, thereby reducing
the overall tax bill.
According to Jefferson
Board of Education chair
man Ronnie Hopkins, the
measure has to be ap
proved in all three school
districts — Jefferson.
Commerce and Jackson
County — for it to be
come law.
Jackson County School
System superintendent
April Howard said that it
would be difficult to esti
mate the financial impact
the measure would have
on the system's finances,
but she didn’t expect it
would affect a substantial
number of taxpayers.
The call for the election
was made Dec. 16 for the
county school system by
the Jackson County Board
of Elections. Both Jeffer
son and Commerce will
also have to call for the
election in those districts.
Braselton leaders may
take action on a contro
versial and legally conten
tious rezoning proposed
for property across from
Chateau Elan on Hwy.
211 at a called meeting on
Dec. 18 at 5 p.m.
The plan for a massive
housing and commercial
development on 230 acres
around the Publix shop
ping center was turned
down by the council in
August. A subsequent
lawsuit against the town
remanded the case back
to the council for another
hearing, which was held
Dec. 9.
