Newspaper Page Text
Weather
Today: Isolated T-stomts
H ‘gh: 87
Low: 70
*
w .
Volume 137, Number 175
How great is the
Great Plan?
Meeting to be held at BOE on
proposal to abolish property taxes
"We're reluctant ■P* 4
to send all the BT |
money to Atlanta
aid let them dole ftiltt
it out as they
see fit. It's good •
that it will open
a dialogue (about tax reform)
but this is the wrong way to
go at this point."
Perry Mayor Jim Worrall
money, you have
Superintendent of Schools
David Carpenter
By CHARLOTTE PERKINS
Journal Staff Writer
Are you tired of property taxes?
Do you want to pay more sales tax on
more services?
Do you want local control of local rev
enues, or would you rather have all taxes
go to the state to be redistributed to the
cities and counties?
Whether your answers are yes or no to
any of the above, Mayor Jim Worrall and
Superintendent of Schools David Carpenter
are hoping you’ll find the time to attend a
meeting at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Board of
Education building on Main Street.
The meeting is one of seven tax reform
meetings being held across the state by
the Georgia Municipal Association. The
subject of the will be House Resolution
900, also known as “The Great Plan for
Georgia,” which is House Speaker Glenn
Richardson’s controversial proposal for
abolishing all property taxes in Georgia
and broadening the sales tax.
The proposal would have to clear the
PERIODICAL 500
8 1HR 4
COOI *
Georgia Newspaper Project
Main Library-
University of Georgia
ATHENS GA 3G6G2-GGG2
Sept. 12-14, 2007
Serving Houston County Since 1870
FOOD - IB
Another gift from Italy ... the Frittata. Also, don’t
underestimate the beauty, wonder of a carrot;
chicken - a blank canvas for creative cooks.
Restaurant Report Card and more.
LEGAL ORGAN FOR HOUSTON COUNTY,
CITY OF PERRY, CITY OF WARNER ROBINS AND CITY OF CENTERVILLE
Georgia General Assembly before going on
the ballot as a statewide referendum.
While the idea of getting rid of all prop
erty taxes sounds good to many on the sur
face, it is not going over well with city and
county governments across the state.
While there appears to be universal
agreement that Georgia is overdue for tax
reform, municipal and county-level lead
ers, including city councils, commissioners
and boards of education, are concerned
about losing local control of funds.
“We’re reluctant to send all the money
to Atlanta and let them dole it out as they
see fit,” Worrall said. “It’s good that it will
open a dialogue (about tax reform) but this
is the wrong way to go at this point.”
Worrall also said that the proposal to
end all ad valorem taxes and broaden the
reach of the sales tax will ‘put a burden on
a whole bunch of fplks.”
Superintendent Carpenter said, “If you
a<m control the money, you have no local
control.”
Carpenter expressed concern that the
state would use control of the expanded
sales tax revenues to redistribute school
funding that is now under local control,
allowing communities to have a voice
in determining the quality of their local
schools.
Notes from Jerry Griffin, Executive
Director of the Association County
Commissioners following a recent meeting
with Speaker Richardson tend to support
Carpenter’s concern.
Griffin wrote in a memorandum to all
commissioners across the state, “The
speaker did acknowledge that this is an
income redistribution system with the goal
to bring those below the median service
level up while holding everyone else where
they are at, particularly in education.”
Richardson, in that meeting, implied
that one goal was to see that everyone
receives an adequate level of educational
resources, “ with the result that “litigation
over equitable education financing will
disappear.”
The GMA is opposing the plan. Jim
Higdon, in a memorandum to mayors
across the state, urged city officials to fight
Richardson’s proposal.
“Are you ready to give up your ability to
govern your city?” Higdon asked.” I think
I know the answer to that - a resounding
NO. However, your ability to govern your
city is swinging in the wind as the Speaker
of the Georgia House of Representatives
pushes his Great Plan (HR9OO) to get rid
See PLAN, page jA
BIRTHDAYS
E-mail your birthdays to:
hhj@evansnewspapers.com or
donm@evansnewspapers.com, or
send them .***?»,.
Ext. 231.
Sept. 13 „
■ Bruce Patton
■ Pastor Terry Hyman
Sept. 14
■ Sara Satterfield
Wednesday-Friday, September 12>14, 2007
This week in HHJ history:
30 years ago:
“Drought” is the word on the streets as County Extension
Chairman Emmet Whelchel says the current state is worse
than the record-setting drought in 1954, and that the county
has suffered losses in excess of $8,000,000.
20 years ago:
Staff for the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter
announce it will name the facility’s main entrance after former
Georgia Gov. Joe Frank Harris and his wife Elizabeth, two
credited with helping ensure the GNFA came to fruition.
Also, the county voted to keep its millage rate the same at
14.54.
10 years ago:
The Associated Press does a feature story on Perry. In it,
the AP cites “leadership” as a reason for Perry’s success.
Also, Sheriff Cullen Talton beefs up security at the Houston
County Courthouse in Perry in preparation for the upcom
ing murder trial for Dr. Vincent Mallory. In addition, activities
locally raise more than $6,000 during the annual muscular
dystrophy telethon.
HP
V I
\ I
Ato MU Jfflu
* JL. i fl : .
Ijmjm
IP I
! * fig
e-.niirli'rl i »*»■ ~ .. ... i . .. i.nm w —■
ENI/Gary Harmon
Motorcycles line the perking lot of the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter
during the Poker Run held Saturday. For more, see 7A.
Washington St. hills to get playhouse hock
NIL l ' 1
Journal/Charlotte Perkins
Mike and Michelle Trotter and their neighbor Lisa Franklin
smile after a unanimous vote by the Perry Planning
Commission to allow the Trotters to have a playhouse for
their children placed in the backyard of their Washington
Street home. Franklin is holding her son, Walker.
SPORTS - 3B
HOCO beats Tift County in softballll
Lots more softball. Perry football 1
team uses bye week to return to
basics. More football previews. A
Old Glory on the ‘run*
My mother, Julia Knighton,
spent several nights in the Perry
Hospital recently.
I want to publicly thank all of
the people who cared for her.
Every person that served mother
did so with compassion and very
professionally.
She required gentle handling
and they were so careful and
sweet with her.
Our family has nothing but
good things to say about the
hospital and the care mother
received there.
Janice Walker
tv Evans Family Newseapi i<
i. - -
www.hhjnews.com
By CHARLOTTE
PERKINS
Journal Staff Writer
After a detailed presenta
tion involving square feet,
setbacks, minimum distances
and maximum lot coverage,
Perry Planning Commission
voted on Monday night to
approve four different vari
ances from the city’s Land
Development Ordinance so
that an “acccessory struc
ture” could be placed in the
rear yard of a Washington
Street home.
Or, putting it simply, they
made it possible for two little
girls to have their playhouse
back.
The saga of the playhouse
started when Mike and
Michelle Trotter gave their
daughters, ages 4 and 8, a
See PLAYHOUSE, page 7A
INDEX
CALENDAR 2A
OBITUARIES 3A
OPINION 4A
FOOD 1B
SPORTS 3B
Correction
In a recent issue the reserva
tion number of Perry Players
was given incorrectly. The cor
rect number is 987-5354.
News tip '*!’■«
6 a m.-4 p.m:
987-1823 Ext. 231
4 p.m.-until: 397-8811
Award-Winning
Newspaper
Better
Newspaper
<lp)