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HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
More from Centerville’s public heerhig
on a proposed property tax increase
By DON MONCRIEF
Journal Managing Editor
As promised inWednesday’s
paper, here are some addi
tional public comments from
the public hearings held
by the city of Centerville
Monday.
The hearings were again
regarding the city’s pro
posal for a 27.06 property
tax increase. And just as a
reminder, the final public
hearing is Monday at 6 p.m.
at City Hall. The meeting
will be prior to the council
voting on the proposal.
“In the past five years I
have reluctantly indorsed
every millage rate increase
because I understood spe
cifically why they were
needed. This time I do not
understand. The reasons
are too non-specific and the
amounts are outrageous. In
the past six weeks, three of
my neighbors, two blocks
from my home, have had
their home foreclosed and
then auctioned off. How
many more foreclosures will
happen in my neighborhood?
How many have happened in
Centerville? Does anybody
know how many of our resi
dents have lost their homes
because they could not pay
their mortgages?
Yet you’re asking to tax
even more of us to the point
where other citizens may
lose their homes.
“We have been told the
cost will be about $lO a
month on a SIOO,OOO home,
$l2O a year on homes valued
by the tax commission. If
your home is like mine, it is
artificially valued at a much
higher value than I can be
expected to get for it.
“The stated meaning of
this millage rate increase is
that because of state short
ages, the state will be send
ing the city less money. The
state of Georgia is planning
for this shortage by reducing
manpower and cutting ser
vices. Why cannot the city of
Centerville do the same?”
- John Harley,
Centerville resident
“Me and my husband both
oppose the tax increase. Me
and my husband are trying to
raise a family in Centerville
as well as a small business in
Centerville.
“We have built about 12
homes in Eagle Springs
Subdivision and we are
already, because of our mill
age rate, having a hard
time building homes in
Centerville. Because of this
referendum if it passes, we
will certainly not be able
to build anymore homes in
Centerville.
“Also, I want to speak on
behalf of industry and eco
nomics of our times right
now. I work for a major
healthcare organization.
And we just had to cut our
budget by $33 million dol
lars. And we did that from
the top down. And we had
to do that because if our
budget did not allow for us
to provide those services, we
had to find another way to
do that.
“And I’d like to ask
Centerville to look at all
the things that are on their
line item budgets and see if
ALARM
From page lA
permitting process.
The reasoning for per
mitting alarm systems, it
was explained, is the huge
expense associated with
patrol officers spending time
responding to repeated false
alarm calls.
According to the discus
sion among the council,
Cooper’s recommendation
would include the establish
ment of a database of all
alarm systems (commercial
and residential) in the city
with owner and emergency
contact information. Cooper
said that he will work with
911 dispatches to share the
database information on
all business and residential
alarms within the city.
Tydings recited the first
there’s any way we can pro
vide those services at a more
inexpensive rate.”
- Ellen McCrory,
Centerville resident and
business owner
“I’ve always thought that
Centerville did a real good
job in governing here, espe
cially during the SPLOST, of
which this building’s (City
Hall) a part of. Because you
planned, you worked your
plan, you asked the people
what they wanted and you
did it. And I think that’s a
real tribute to your town.
“This proposal howev
er seems ... I’m confused
exactly what the impetus
for this proposal is. I read
the same article people have
talked about in the Macon
paper. Judging by the fact
it was imposed based on a
Legislature cutbacks in
Georgia. You know all the
answers I’ve gotten today,
I’m confused about it really.
“However, I wanted to
address it just as a busi
ness owner who stares down
Warner Robins ... literal
ly right across the street.
We were very proud to be
annexed into Centerville and
build our Shell location at
the comer of Gunn Road
and 41.
“We had a competition
move in across the street.
That is Warner Robins. They
built a location that’s larger
than ours by 25 percent floor
space. Everything else is just
about a mirror image of us,
yet they pay less property
taxes than we do with a larg
er location. Because of the
Centerville tax rate versus
Warner Robins.
“They enjoy a lower ISO
fire rating. So we pay more,
according to my insurance
agent that’s true. He said we
pay a 5, they pay a 3. It may
not be true but that affects
all our fire rates. So when
I read this ‘if we don’t raise
this, we may have to suffer’
the police and fire protec
tion, that’s very worrisome
for a business owner.
“But I guess that’s a real
world example of simply
being across the street from
the same type of business
... We were very proud to
be a part of Centerville and
still are. But I can see that
as Warner Robins, as you’re
continuing to be circled by
them, by someone trying to
come in who doesn’t care
where they are, they just
want to be in that vicinity.
As they continue to look at
all the implications where
they want to locate (they’re
more likely to do it in Warner
Robins).
“So I want you to just con
sider that and reconsider
this increase.”
- Davis Cosey, Davis
Oil Company, business
owner in Centerville
“I’ve been a realtor been a
realtor about 15 or 16 years
and I want to talk about the
adverse affect the tax would
have on selling homes and
how important it is not to
do that.
“I know a lot of people
when they’re buying a home
take taxes into account.
Raising taxes now is the
worst time to do that. The
reading of the amendment
at the meeting; the second
reading is scheduled for the
next regular scheduled meet
ing. No motion or action was
taken.
In other business the city
decided to swap phone ser
vice providers from Sprint
to Verizon wireless. There
is a saving of $7, and also a
much better coverage area,
it was said, as well as a
shared minute’s pool that
would ensure no overages in
minutes.
“The process of changing
over could be complete in 14
days,” said Patrick Eidson,
City Administrator.
According to Eidson three
Blackberry phones will be
purchased for the mayor, the
police chief and Councilman
Edward Tucker.
Also discussed, was
Cooper’s prior request to re
housing market right now is
the worst it has ever been in.
Right now I’m selling more
foreclosed home, more bank
owned homes ever.
“Generally I do a lot of new
construction and lot sales.
Those as you know are the
heaviest hit right now. And
new taxes raised on top of
existing taxes in Centerville
would be a death sentence.”
- Tim King, Centerville
resident and realtor
“I own Grove Point in
Eagle Springs. And most of
the houses we sell for about
$350 to $450,000 dollars.
In 2006 and 2007 we gen
erated we generate almost
$14,000,000 worth of base for
the city. Which was sales.
“What the tax rate gener
ates on that is approximately
$28,000 worth of income to
the city. In 2008 we have
sold zero.
“Now when you consid
er that you went from that
amount to zero and you con
sider the fact we have many
many who have zero income
in our particular situa
tion. People go into Warner
Robins and they go into
Centerville and the Eagle
Springs Subdivision is a very
desirable subdivision to look
at. But, when they see in
today’s environment that
they will have a tax bill by
paying somewhere between
SI,OOO to $2,000 more than
buying a house across the
street, they will purposefully
say, ‘No, I’m not going to buy
in Centerville.’”
- David Hodes,
Centerville resident and
developer
“I’d like to address a
few things. One, the tim
ing of this as we’ve all been
through is the worst of eco
nomic times. I’m also here
on behalf of Castaway Self
Storage and Car Wash.
I’ve been a big promoter of
Centerville and a big devel
oper in Centerville.
“A few things I want to
touch on, one is the short
timeframe on this. I know
by law there is probably nc
doubt ya’ll met your require
ments by law to hurry up
and get the meetings, get the
tax notices out and hurry up
and get them to everybody
so we can pay our taxes.
“But this is not what we
are looking for in elected
officials. We need more time
for you guys to help us with
this. We’re all struggling
right now to pay our tax bill
already. We can’t take the
additional tax burden right
now.
“Your budget starts in
June, July? You’ve had time
to look at this (before now).
“You also made a statement
(during the public hearing it
was mentioned at least twice,
once by the mayor and once
by a councilmember) about
people not showing up for
council meetings. I’ve been
over here and I understand
what you’re saying, but
please bear in mind. It’s not
because we don’t care. We’re
out there working every day.
Our families have needs and
we’re working. It’s not that
we don’t care, we do care. So
those are some issues.
“Some other issues I want
establish an assistant chief
of police position. Cooper
stressed that he feels it is
important to re-establish
the position to have some
one second in command
in case of his absence to
ensure the department runs
smoothly. It was approved at
last month’s meeting to re
establish this position.
Tuesday, Sid Andrews was
named the fill that role.
“He has 10 years expe
rience, with eight of those
years being in Centerville,”
Cooper said. “He runs things
just as I would when I am
gone.”
Andrews will now move
from the rank of captain to
major.
“This really is a great
honor,” Andrews said. “My
heart is here and Centerville
and I will do my best as
assistant chief.”
to bring up are, by the num
bers, the tax digest has
increased over 87 percent.
That’s tremendous. I know,
taking into consideration
Castaway, we just did a major
expansion over there. We’re
also over there doing a major
retail center in Centerville.
And we’re trying to survive
over there. But what this is
going to do to us, is we’re
currently paying 16 percent
more than Warner Robins.
I have current competition
(in Warner Robins) build
ing across the street from
me. At 16 percent it’s hard
enough to compete now. If
you impose any additional
taxes, jus say, ‘Well, we’re
not going to do the three
mill, we’ll do one mill.’
“Well, the one mill will
make it a 25 percent increase
above my competition and I
can’t afford to compete.”
“Also, I had plans to do
what you had been looking
for as far as this Downtown
Development idea, which 1
think is great. I can assure
you if this goes through, I
will not do it. I cannot afford
to compete against somebody
across the street.
- Keith Newton,
Centerville resident and
developer
“I’m new to state of
Georgia. I just moved here
from Florida and one of the
reasons I came here from
Florida was because of my
real estate taxes. And I am
very surprised at what’s
going on here.
“I’ve lived in five different
states, volunteered for many
municipalities, and I’ve
never seen a millage rate
this high.
“I am president of Eagle
Springs Homeowners
Association. I do not repre
sent them here but I have
had dozens of phone calls
from young people that could
not be here because of the
times, asking me to speak
on their behalf. They said to
me: ‘Richard. We’re having
financial difficulties. Would
you please tell the council
people not to do this?’ And I
said I will, so I am.”
- Richard Beladino,
Centerville resident
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OBITUARIES 'Ajwa^rememberec£
Ray L. Barron, Sr.
Ray L. Barron, Sr., age 81, of Perry, died Friday, October 24,2008,
in a Macon hospital.
Born in Dooly County, he was the son of the late John Erastus
Barron and Sibbie Lasseter Barron. He was a U.S. Navy veteran and
a member of Cross Point Baptist Church. Mr. Barron retired from
Blue Bird where he was a Tool & Dye Maker. He was a loving hus
band and father whose true joy was his 12 grandchildren.
He is survived by his wife, Floyce B. Barron
of Perry; children, Bonnie Tyson (Darryl) of
Perry, Lindy Barron (Lisa) of of Hawkinsville,
Mark Barron (Gerri) of Perry; a sister, Anne
B. Everette (Gordon) of Pinehurst; grand
children, Alex, Coley, Brad, Joseph, Kalin,
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Walnut Cemetery. Mary Arflin provided soft music for the service.
Kalin Tyson, Kasey Tyson, Alex Barron, Coley Barron, Joseph
Barron, Brad Barron, Will Barron and Boone Barron served as pall
bearers.
Memorial gifts may be made to the building fund of Cross Point
Baptist Church, 645 Perry Parkway, Perry, GA 31069 or to First
Baptist Church, PO Box 250, Unadilla, GA 31091.
An online registry is at www.brannen-nesmith.com
Brannen-NeSmith Funeral Home of Unadilla had charge of
arrangements. ,
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