Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2A
BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2023
SCOGA
continued from 1A
that the list of revenue
sources in the state code
doesn’t identify the sole
means by which the county
may fund public services,
as Winder contends. The
county’s assertion inter
prets “assessment” to refer
to revenue sources of any
kind, which Winder argues
the constitutional referenc
es to “fees” and “taxes” as
a “surplusage.”
The county argues Wind
er’s theory would require
counties to use unincorpo
rated tax revenues to re
duce taxes for municipal
taxpayers. Then, counties
would have to make up the
lost revenue by assessing
additional special district
taxes on unincorporated
taxpayers.
“This would be a direct
transfer of wealth from the
unincorporated areas to the
municipalities,” the county
said.
Finally, the SCOGA will
rule on whether a superior
court adjudicating a peti
tion under the state’s ser
vice delivery act is autho
rized to determine whether
the city’s usage rates
charged to water customers
in the unincorporated areas
of the county are an illegal
tax.
The city argues a judge’s
authorization to resolve
disputed items is limited
to service delivery strategy
disputes, “none of which
allow a county to add on a
freestanding challenge to a
city’s water charges as an
illegal tax due to the way it
uses the revenues from the
water rates.”
On the contrary, the
county insists Winder’s
system of funding roads,
police, fire and general
administration by using
profits made from excess
charges imposed by the city
on the sale of water in the
unincorporated area consti
tutes a tax.
The SCOGA will hear
the case during its final
2023 term, which begins
Aug. 7 and ends Nov. 18.
Oral arguments are expect
ed in October and a final
ruling is expected as early
October to as late as spring
of 2024.
The City of Winder’s city
attorney is John E. Stell of
Stell Smith & Mattison PC.
The city is also represent
ed by Andrew J. Welch III,
Warren M. Tillery, Bran
don F. Palmer and Grant E.
McBride of Smith, Welch
Webb & White LLC. Har
old D. Melton of Troutman
Pepper Hamilton Sanders
LLP.
Barrow County is repre
sented by Angela Davis and
G. Aaron Meyer of Jarrard
& David LLP.
School
continued from 1A
found on the BCSS school
nutrition website www.bar-
row.k 12 ,ga.us/departments/
school-nutrition.
Reduced-price lunches are
$0.40 and extra milk is $0.50
for all students.
For the 2023-2024 school
year, the regular price of
lunch is $2 for elementary
andpre-K students, $2.25 for
middle school students and
$2.50 for high school stu
dents.
For adults, breakfast is
$2.50 and lunch is $4.25.
Complete the school
benefit application at my-
schoolapps.com to see if your
child qualifies for free or re
duced ($0.40) school lunch.
The application will also de
termine if students qualify for
other discounts listed below.
Children already receiving
food stamps or TANF are
already enrolled and do not
need to complete a school
benefit application.
ACT & SAT EXAM
DISCOUNT
• Two free SAT exams
• Two free ACT exams
See your school counselor
with questions.
AP EXAM DISCOUNT
• First test is free
• Additional tests discount
ed price
See your school counselor
with questions.
COLLEGE
APPLICATION
DISCOUNT
• Must request discounted
SAT or ACT test first
• 4 college fee vouchers per
SAT exam
• 4 college fee vouchers per
ACT exam
Get voucher from school
counselor or print it from the
College Board websiteA
ATHLETICS
DISCOUNT
Check with your schooFs
athletic director or adminis
tration.
NETWORK
DISCOUNT
Discounted fees for inter
net access and wireless ser
vice. Visit the links below for
details about how to apply:
• Xfinify $9.95/month+tax
service (www.xfinify.com/
leam/intemet-service/inter-
net-essentials)
• T-Mobile Project 10-million
(www.t-mobile.com/sup-
CFIT
continued from 1A
town area. The park will be walkable to many res
idences in Old Town Winder and portions of North
Winder.
Also due to its location, several infrastructure
updates are required.
During the Winder City Council’s work session
July 6, assistant city administrator Roger Wilhelm
laid out three alternatives for the council to consid
er regarding the city’s involvement in the project.
First, the council could choose not to participate
in the project and hold the developers responsible
for all associated costs including infrastructure as
it does with all developers. Second, the city could
participate by upgrading and maintaining infra
structure directly associated with the project for
$457,500. This option was the staff’s recommenda
tion. Needed upgrades include replacing a culvert
for $80,000, relocating a waterline for $86,000,
relocating cathodic protection for $30,000 and
upgrading to Winder streetscape branding for all
proposed work within the city’s right of way from
Church Street to Bellview Street for $261,500.
The council voted unanimously for the third
option, which adds city-branded streetscaping
from Broad to Church Street that will connect the
downtown corridor to the project via sidewalks
and lights, as well as provide city-maintained in
frastructure upgrades associated with the project
This will cost the city $1,079,500, of which
$725,000 is already budgeted for fiscal year 2024.
In discussions, the council agreed the park would
Abe an economic engine that will help the city’s
downtown development, which is also currently
underway.
Members of Winder’s DAR
Sunbury Chapter attend
Continental Congress in D.C.
Pictured (from left):Regent Pat Lowrie and Past Regent
Bridget Conner, Sunbury Chapter, NSDAR of Winder.
Members of the Wind
er’s Sunbury Chapter of
the National Society of
Daughters of the Amer
ican Revolution (NS
DAR) Regent Pat Lowrie
and Past RegentBridget
Conner recently attend
ed the 132nd Continental
Congress Daughters of
the American Revolu
tion in Washington, D.C.
June 28, - July 2.
This annual meeting is
one of the nation’s oldest
service organization’s
annual meetings and has
been held since the or
ganization was founded
in 1890. Those in atten
dance include more than
3,500 daughters repre
senting the membership
of 190,000 who hail from
all 50 states, the District
of Columbia and over a
dozen chapters in for
eign countries. Since its
founding, the DAR has
promoted historic pres
ervation, education and
patriotism, and those ob
jectives are reflected in
all the events of the DAR
Continental Congress.
“As more than 4,000
dedicated DAR members
gather in one place, their
energy produces inspi
ration, creative break
throughs and true cama
raderie,” said Pamela
Rouse Wright, president
general of NSDAR. “We
are grateful for the op
portunity to reflect on the
hard work and accom
plishments of the past
year. As we approach the
250th anniversary of our
nation, DAR needs to
continue to present itself
as the patriotic service
organization that we are.
Continental Congress
offers a way for Daugh
ters to come together and
sparkle as they celebrate
our country’s unique and
rich history at the nation
al level and within their
communities.”
The week-long con
vention consisted of
business sessions, com
mittee meetings, the
election of national of
ficers and social func
tions, and was topped off
with formal evening cer
emonies at which nation
al DAR award winners
were honored. National,
state and chapter leaders
as well as other members
from across the country
and around the world
meet at the DAR Nation
al Headquarters to re
port on the year’s work,
honor outstanding award
recipients, plan future
initiatives and reconnect
with friends.
Among the highlights
of the week, at the Open
ing Night Ceremony,
Jonna Mendez, former
CIA Chief of Disguise
and author, was honored
with the DAR Patriot
Award. The National De
fense Night Ceremony
celebrated the nation’s
military personnel and
veterans and welcomed
Lieutenant General Nina
Armagno of the United
States Space Force. Oth
er national awards were
presented to outstanding
individuals celebrating
excellence in historic
preservation, education,
and patriotism during the
week.
Members of the Na
tional Society of the
Daughters of the Amer
ican Revolution are de
scended from the patri
ots who won American
independence during
the Revolutionary War.
As mentioned above, as
the nation approaches
its 250th birthday in the
United States of America
in 2026, a national cam
paign, “Stars and Stripes
Forever” is underway to
reach 250,000 new mem
bers by 2033.
The DAR building in
Washington, D.C. re
search library currently
lists names from over
75 Revolutionary War-
era record groups and
includes millions of
names. These names
may include the name of
an ancestor needed for
someone to prove their
eligibility to join the
Daughters of the Amer
ican Revolution (DAR.)
The online (www.DAR.
org) database is avail
able for public use; one
can search an ancestor to
see if they are listed as
an American Revolution
ary Patriot. And, if they
are not listed, the nation
al archives are constant
ly working on adding
new patriots, which can
inspire new members to
join the NSDAR.
CITY OF STATHAM
The City of Statham does hereby announce that the millage rate will be set at a meeting to be held at Statham City Hall, 327
Jefferson St., Statham, Georgia 30666 on August 15, 2023 at 6:00 p.m., and pursuant to O.C.G.A. 48-5-32 does hereby publish
the following presentation of the current year's tax digest and levy, along with the history of the tax digest and the levy for the
past five years.
CITY OF STATHAM
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Real and Personal
$ 68,478,920
$ 81,239,783
$ 79,839,800
$ 93,569,880
$ 128,815,302
Motor Vehicle
1,112,190
664,500
880,590
931,440
959,383
Mobile Homes
285,416
292,643
332,606
361,894
369,132
Timber 100%
0
0
0
0
0
Heavy Duty Equipment
0
0
0
0
0
Gross Digest
69,876,526
82,196,926
81,052,996
94,863,214
130,143,817
Less M&O Exemptions
9,486,240
13,186,059
13,162,639
12,806,843
11,462,659
Net M&O Digest
60,390,286
69,010,867
67,890,357
82,056,371
118,681,158
Gross M&O Millage
8.695
8.101
11.845
11.563
10.80
Less Rollbacks
4.502
4.098
7.842
7.56
6.74
Net M&O Millage
4.193
4.003
4.003
4.003
4.06
Net Taxes Levied
$ 253,216
$ 276,251
$ 271,765
$ 328,472
$ 481,846
Net Taxes $ Increase
23,034
-4,485
56,707
153,374
Net Taxes % Increase
9.10%
-1.62%
20.87%
46.69%