Newspaper Page Text
CARROLL COUNTY, GE'
StarNews
CARROLL COUNTY, GEORGIA'S ONLY LOCALLY OWNED LOCALLY OPERATED NEWSPAPER
Governor Brian Kemp headlines
annual chamber dinner
see story/photo Page 4
Page 9
“Who’s Carroll 2020?” Part 2
Page 25
“Spring Home Lawn & Garden”
NEWS REPORTING / NEWS RECAP / NEWS ANALYSIS
MARCH 2020 • VOLUME 26 NUMBER 3
www.starnewsgaonline.com
StarNews monthly traditional print publication /StarNews Online daily local news
Temple City refinances
water bond debt: $4.6
balloon note due next
January was eliminated
Mayor presents “The State of the City”
by Prissi Sullivan
Temple Mayor Michael Johnson deliv
ered the state of the city to the Temple City
Council at their regularly scheduled
February council meeting. Halfway through
his four-year commitment, Mayor Johnson
is optimistic about the second half due to
the numerous positive accomplishments and
experiences over the last two years.
The water bond debt was refinanced in
2019, eliminating the $4.6 million balloon
note due on January 1, 2021, for which the
city had no means to pay. The annual repay
ment amount for the next few years will be
about half of the previous amount of
$620,000 and the $4.6 million balloon pay
ment was eliminated. Annual payments
over the next 12 years will start at $300,000
in 2021 and will increase to $410,000 in the
final year of 2032. The total amount that
was refinanced was $4,225,000.
See TEMPLE COUNCIL page 17
“Leadership Luncheon”
series continues: Leuco
Tool CEO Jens Schulz
Tickets may be purchased
from Villa Rica Main Street
The Villa Rica Leadership Luncheon
Series brings together executives, entrepre
neurs, educational leaders and innovators
from throughout the region to discuss
trends, challenges and opportunities facing
their respective fields. Open to the public,
the Leadership Luncheon Series is held bi
monthly on the 2nd Wednesday at 11:30
a.m. at The Venue in Downtown Villa Rica,
Georgia.
On the Wednesday, April 8,th Leadership
Luncheon guest speaker will be Jens
Schulz, president and CFO of Leuco Tool
See LEADERSHIP page 17
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List of Carroll County candidates who
qualified for May 19th Primary Election
Running unopposed include sheriff, coroner, tax
commisioner, clerk of court, commission chair
by Sue Horn
Qualifying ended Friday
noon March 6th for the
Tuesday, May 19th Primary
Election. There were 17
open seatsin the county; 11
seats went unopposed,
including sheriff, commis
sion chair, coroner, tax com
missioner, clerk of court,
two county commission
seats, probate judge, chief
magistrate, county surveyor,
and solicitor. The chal
lenged seats are:
• Carroll County
Commission District 5
• Carroll County Board of
Education Districts 1, 3, 4,
and 6
• State Court Judge
County Commission
District 5 candidates
Ernest “Ernie” Reynolds
Incumbent Republican
Occupation: retired state
dept of audits
See CANDIDATES page 8
Presidential Preference Primary and
local E-SPL0ST vote March 24th
by Prissi Sullivan
Carroll County’s two public
school superintendents made the
rounds in the community at civic
clubs and the county commission
meeting in the past few weeks dis
cussing and promoting the upcoming
E-SPLOST (Educational Special
Purpose Local Option Sales Tax)
vote. If passed, the one penny tax
would collect $143 million and
benefit the Carroll County School
System, Carrollton City School
System and Bremen City Schools.
Dr. Mark Albertus, superintendent
E-SPLOST
• adds (continues) one cent tax
• begins Jan. 1,2023 when current
E-SPLOST rolls off Dec. 31,2022
• will collect at least $143M
• all 28 Carroll County precincts
will be open March 24th
of Carrollton City Schools, and Scott
Cowart, superintendent of Carroll
County Schools, addressed the
Carroll County Board of
Commissioners on March 3, 2020 at
the regularly scheduled commission
meeting. The superintendents
See E-SPLOST VOTE page 5
Georgia Labor Department reports
record number employed: 4,649,900
Current state population estimate at 10.5M
Unemployment at record low of 3.1%
Shown above left is U.S. Census 2020 Atlanta Regional
Partnership Specialist Kokayl Olushola who spoke to the
Carrollton Rotary Club on the importance of being counted,
as federal monies to communities are based on population
count. He is shown with club president Sandra Morris. (See
Page 2 for more census information.) Photo by Sue Horn
from press release
State Labor Commissioner
Mark Butler reports that the
number of employed Georgians
was up 12,060 to almost 5 mil
lion, an all-time high.
January 2020 labor statistics
also revealed a record number
of jobs, exceeding 4.5 million.
“Significantly outpacing last
year’s numbers, January 2020
labor statistics are reporting
record data across the board,”
said Georgia Commissioner of
Labor Mark Butler. “The num
ber of Georgians employed is
the highest ever, the number of
unemployed is the lowest since
2001, and EmployGeorgia.com
See RECORD page 32
Tanner Health System to receive
better bond rate with county’s
backing: commission approves 7-0
by Prissi Sullivan
Loy Howard, CEO of Tanner
Health System addressed the
Carroll County Board of
Commissioners at their work
session February 27, 2020.
Tanner requested a resolution to
authorize an intergovernmental
agreement between Tanner and
Carroll County. The local
health system received the
approval at the regular commis
sion meeting on the following
Tuesday in a 7-0 vote for $50M
in bonds. Tanner has plans for
the next 30 years for system
improvements.
See TANNER BOND page 6
Get counted! Census 2020 begins
Dear Voter,
I am ERICA
TISINGER
and I am running for State Court Judge this May.
I know that you vote consistently and I want to thank
you for your civic participation.
It takes time and effort to vote. I want to express my
gratitude for your service. Without your commitment,
our local and state government doesn't work.
Please remember to vote on May 19.
Paid for by Friends of Erica Tisinger
PO Box 2382
Carrollton, GA 30112
