Newspaper Page Text
StarNews
CARROLL COUNTY, GEORGIA'S ONLY LOCALLY OWNED / LOCALLY OPERATED NEWSPAPER
NEWS REPORTING / NEWS RECAP / NEWS ANALYSIS
SEPTEMBER 11, 2022 • VOLUME 28 NUMBER 9
StarNews monthly traditional print publication /StarNews Online daily local news
www.starnewsgaonline.com
Commission responds to public
outcry on special event facilities
Zoning regulation changed to allow future special
event structures only in commercially zoned areas
by Janice Daniel
The Carroll County Board of Commissioners held its regular
monthly meeting Tuesday, August 2, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. The highlight
of the meeting was the decision going forward that special events
facilities (event bams/buildings) be allowed only in commercially
zoned areas, while leaving the resolution open for future considera
tion of “Farm Special Events Facilities”.
It was during the zoning session portion of the regular meeting
that County Attorney Avery Jackson asked the board lor considera
tion of a Resolution and Ordinance of the Board of Commissioners
See EVENT BARN ORDINANCE CHANGE page 7
Millage rate choices varied for
Carroll’s governing taxing entities
by Sue Horn Evans
Property assessments increased in Carroll County this year (2022) which
automatically increased the total dollar amount of property tax allowed to be
collected by government entities. This increase in collections would occur without
any action by the government entities, i.e. raising the millage rate. The taxing entity
would simply have no action.
If the governmental entity wished to keep the total amount collected the same -
as budgets were calculated last year as to the amount each governing body stated
was necessary to operate in 2022 - and not collect the increased tax amounts), each
entity would need to take action to “fully rollback” (decrease) their millage rate to
match the increased dollar figure to negate the increase.
If the governmental entity wished to keep a portion of the increased taxes - and
See MILLAGE RATES page 13
Whitesburg councilmember
resigns during meeting after
StarNews questions him about
his behavior toward a citizen
Longtime councilman William Smolar called
out citizen stating she’s “like talking to a rock”
by Wayne J. Reynolds
Longtime Whitesburg City Councilmember Wilham
Smolar unexpectedly resigned during the Tues., Sept.
6, 2022, regular meeting immediately after StarNews
publisher/editor Sue Horn Evans questioned him about
his behavior toward a citizen at a prior meeting, asking
if he would be apologizing.
See COUNCILMEMBER RESIGNS page 7
Voters may now track
their mailed absentee
ballot via “BallotTrax”
from press release
Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Ralfensperger
announced that Georgia voters have access to
BallotTrax, the onhne tracking tool that allows voters
to monitor the status of their absentee ballots through
the United States Postal Service.
Voters who register at Georgia.BallotTrax.net will
receive up-to-date notifications when their ballot is
picked up by the USPS, when it is in transit, when it
has been delivered to the election office, and when it
See TRACK BALLOT page 13
Shown above are the Carroll County Child Advocacy Center employees. Seated
front row left and right are Jeliegha Brown and Kaylie Callahan. Standing left to
right are Allison Robinson, Amanda Carden, and Brandi Leak.
Carroll County Child Advocacy Center: ten years
of championing the needs of abused children
by Wayne J. Reynolds children we interviewed. In 2020, it was 99%,”
“97% of the children in 2021 who law Carroll County Child Advocacy Center
enforcement brought to us for an interview Executive Director Amanda Carden passion-
knew their abuser - 97%! That is out of 307 See CHILD ADVOCACY page 10
2022 MILLAGE RATES
Governing entities that voted to
keep the full tax increase by
voting to keep their 2021 millage
rate the same for 2022:
Carroll County Commission
2021 millage rate: 7.639
2022 millage rate: 7.58
Carroll County School Board
2021 millage rate: 17,998
2022 millage rate: 17.500
City of Mt. Zion
2021 millage rate:7.05
2022 millage rate: 7.05
Governing entities that voted to
keep a portion of the tax
increase by voting to reduce the
2021 millage rate but at a rate
higher than a full rollback:
City of Villa Rica
2021 millage rate: 6.25
2022 millage rate: 6.25
City of Carrollton
2021 millage rate: 4.49
2022 millage rate: 4.49
Carrollton City Schools
2021 millage rate: 18.500
2022 millage rate: 18.500
Governing entities that voted for
full rollback rate, choosing not
to collect any portion of the
increased property tax:
City of Temple
2021 millage rate: 5.449
2022 millage rate: 5.171
City of Whitesburg
2021 millage rate: 7.569
2022 millage rate: 7.321
City of Bowdon
2021 millage rate: 7.713
2022 millage rate: 7.302
State tax revenues
increased $41.8M
from press release
The State of Georgia’s net tax
collections for May 2022 totaled
almost S2.70 billion, for an
increase of S41.8 million, or 1.6%,
compared to May 2021, when net
tax collections approached S2.66
bilhon. Year-to-date, net tax collec-
See $41.8M MORE page 11
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Linkedln,
&
starnewsgaonline.com
Call 770-722-7227
suehorn.starnews
@gmail.com
waynereynolds.starnews
@gmail.com
NOTICE OF PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO CARROLL COUNTY
SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS
Notice is hereby given under O.C.G.A. § 36-66-1, et seq., by Carroll County, Georgia, of a public
hearing to held at the Commission Chambers located at the Carroll County Historic Courthouse,
323 Newnan Street, 3rd floor, Carrollton, Georgia 30117, on September 19, 2022, at 6:30 P.M., for
the purpose of considering proposed amendments to the Subdivision Regulations of Carroll
County, Georgia, as amended: (1) to amend Section 86-5. "Definitions" of Chapter 86 -
Subdivisions, to amend the definition of "Subdivision exemptions;" (2) to allow for estate lot
development; (3) to provide for exemptions to the Ordinance; and (4) for other purposes. The
text of the proposed amendments are available for public review at the Office of Community
Development located at 423 College Street, Room 503, Carrollton, Georgia 30117, between the
hours of 8:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M., Monday through Friday. Consideration of final adoption of
these zoning text amendments will be heard before the Carroll County Board of Commissioners
on November 1, 2022, at 6:00 P.M. at the Commission Chambers located at the Carroll County
Historic Courthouse, 323 Newnan Street, 3rd floor, Carrollton, Georgia 30117.
