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Carroll County Ag Center
900 Newnan Road, Carrollton
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3rd Annual Beef Festival
Promoting the Beef Industry
SEPTEMBER 15, 2024 • VOLUME 30 NUMBER 9
www.starnewsgaonline.com
Villa Rica’s interim city manager
Jeff Reece to begin working as city
manager for Bowdon in November
Reece’s 6 month agreement with Villa Rica to end a month short
by Wayne J. Reynolds position of Bowdon City Manager
At the Bowdon City Council to Jeff Reese for $85,000 per year
meeting held Monday, July 8,2024, a contingent on starting in November,
motion was made by Ward 3 council This motion was seconded by Ward
member Wes McEntyre to offer the See JEFF REECE page 4
Haralson County first in West GA area
to be chosen for UGA’s PROPEL program
from press release University of Georgia (UGA), assists
Haralson County was recently rural communities implement a multi-
selected as a 2025 Planning Rural step model to help them advance
Opportunities for Prosperity and their economies. Launched by UGA
Economic Leadership (PROPEL) in 2021, the two-year program
Community. This program, led by the See HARALSON FIRST page 15
Public invited to join in on a Community Read
Carroll County NAACP Branch Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K.
5179 and Underground Books Wilkinson). You can start reading or
Literary Arts Foundation invite you listening to the audiobook any time,
to join in a Community Read of the but there will be a special free Kick-
book, “All We Can Save; Tmth, off Event on Saturday, September
Courage, and Solutions for the 21 from 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. at Neva
Climate Crisis” (edited by Ayana See COMMUNITY READ page 4
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
dismisses Hulsey/Dost charges of discrimination
against Carroll County Board of Commissioners
EEOC issued “official notice of dismissal” stating it “will not proceed further with its investigation”
Hulsey/Dost allowed 90 days to decide whether to sue county in federal or state court: they do not
by Sue Horn
The United State Equal Employ
ment Opportuni
ty Commission
(EEOC) has is
sued an official
“Determination of
Charge” each for
the separate but
similar complaints
filed last October Dost
by two female
Carroll County
employees, Ash
ley Hulsey and
Jacqueline Dost,
against the Carroll
County Board of
Commissioners
alleging violations Hulsey
of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of choose to file a lawsuit against the re-
1964. spondent(s) in this charge under fed-
On March 20, 2024, the EEOC eral law in federal or state court, your
informed Hulsey and Dost separate- lawsuit must be filed within 90 days
ly that “This is official notice from of your receipt of this notice.” The 90-
the EEOC of the dismissal of your day window passed as of June 24,2024
charge and of your right to sue. If you See DISMISSED page 12
County school board discusses plan to
counter possible tax collection reduction
If voters pass statewide amendment November 5th, school board makes
plan to opt out in January 2025 to halt additional reduction in property taxes
by Janice Daniel and Sue Horn
The Carroll County Board of Education met for their monthly work session
Monday, August 19, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. during which the negative implication
of Georgia House Bill 581 on property tax revenue was discussed. HB581,
that was signed into law by Governor Brian Kemp on April 18, 2024, enables
a Constitutional Amendment/House Resolution 1022 to be on the November 5,
2024, ballot with an option to reduce property values. See LESS TAXES page 10
Shown left and right are F ather Jeff Jackson and
Diane Nivens, chair of the St. Margaret’s Pumpkin Fest
St. Margaret’s annual
pumpkin patch celebrates
its twentieth year with
a first “Pumpkin Fest”
by Wayne J. Reynolds
St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church has hosted a fall
pumpkin patch with a vast array of pumpkins all around
the church on Newnan Street, Carrollton, catching the
eye of any passerby for the past twenty years.
“In fact, we have become known as the ‘pumpkin
church’,” said Diane Nivens, church member and chair
of the pumpkin festival committee. “With it being our
twentieth anniversary, we decided to expand the idea
into a pumpkin festival which we are calling ‘Pumpkin
Fest’. It will be held Saturday, October 12 from 10
a.m. to 6 p.m. And, yes, you can still buy pumpkins
throughout the month of October. Our Laura Lenaeus,
See ST. MARGARET’S PUMPKIN FEST page 8
Carrollton keeps millage rate;
property taxes to increase
No one from the public attends any of the three public
hearings required before a tax increase goes into effect
by Janice Daniel
City of Carrollton held their monthly work session
Thursday, August 22, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. with all council
members present. City Manager David Brooks announced
that city staff recommendation was to keep the 2024 millage
rate at the current rate of4.082 mills. He said that three public
meetings were held with no one from the public in attendance.
See CARROLLTON page 10
Villa Rica votes unanimously
for full rollback of millage rate
Citizens speak up at public hearings; council votes
unanimously to not increase property taxes
by Janice Daniel
During a Special Called Meeting of August 27, 2024, Vil
la Rica City Council held the third and final public hearing
See VILLA RICA FULL ROLLBACK page 30
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