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10A I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I dawsonnews.com
Wednesday, August 8,2018
To change world,
we start at home
I overheard someone say
recently that Millennials
are to blame for all of the
societal problems we are
experiencing.
I am not so sure about
that - I don’t know what a
Millennial is exactly and
I’m usually cautious about
casting a wide net of blame
when I am not certain what
I will catch.
I also tend to think this
whole “It’s the Millennials’
fault” is an easy way for
some to avoid taking their
own responsibility as well.
Sure, every generation
has had its issues and prob
lems, including my own,
but I shoulder the blame
for my ozone-depleting use
of Freeze it!, the horrible
shoulder pads that never
did make my waist look
smaller and my misguided
use of blue eyeshadow.
I am sure my sassy
mouth and attitude had
more to do with the fact I
was lightheaded from the
aforementioned overuse of
the liquid hair glue than it
did with being a Gen-Xer.
Yes, my generation had
its flaws and faults.
We grew up in a deca
dent decade, where every
thing was bright, loud, and
just best described as
excessive.
But we were good kids.
And we took responsibility
for what we did.
If we didn’t and got
caught, we knew there was
something worse than
some of the punishments
that were doled out back
then; we usually had to
face our mamas.
The few times I did
something stupid - which
truthfully, was rare -1 usu
ally got caught.
And somehow lived to
tell about it.
Mama’s wrath could be
scarier than anything legal
ly imposed.
Nowadays, when people
do something stupid, they
blame someone else or
richly tell you it was your
fault.
“I didn’t know I was
supposed to do that,”
someone whined recently.
“So how can it be my fault
if I didn’t know about it?”
Ignorance only gets you
so far.
Some folks seem to
think that everything is
supposed to be hand-deliv
ered as an app on the latest
iPhone and spoon fed to
them in bite sized gluten-
free, non-GMO, organic
nibbles.
When I was younger and
didn’t know what I was
supposed to do, Mama of
course imparted her wis
dom.
“Are your legs broken?”
she would ask. “How about
your finger? Can it dial a
phone? Can you still
speak? Good, go call
someone and find out what
you need to do. When you
get to the point you need
me, let me know but you
need to learn how to take
care of some of this stuff
on your own.”
Guess what? I did what
she said.
I was only 6, but I did it.
Maybe not that young,
but you get the drift. Mama
was overprotective and
prone to hyper-vigilance in
a lot of areas of my life,
but she made me learn to
deal with the consequences
of my actions or lack there
of.
If I knew what I was
supposed to do and didn’t
do it, well, that was on me.
I tried saying one of my
mistakes was someone
else’s fault and she nipped
that junk in the bud fast
and furiously.
“Did they hold a gun to
your head?” she wanted to
know.
I told her they had not.
“Then you were not
forced to do it and yet you
did. You only have yourself
to blame.”
Mama didn’t have to
threaten bodily harm
SUDIE CROUCH
Columnist
either; she would either
give me her deafening
silent treatment or take
away whatever privileges I
had at the time.
See, my generation was
one that believed in restric
tions and being grounded.
Losing the keys to the fam
ily Oldsmobile, having
your phone unplugged
from your room, and not
being able to go to the
football game on Friday
with your friends were
common sentences. After
you endured those punish
ments for a few weeks, you
made sure you didn’t suffer
the same mistakes again.
It was a generation
where the parents were
loving but firm.
They weren’t our
friends; they were our par
ents.
I know that is a tough
role to fill most of the time.
We want our kids to love
us, to want to be around us,
to not hate us.
But truthfully, if they
don’t think we are the
unfairest of human beings
at some point in their lives,
we are not doing our job.
And maybe that is what
has happened.
Somewhere, parents quit
enforcing those rules and it
has created some situations
where people think they
are entitled to special treat
ment.
Do I want my child to
have the best of every
thing? Absolutely.
Do I want him to suc
ceed? Of course.
But I don’t want him to
become a jerk in the pro
cess.
Not too long ago, he
complained to his father I
was being unfair and mean.
Our house is less than a
thousand square feet, so I
could hear his stage whis
per clearly from my chair
in the living room.
“She’s your mother,” my
husband replied. “That’s
her job.”
My decision - whatever
it had been - stood.
None of this playing one
side against the other. No
special treatment.
My child eventually
came to me and said he
understood; he even apolo
gized.
It hurt me to get on to
him; it did. I love my child
and want him to be happy
about everything.
I also want him to grow
up and be a well-adjusted,
It was a genera
tion where the
parents were lov
ing but firm.
They weren't our
friends; they were
our parents.
successfully functioning
adult.
Usually, that happens in
an environment with some
rules and firm boundaries.
I think if we want to start
changing some things in
this world, we need to start
at home.
And maybe some good
old-fashioned ‘80’s style
restrictions and punish
ments of taking away cell
phones and car keys would
be a good place to start.
Sudie Crouch is an award winning humor
columnist and author of the recently
e-published novel, "The Dahlman Files: A
Tony Dahlman Paranormal Mystery."
DAWSON COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
WORK SESSION AGENDA - THURSDAY, AUGUST 9,
2018
DAWSON COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER
ASSEMBLY ROOM
4 PM
NEW BUSINESS
1. Presentation of Request to Adopt Hazard Mitigation Plan-
Emergency Services Director Danny Thompson / Katy
Westbrook, Lux Mitigation and Planning Corporation
2. Presentation of Request to Apply for Georgia Firefighter
Standards and Training Council Fireworks Tax Grant-
Emergency Services Director Danny Thompson
3. Presentation of Options for the County’s Multi-Functional
Printers- Purchasing Manager Melissa Hawk
4. Presentation of Red Rider Road Traffic Change
Request- Public Works Director David McKee
5. Presentation to Move Weekly Board of Commissioners
Meetings from Thursday to Tuesday Beginning in 2019-
Chairman Thurmond
6. County Manager Report
7. County Attorney Report
PUBLIC HEARING
1. 2018 Millage Rate and Property Tax (2nd of 3 hearings. 1st hearing
was held August 2,
2018. 3rd hearing will be held at 6 p.m. August 16, 2018.)
The Dawson County Board of
in the Commissioners Meeting
Dawsonville, Georgia during a
O.C.G.A. Section 48-5-32, the
with the history of the tax diges
CURREN'
Commissioners will
Room in the Dawso
regularly scheduled
Dawson County Bos
t and levy for the pa
‘2018 TAX [
NOTICE
ie setting the millage
n County Courthous
meeting on August
ird of Commissioner
st five (5) years, (ad
DIGEST AND
rate for 2018 for D
e/Administration Bui
16, 2018 that begins
s hereby publishes t
publish 07/25/18, Ot
5 YEAR HIS
awson County's purp
ding located at 25 J
at 6:00 p.m. and pu
he current year's tax
5/01/18 & 08/08/18)
TORY OF LE
oses during a meeti
ustice Way,
rsuant to the require
digest and levy, alo
.VY
ng
ments of
ig
INCORPORATED
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
Real & Personal
72,497,801
79,404,687
83,214,836
91,187,440
102,426,129
122,042,206
Motor Vehicles
207,450
169,780
2,938
66,180
54,600
49,200
Mobile Homes
2,410
1,340
1,340
Timber -100%
Heavy Duty Equipment
Gross Digest
72,707,661
79,575,807
83,219,114
91,253,620
102,480,729
122,091,406
Less M& 0 Exemptions
8,859,483
9,629,715
10,462,211
12,671,621
13,990,679
17,519,295
Net M & 0 Digest
63,848,178
69,946,092
72,756,903
78,581,999
88,490,050
104,572,111
State Forest Land Assistance
Grant Value
Adjusted Net M&O Digest
63,848,178
69,946,092
72,756,903
78,581,999
88,490,050
104,572,111
Gross M&O Millage
13.618
13.194
13.009
12.896
14.425
14.599
Less Rollbacks
5.480
5.056
4.871
4.758
6.287
6.461
Net M&O Millage
8.138
8.138
8.138
8.138
8.138
8.138
Net Taxes Levied
$519,596
$569,221
$592,096
$639,500
$720,132
$851,008
UNINCORPORATED
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2017
Real & Personal
1,056,707,249
1,155,744,349
1,250,703,031
1,315,990,411
1,394,032,646
1,572,997,915
Motor Vehicles
72,598,180
61,251,430
46,193,350
35,695,240
28,320,790
22,736,970
Mobile Homes
940,069
892,818
889,289
955,649
952,109
1,493,910
Timber -100%
385,486
146,332
5,272
88,593
96,561
190,449
Heavy Duty Equipment
0
0
0
0
0
Gross Digest
1,130,630,984
1,218,034,929
1,297,790,942
1,352,729,893
1,423,402,106
1,597,419,244
Less M& O Exemptions
169,116,969
176,050,212
186,124,433
193,872,574
201,405,457
222,450,006
Net M & O Digest
$961,514,015
$1,041,984,717
$1,111,666,509
$1,158,857,319
$1,221,996,649
$1,374,969,238
State Forest Land Assistance
Grant Value
1,156,348
1,262,801
1,285,254
1,302,253
1,316,604
895,860
Adjusted Net M&O Digest
962,670,363
1,043,247,518
1,112,951,763
1,160,159,572
1,223,313,253
1,375,865,098
Gross M&O Millage
13.618
13.194
13.009
12.896
14.425
14.599
Less Rollbacks
5.480
5.056
4.871
4.758
6.287
6.461
Net M&O Millage
8.138
8.138
8.138
8.138
8.138
8.138
Net Taxes Levied
$7,834,211
$8,489,948
$9,057,201
$9,441,379
$9,955,323
$11,196,790
TOTAL COUNTY
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2017
Total County Value
1,026,518,541
1,113,193,610
1,185,708,666
1,238,741,571
1,311,803,303
1,480,437,209
Total County Taxes Levied
$8,353,808
$9,059,170
$9,649,297
$10,080,879
$10,675,455
$12,047,798
Net Taxes $ Increase
-$533,372
$705,362
$590,128
$431,582
$594,576
$1,372,343
Net Taxes % Increase
-6.00%
8.44%
6.51%
4.47%
5.90%
12.86%
NOTICE
The Dawson County School Board does hereby announce that millage hearings will be held at the board office at 28 Main
St., Dawsonville, Georgia on August 7th at 4:30 pm, August 13th at 5:30 pm, and August 20th at 6:00 pm. The millage
rate will be set at a meeting to be held on August 20th at 6:00 pm and pursuant to the requirements of O.C.G.A. Section 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 levy for the past five years.
CURRENT 2018 TAX DIGEST AND 5 YEAR HISTORY OF LEVY
COUNTY SCHOOL
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
Real & Personal
1,129,195,046
1,235,141,214
1,335,404,282
1,405,703,009
1,496,458,775
1,695,040,121
Motor Vehicles
72,805,630
61,421,210
46,196,288
35,761,420
28,375,390
22,786,170
Mobile Homes
942,479
894,158
890,629
955,649
952,109
1,493,910
Timber - 100%
385,486
146,332
5,273
88,593
96,561
190,449
Heavy Duty Equipment
0
0
0
0
0
Gross Digest
1,203,328,641
1,297,602,914
1,382,496,472
1,442,508,671
1,525,882,835
1,719,510,650
Less M& O Exemptions
217,500,085
233,489,669
252,868,705
267,876,110
283,458,307
318,817,169
Net M&O Digest
985,828,556
1,064,113,245
1,129,627,767
1,174,632,561
1,242,424,528
1,400,693,481
State Forest Land Assistance
Grant Value
1,156,348
1,262,801
1,285,254
1,302,253
1,316,604
895,860
Adjusted Net M&O Digest
986,984,904
1,065,376,046
1,130,913,021
1,175,934,814
1,243,741,132
1,401,589,341
Gross M&O Millage
17.246
17.246
16.496
15.778
15.778
15.778
Net M&O Millage
17.246
17.246
16.496
15.778
15.778
15.778
Total School Taxes Levied
$17,021,542
$18,373,475
$18,655,541
$18,553,899
$19,623,748
$22,114,277
Net Taxes $ Increase
$1,351,934
$282,066
-$101,642
$1,069,848
$2,490,529
Net Taxes % Increase
7.94%
1.54%
-0.54%
5.77%
12.69%