Newspaper Page Text
8A I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I dawsonnews.com
Wednesday, August 15,2018
Scott recognized by Secretary of Defense office
By Jessica Brown
jbrown@dawsonnews.com
Local State Farm agent Ryan
Scott was recognized Aug. 3 by the
Office of the Secretary of Defense
and the Employer Support of the
Guard and Reserve for being a
Patriotic Employer.
Scott was nominated by his
employee, Matthew Pawlik, who
serves in the Georgia Army
National Guard. Pawlik said he
saw the award as a chance to rec
ognize his boss who has gone
“above and beyond to help support,
mentor and just be there for people
that are in the military.” He said
Scott has been supportive, compas
sionate and understanding to
Pawlik and his military career.
“Eve never had a boss that actu
ally cared this much about me
being in the military or me as a
person so it’s the least I could do
nominating him for this,” Pawlik
said.
Scott said he doesn’t feel like he
has done anything exceptional, that
he has only done anything he can
to support his team members.
“They’re all excellent people
and care about their families so I
just try to do the same and do any
thing I can to try to help them with
whatever they need however I can
help them succeed,” Scott said. “I
have the absolute utmost respect
for the military and what they do.”
FROM 1A
Budget
Perhaps as a result,
Johnson often stated during
his presentation that he
would be comfortable
working within the recom
mended numbers provided
by the finance department,
which are based on historic
trends in spending in each
department.
The sheriff manages
seven budgets with the
addition of “traffic manage
ment,” which the board of
commissioners added in
April of this year. The
board allocated funds for
off-duty officers to control
traffic outside of the coun
ty’s public schools during
drop off and pick up, which
will enable school resource
officers to be inside the
schools at those times.
The Dawson County
Board of Education has
agreed to reimburse 50 per
cent of the total cost.
Also a large increase this
year is in the school
resource officers budget,
due to the board approving
two new officers in April.
Each public school now
has a resource officer and
salaries for the officers are
also reimbursed 50 percent
by the board of education.
“I appreciate the two
positions,” Johnson said. “I
think it was a long time
need to help secure our
schools.”
The sheriff also asked for
an increase in his other
budgets, which include K9,
E-911, detention, sheriff’s
services (the courthouse)
and his administrative bud
get, which includes crimi
nal investigations, patrol
and administration.
The main increases come
from personnel requests.
Johnson requested 10 new
positions total, spread
throughout the depart
ments: one in E-911, four
in detention, one in investi
gations, two in patrol, one
in sheriff’s services and one
new position for IT. Several
of the positions are current
ly “frozen,” meaning that at
one time they may have
had someone in that role
but after that person left the
position was not advertised
or filled again.
Some of his biggest
issues are focused on the
emergency 911 depart
ment, where an aging com
puter system and staff
retention is causing major
concern.
“I think we’re just not
very competitive right now
with our pay and benefits,”
Johnson said. “911 is a dif
ferent beast, I’ll give it that.
I don’t think that I could
handle it. It takes a special
multitasking person to be
able to do it.”
The E-911 department
has also been struggling
with an outdated Computer
Aided Dispatch system,
which needs to be replaced,
and has had consistent IT
issues with various sys
tems. Johnson has asked
for $100,000 in property
repair and maintenance
costs for 2019, which is
over twice the amount that
was budgeted in 2016.
“Right now we’re gam
bling a lot,” Johnson said.
“We were behind and we
have been for several years
on some maintenance con
tracts and different things
like that. We do anticipate
and are working on a new
CAD system that should
alleviate a lot of these
maintenance costs.”
Johnson asked for an IT
position to help with the
maintenance and updating
of the computer systems in
dispatch and around the
detention center. He said it
was his hope that that per
son would specialize in the
sheriff’s technology and
systems and free up the
county’s IT personnel to
other tasks.
The sheriff also asked for
several capital improve
ments, which are separate
from the other budget
requests, including activat
ing emergency buttons on
deputy radios and replacing
the roof on the detention
center.
Also presenting on
Wednesday were the mag
istrate court, Dawson
County Family Connection
and the Good Shepherd
Clinic.
Presenting Aug. 9 were
the coroner, facilities and
IT, clerk of courts and the
board of equalization, the
county manager and the
contingency fond.
Ted Bearden, county cor
oner, asked for an increase
of a little over $20,000,
most of which is the cost of
an additional deputy coro
ner. Bearden said the call
volume at the end of July
was already up 30 percent
over last year, and while the
county has not had to call
other counties for help on
cases, it can be hard to
make sure the county is
covered while Bearden and
the two deputy coroners
also work other jobs.
Earlier this year Bearden
hired someone to work at
his funeral home as well as
to work as an additional
deputy coroner, and
Bearden said he has been
paying the new deputy cor
oner out of his own pocket
because there was no room
in the budget.
Facilities and IT Director
James Tolbert presented a
$30,390 increase for facili
ties and a $46,138 increase
for IT in 2019. Increases in
the facilities budget include
the property repair and
maintenance line item,
which Tolbert said was a
result of the buildings get
ting older.
A personnel request for a
new IT employee as well as
security upgrades as a
result of the county com
puter system being hacked
earlier in the year make up
the bulk of the increases in
the IT budget. Capital
improvements include
$145,000 for phase two of
the county-wide computer
replacement project as well
as audio/visual replace
ments in courtrooms A, B,
C and D as well as the
commissioners assembly
room.
Clerk of Court Justin
Power had the largest
request for a decrease in his
budget, coming in at
$23,988 less than what he
was allocated last year.
“We’re trying to be as
efficient as possible with
what we’ve got,” Power
told the commission. “I’ve
cut operating expenses out-
side of salary about
NOT EVERYONE IN
HEALTHCARE WEARS SCRUBS
2018 REGIONAL EDUCATION AND
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT
Join us for a special one-day event focused on the future
of healthcare, career opportunities and educational
pathways. This program is for students, education
and community leaders,and industry professionals.
Keynote presenter: Frank Berry, Commissioner
of the Georgia Department of Community Health.
September 6,2018
8:00 a.m.-3:45 p.m.
UNG CONVOCATION CENTER, DAHLONEGA CAMPUS
aiiuicyisuaiiuii IMJIUKTUbl UCUlgUl y '
go.ung.edu/reed-summit Health System NORTII GEORGIA”
$40,000 in the past seven
years.”
Power also presented the
budget for the board of
equalization, requesting a
$5,533 increase due to the
large number of property
assessment appeals coming
in this year. Power said that
the county had 290 appeals
last year, but has seen 901
so far this year.
Wrapping up presenta
tions was County Manager
David Headley with a
request for a new PR spe
cialist to help communicate
with media and organize
special events.
Taking the floor Monday,
Aug. 13 were the tax asses
sor’s office, parks and rec
reation, the county attorney
and the board of commis
sioners themselves.
Chief Tax Appraiser
Elaine Garrett presented a
request for $13,063 more
than what the office was
given in 2018, and also
asked for iPads and soft
ware as well as an addition
al vehicle for the field
appraisers in her office.
New Parks and
Recreation Director Matt
Payne had his first presen
tation before the board on
Monday as well, asking for
an increase of over $70,000
between the three budgets
he manages.
He asked for an increase
in property repair and
maintenance for the pool at
Veterans Memorial Park to
allow the department to
contract with one company
for all pool services as well
as an increase for repair
and maintenance at War
Hill Park.
The rest of the increase
he asked for is in his budget
that covers Veterans
Memorial and Rock Creek
Park include $10,000 for
site improvements, includ
ing fencing and concrete
pads under the batting
cages, and $10,000 for a
lawn mower.
The county attorney
asked for a $31,385
increase for a legal assis
tant, and the board of com
missioners anticipate a
$6,975 increase in their
budget for salary increases
due commissioners com
pleting certification cours
es.
On Tuesday, Aug. 14,
representatives from the
Juvenile Court, Dawson
County Chamber of
Commerce, Keep Dawson
County Beautiful, the arts
council, the library and the
health department made
their requests.
Chief Judge Lindsay
Burton asked for an
increase of $76,555 over
this year’s budget for an
associate juvenile judge to
help with the newly instat
ed Family Treatment Court
as well as additional funds
for child and parent indi
gent defense.
The Dawson County
Chamber of Commerce
asked, as they do each year,
for the whole eight percent
of the county’s local reve
nue from the hotel/motel
tax. The chamber currently
receives six percent of the
revenue, which is in turn
used on advertising to drive
tourism in the county.
The extra two percent in
2017 would have created
$79,000 additional for the
chamber. Chamber
President Christie Moore
said that for every dollar
the chamber spends on
tourism, $4.48 is generated
in local taxes.
Representatives from the
Dawson County Library
requested a $52,000
increase over last year’s
budget to expand programs
and events, staff the library
annex, purchase materials
and give employees a three
percent cost of living
increase.
Hearings will continue
today with the senior cen
ter, transit, planning, the
marshal’s office and emer
gency services. Hearings
will wrap up Thursday with
fleet, No One Alone,
DFACS, the humane soci
ety, CASA and the District
Attorney.
All hearings are held
beginning at 9 a.m. in the
second floor assembly
room at the Dawson
County Government
Center. The public is invit
ed and encouraged to
attend.
For more in-depth cover
age of the budget hearings
process, visit www.daw-
sonnews.com.
r CALL NOW & SAVE UP TO 84% 1
. ON YOUR NEXT PRESCRIPTION A
Drug Name Qty (pills)
Price*
Drug Name
Qty (pills)
Price*
Viagra 100mg
16
$119.99
Retin-A Cream 0.05%
40 g
$79.99
Viagra 50mg
16
$99.99
Vivel le-Dot 50mcg
24 patches $124.99
Cialis 5mg
90
$149.99
Voltaren Gel 1%
300 g
$84.99
Cialis 20mg
16
$119.99
ArmourThyroid 60 mg
100
$69.99
Levitra 20mg
30
$129.99
Dexilant 60 mg
90
$339.99
Stendra 200mg
16
$259.99
Onglyza 5mg
84
$309.99
Spiriva 18mcg
90
$189.99
EffexorXR 150 mg
84
$39.99
Advair250mcg/50mcg
180 ds
$204.99
Boniva 150 mg
3
$64.99
Vagifem 10mcg
24
$114.99
Tricor 145mg
90
$139.99
Premarin 0.625mg
84
$94.99
Pradaxa 150mg
180
$474.99
Combivent18mcg/103mcg 600 ds
$139.99
Synthroid 100mcg
90
$59.99
Symbicort 160mcg/4.5mcg 360 ds
$214.99
QVAR 80mcg
400 ds
$134.99
Entocort3mg
100
$129.99
Finacea Gel 15%
90
$134.99
Januvia 100mg
84
$259.99
U loric 40mg
90
$174.99
Aggrenox 200mg/25mg
200
$139.99
Breo Ellipta 100mcg/25mcg 90 ds
$399.99
Abilify 5mg
84
$139.99
Jublia 10%
24 ml
$489.99
Colcrys0.6mg
100
$109.99
Tradjenta 5mg
90
$349.99
Vytorin 10mg/40mg
90
$154.99
Xifaxan 550mg
100
$169.99
Asacol 800mg
300
$249.99
Vesicare 10mg
100
$164.99
Ranexa ER 500mg
200
$189.99
Myrbetriq 50mg
90
$364.99
Actigall 300mg
300
$224.99
Bystolic 5mg
84
$114.99
Eliquis 5mg
168
$604.99
Spiriva Respimat2.5mcg
180 ds
$234.99
Namenda 10 mg
84
$27.99
Premique 0.3mg/1.5mg
84
$104.99
Estring 7.5mcg/24hr
1
$119.99
Restasis 0.05 %
90 ds
$224.99
Combigan 0.2%/0.5%
15 ml
$139.99
Azilect 1 mg
100
$324.99
Janumet 50mg/1 OOOmg
180
$349.99
Lumigan 0.01%
9 ml
$79.99
Flovent HFA 110mcg
360 ds
$159.99
Jardiance 25 mg
84
$389.99
Over 1500 Medications available
Price Match Guarantee
Call for Free Price Quote
V' Prescriptions Required
CIPA Certified
Toll Free Phone
1-800-267-2688
Toll Free Fax
1-800-563-3822
All pricing in U.S dollars and subject to change without notice. "We accept
Amex, Electronic Checking, Personal Check or International Money Order."
*Prices shown are for the eguivalent generic drug if available*
TotalCareMart.com
Savings made easy
1-800-267-2688
www.TotalCareMart.com
Mailing Address: ORDER PROCESSING CENTER, PO BOX 121 STN L,
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, R3H 0Z4, CANADA
CODE AN57