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4A I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I dawsonnews.com
Wednesday, June 7,2023
Dawson seniors may qualify for tax exemptions
By Julia Hansen
jhansen@dawsonnews.com
Since estimated property tax
assessments were mailed to
Dawson County landowners in
May, relief for seniors has been
top of mind for locals.
Concerns have centered
around how an increase in taxes
would hurt seniors, particularly
those of them living on fixed
incomes.
DCN previously published a
guide on local property taxes,
assessed property values and
the tax appeals process.
Exemptions
The deadline for filing
exemptions is April 1 of each
year, including those for
seniors. Exemption applications
must be done in person, the
county’s tax assessor’s web
page stated.
Forms for the current year
must be submitted before April
1 of the year the application is
being sought, the tax assessor’s
web page added.
Neighboring Forsyth and
Hall counties each provide their
own options for total school tax
exemptions to qualifying
seniors.
There is not a school tax-spe
cific exemption for Dawson
County seniors, but people may
be eligible for other exemp
tions.
Information on exemptions
for seniors beginning at age 62
is available on the county’s
website, in the tax assessor’s
and tax commissioner’s offices
and on the back of the tax bills
mailed out each year, Chief
Appraiser Elaine Garrett said in
a May 31 email.
Seniors 62 or older can claim
an exemption if their household
income does not exceed
$25,000 for the prior year,
according to the Dawson
County Tax Assessor’s exemp
tions webpage.
Factors from certain retire
ment sources, pensions and dis
ability income are excluded “up
to the maximum amount
allowed to be paid to an indi
vidual and his spouse under the
federal Social Security Act.”
Specific eligible exemptions
can also vary depending on the
exact age over 62 of the person
or people applying. Other
homestead exemptions also
exist for disabled residents and
veterans.
For more information, you
can visit the tax assessor’s
office in person to ask ques
tions and pick up exemption
details. You can also contact the
assessor’s office at 706-344-
3590.
More details
These notices represent the
expected property tax bill. Just
over 60% of a landowner’s
annual tax bill will consist of
taxes due to the school system,
with the remaining third of
annual taxes due to the county
government.
As in previous years, an
increase in assessed residential
property values despite millage
rate rollbacks would contribute
to the expected increase in taxes.
The average increase in
Dawson County residential
property values was about 37%,
while the standard increase for
individual homes or residential
improvement values was just
shy of 42%, according to 2023
figures from the tax assessor’s
office.
Multiple local residents have
reached out to DCN about their
assessed values going up by at
least 50%, if not more.
Fandowners will have a more
exact idea of property taxes
owed after Dawson County’s
Board of Commissioners and
Board of Education each set
their millage rates for the year
around August.
DCN will continue to follow
this topic.
GO Roofing aims to offer customer-centered services
Erica Jones Dawson County News
Dawson County Chamber of Commerce and GO Roofing Atlanta representatives officially cut the rib
bon for the roofing company on May 31.
By Erica Jones
ejones@dawsonnews.com
On Wednesday May 31,
the Dawson County
Chamber of Commerce
held a ribbon cutting cer
emony for GO Roofing
Atlanta, a local roofing
company aimed at bring
ing the highest quality
service possible to its cli
ents.
GO Roofing Atlanta is
a company that serves the
North Georgia area and
provides residential roof
ing, apartment and condo
roofing, insurance claims
and gutter services.
According to Sales
Associate Zach Floyd, the
goal of the company is to
make its customers feel
like family.
“If somebody would
have told me a year ago
where I’d be today I
probably would have told
them they were partially
insane, mostly because I
got out of the active duty
army and before that I
was very dedicated to the
army,” Floyd said, “and
one thing that kind of
drove me to GO Roofing
Atlanta is that they have
really strong core values
and one of their core val
ues is integrity, and in the
army we have that value
as well, integrity.”
The company’s slogan
is “you have a friend in
the roofing business”,
Floyd said, and they
strive to uphold that goal
in each of their interac
tions with their clients.
“We strive to create a
positive environment for
customers and build a
long, lasting relationship
with our customers,”
Floyd said. “We tend to
keep in touch with all of
our past clients and treat
them as if they’re family
themselves.”
And many of these val
ues the company upholds,
Dawson County Chamber
of Commerce President
and CEO Mandy Power
said, are similar to the
values that so many other
small businesses in the
Dawson County area
pride themselves on.
“You get a lot of those
keywords that we really
pride ourselves on in
Dawson County — that’s
family, relationships,
doing business with other
members and things of
that nature — so you fit
right in here with us,”
Power said.
“I really like it up here
and I look forward to
working with the resi
dents of Dawson County,”
Floyd said.
For more information
about GO Roofing
Atlanta, go to https://
www.goroofingatl.com/.
DCSO examines reported gunshots at Devil's Elbow
By Julia Hansen
jhansen@dawsonnews.com
Authorities are investigating a report of
gunshots Tuesday, May 30, near the Devil’s
Elbow site in Dawson County, according to
DCSO Sgt. Matthew Blackstock.
The agency is aware of a report regarding
gunshots the evening of May 30 “in the area
of Devil’s Elbow, which nearly struck a
group of teens,” Blackstock said.
An investigation into the situation is
ongoing. Anyone with information about
the incident is encouraged to contact the
Dawson County Sheriff’s Office at 706-
344-3636.
Devil’s Elbow is a popular local swim
ming site through which Amicalola Creek
passes in western Dawson County.
The landmark is located within the larger
Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area,
which spans from the northwestern to the
southern comers of the county.
This story will be updated.
FROM 1A
Hit-and-Run
“The witness advised
that he observed a white
sedan traveling westbound
on Dawson Forest Road
toward the pedestrians and
heard a collision. Both the
vehicle and pedestrian
then left the scene of the
collision.”
The pedestrian was a
Hispanic male and was
taken to Forsyth County’s
Northside Hospital Sunday
morning. He was later
taken to Northside
Gwinnett with non-life-
threatening injuries.
The Dawson County
Sheriff’s Office posted on
social media Sunday ask
ing for the public’s help in
finding the sedan and its
driver.
Only a few hours after
the initial post, DCSO
shared an update that the
driver had been located.
“We appreciate the hard
work of our deputies, GSP,
Dawson County Fire and
EMS and all the tips from
the community,” stated the
updated DCSO post.
GSP officials are con
tinuing their investigation
into the crash. Due to the
ongoing investigation, the
pedestrian and driver’s
names will be given out at
a later date, the GSP narra
tive stated.
This story will be updat
ed online at dawsonnews.
com.
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SPONSORSHIP AND BOOTH SPACE AVAILABLE
DAWSON COUNTY SCHOOLS
FY24 Tentative Budgets
DEBT
CAPITAL
SPECIAL
GENERAL
SERVICE
PROJECTS
REVENUE
FUND
FUND
FUND
FUND
ESTIMATED REVENUES:
LOCAL TAXES
$
29,912,368
$
■
$
■
$
-
OTHER LOCAL SOURCES
$
276,713
$
■
$
■
$
1,245,102
SPECIAL LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX
$
■
$
■
$
9,738,325
$
-
STATE SOURCES
$
21,385,654
$
■
$
■
$
146,314
FEDERAL SOURCES
$
289,901
$
■
$
■
$
3,739,005
TRANSFER FROM OTHER FUNDS
$
-
$
2,495,163
$
-
$
72,000
TOTAL ESTIMATED REVENUES
$
51,864,636
$
2,495,163
$
9,738,325
$
5,202,42l|
ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES:
INSTRUCTION
$
34,017,148
$
■
$
3,340,000
$
649,236
PUPIL SERVICES
$
2,083,511
$
■
$
85,000
$
206,790
IMPROVEMENT OF INSTRUCTION
$
3,453,309
$
■
$
285,000
$
76,216
INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF DEVELOP.
$
5U747
$
■
$
-
$
598,083
EDUCATIONAL MEDIA
$
860,247
$
■
$
30,000
$
-
FEDERAL GRANT ADMINISTRATION $
-
$
-
$
-
$
87,712
GENERAL ADMINISTRATION
$
552,526
$
■
$
■
$
20,578
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION
$
3,288,802
$
■
$
■
$
-
BUSINESS SERVICES
$
630,877
$
2,000
$
38,000
$
-
MAINTENANCE & OPERATIONS
$
4,975,984
$
-
$
6,018,212
$
-
STUDENT TRANSPORTATION
$
3,739,094
$
■
$
-
$
56,390
CENTRAL SUPPORT SERVICES
$
513,465
$
■
$
■
$
-
SCHOOL NUTRITION
$
36,000
$
■
$
1,500,000
$
3,760,240
COMMUNITY SERVICES
$
60,000
$
■
$
-
$
-
FACILITIES ACQU. AND CONST.
$
-
$
■
$
1,800,000
$
-
OTHER USUES (TRANSFERS)
$
288,759
$
■
$
2,495,163
$
72,000
DEBT SERVICE
$
-
$
2493,163
$
-
$
-
TOTAL ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES $
54,551,470
$
2495,163
$
15,591,375
$
5,527,245
EXCESS REVENUE OVER
$
(2,686,834) $
.
$
(5,853,050) $
(324,824)
(UNDER) EXPENDITURES
EST. FUND BALANCE JULY 1,2023
$
17,112,417
$
■
$
9,182,246
$
1,224,792
EST FUND BALANCE JUNE 30,2024
$
14,425,583
$
$
3,329,196 $
899,968
FY24 Budget Hearings will be held on May 9th and June 13th at 5:00pm in the Board Room.
This budget will be considered for final adoption by the board
at 5:30pm on Tuesday, June 13th, at the board office on 28 Main Street.
CONTACT YOUR LOCAL SALES REP OR MARKETING@DAWSONNEWS.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION.