About Fayette County news. (Fayetteville, GA) 2009-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 16, 2023)
| 3rd Annual Fire Truck Pull Set Sept. 16, A3 Braelinn Stars Give Back with Kipper, A7 Going Out on Top: Garvin Retires a Champion, A6 THE TRUTH SINCE 1886 FAYETTE COUNTY (1) NEWS f ay ett e-news, net Vol. 151, No. 33 Wednesday, August 16, 2023 $1. Michael Clifton/kombatkamera.com Baseball is a World Sport Tyrone Team Hosts Belgium’s Brasschaat Braves Mike Clifton Contributor kombatkamera.com The Fayette County Baseball Association, in conjunction with the MAVZ Georgia baseball team out of the Baseball Lab in Tyrone, hosted the Brasschaat Braves on Tuesday, Aug. 8. Brasschaat is a town in the northern, Dutch-speaking part (Flanders) of Belgium. Group coordinator and assistant coach Chris Schoonheydt, when asked about why they came to the United States, said, "...it is an awesome opportunity to play against local teams in the same age category, in the biggest country of base ball, learn and practice from See Baseball, A6 Michael Clifton/kombatkamera.com PTC, Tyrone Officials Advise Public: Refrain from Using Lake Peachtree, Shamrock Pond Leah Banks Investigative Reporter leah@fayette-news.net As summer comes to a close, officials of Peachtree City and the Town of Tyrone have both issued warnings related to use of public bodies of water in respective areas. In Peachtree City, the city issued a warning con cerning potentially harmful algae that was discovered in Lake Peachtree. In the same week, the town of Tyrone is sued a similar warning for Shamrock Park Pond. According to a Tyrone press release, there is ev idence indicating that blue- green algae may be present in pond water. According to PTC Mayor Kim Learnard, one of the code enforcement officials noticed what they initially thought was a paint spill on the east side of Lake Peach tree. “They called the fire de partment right away, who came out for containment purposes of what we thought was a spill. But we also called the Fayette County Water Department to come out and do testing,” Learnard said, “and that’s how we learned that what we actually have is an algae bloom in the lagoon on the east side of Lake Peachtree.” As of Aug. 9, both Peach tree City and Tyrone officials have prohibited swimming or engaging in any activities in both bodies of water. For Peachtree City, Lear nard said that issues with the algae blooms should re solve naturally with time. Tyrone officials are wait ing for conclusive lab results as to the type of algae that is present at certain levels that could potentially be harmful to humans and pets. Georgia Congressman Drew Ferguson, center. Courtesy of Fayette Chamber Congressman Ferguson Visits Fayette Chamber Brigitte Greer Staff Writer bgreer@fayette-news.net Fayette County Chamber of Commerce hosted its la test “Pancakes and Policy” series breakfast on Wednes day, Aug. 9, featuring Con gressman Drew Ferguson, representative of Georgia’s Third District. During his presentation, See Chamber, A2 PTC Holds First Millage Rate PH Next Public Hearings Set Aug. 17, 9 a.m. & 6:30 p.m. Leah Banks Investigative Reporter leah@fayette-news.net On Thursday, Aug. to, the City Council of Peach tree City held a special called meeting on the pro posed millage rate for Fiscal Year 2024. PTC Financial Services Director Paul Salvatore opened by explaining that the millage rate is broken into two sub-categories: the maintenance and opera tions millage rate and the bond millage rate. These two sub-categories combine for the total millage rate. According to Salvatore, staff recommends that the total milage rate remain at 6.043 mills, keeping the M&O rate at 6.043 mills and the bond rate at o mills. “We’ve paid off all our geo bond debt and there are no referendums coming up in the near future in that re gard,” Salvatore said. “So that could remain zero in definitely.” According to the 11-year millage rate history that Sal vatore presented, the city has decreased the millage rate since 2012 by 1.135 mills. The millage rate has been stagnant at 6.043 mills See PTC Millage, A2 Public Hearing Held for Tyrone Millage Next Public Hearing Scheduled Thursday, Aug. 17, 7 p.m. Leah Banks Investigative Reporter leah@fayette-news.net On Thursday, Aug. 10, Tyrone Town Council held the first of three public hearings for the proposed Fiscal Year 2024 millage rate. The meeting began at 9 a.m. to discuss the 2.889 proposed millage rate, which is projected to pro vide revenue for approx imately 11 percent of the budgeted general fund ex penses for FY24, according to officials. Staff recommended that the town maintain the 2.889 millage rate for the 16th consecutive year. Following initial expla nations by staff, Tyrone Mayor Eric Dial outlined the purpose and method for holding the public hearing, after which no public com ment was made in support or opposition of the millage rate. See Tyrone Millage, A2 City of Fayetteville Announces Proposed Property Tax Increase Next Public Hearings Scheduled Thursday, Aug. 17, 9 a.m. & 6 p.m. The Fayetteville City Council announced this week its intention to increase the 2023 property taxes it will levy by 10.34 percent over the rollback millage rate. Each year, the board of assessors is required to re view the assessed value for property tax purposes of tax able property in the county. When the trend of prices on properties that have recently sold in the county indicate there has been an increase in the fair market value of any specific property, the board of tax assessors is required by law to re-determine the value of such property and adjust the assessment. This is called a reassessment. When the total digest of taxable property is prepared, Georgia law requires that a rollback millage rate must be computed that will produce the same total revenue on the current year’s digest that last year’s millage rate would have produced had no reassess ments occurred. The budget tentatively adopted by the Fayetteville City Council requires that a millage rate higher than the rollback millage rate, there fore, before the Fayetteville City Council may finalize the tentative budget and set a final millage rate, Georgia law requires three public hearings to be held to allow the public an opportunity to express their opinions on the increase. All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearings on this tax increase to be held at Fayetteville City Hall, 210 Stonewall Avenue East in Fay etteville on Thursday, Aug. 17, at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., and on August 24, at 9 a.m. INSIDE: FAYETTE VIEWS SPORTS A4 LEGALS A6 SCHOOL A8 CLASSIFIEDS A7 A12 CONTACT US: support@fayette-news.net - (770) 461-6317 - fayette-news.net We Look Forward To Seeing You Soon! Open for Lunch and Dinner • Seven Days A Week 180 Hwy 314, Fayette, GA • 770.703.7514 • fridasbarandgrill.com f * M
