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-FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS-SUNDAY, JANUARY 1», IW2
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down and talk about this thing,” Sex
ton said
Yet another factor will play a role in
the planning, officials said
Some of the downtown space is
leased long-term to businesses.
•There are immediate and long
term leases we have to honor,” said
Major.
The leases are up at different
times,” Commissioner Charles Welch
echoed. “Some are multi-year.”
Some of the county’s leaders say
they would like to see the look of
downtown Cumming take on a partic
ular theme.
“I guess right now it sort of has a
Williamsburg look.” Sexton said.
"Personally, I like the look of Helen
(Ga.). I’d like to see Cumming have
something that's unique to one partic
ular area”
But if major renovations are made,
it will be the property owner who have
to foot the bill, the councilman added.
‘There are no city monies other
than for streets,” Sexton explained.
However, outer appearances won’t
ELECTION
Continued from Page 1
three to one. Others in the third dis
trict would start voting in district two.
Once approved by the county’s
three Georgia State Assembly mem
bers, which include Barnett, Senator
Nathan Deal and Senator Sallie New
bill, the local legislation will seek the
U.S. Justice Department’s seal of
approval.
Barnett said he hopes to send a fi
nal reapportionment plan to the fed
eral department as soon as next week
or so.
‘The new districts must be in effect
by April or May,” he explained.
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be the only thing the city and county
will be discussing
Both sides have stated they plan to
discuss what kind of services and util
ities will be needed
“I'd like to see underground power
installed," Sexton said. “It makes ev
erything neater.”
The development of additional
parking space seems to be another
common goal.
Sexton said he’d like to see a new
parking area formed “right off the
bat” to service the merchants around
the courthouse square.
According to Major, his wish might
eventually be granted.
"We’d like to build a parking deck
on the half-square,” Major said.
However, the county administrator
said the parking plans would not be
developed until “several years down
the road.”
From the looks of things, it seems
that downtown Cumming’s develop
ment will be taken one step at a time.
“I’d like a plan and time table of
how we’re going to use (the space),”
Welch said. “I’d like to get a land plan
ner and an architect to look at the
space needed then have them work
with us and figure out what the best
utilization is.”
Sexton said several years ago be
tween 5.000 and 6,000 dollars was
spent when representatives from the
Georgia Mountain Regional Develop
ment Center and the University of
Georgia collaborated on a possible
new look for Cumming
“I believe the plans were at one
time turned over to the Chamber of
Commerce,” the councilmen said.
“We need those.”
As Cumming gets a new face, city
and county officials have said they
would like to work side by side to
paint it on.
“We’re both after the same goal,”
Sexton said.
your paper.On Wednesday you
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Our office hours are Monday
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to sp.m.The phone number is
387-3126 or 523-7303
DIST.S Continued from Page 1
I think it is time now to begin the heal
ing process.”
Madonna Parrish is a 22 year resi
dent of the county. She is a licensed
insurance agent but now runs a local
water system for a living She has ex
perience in county government in the
probate and magistrate court and ran
elections in the county for some years.
Her major concerns and goals for
the county are to see increased effi
ciency in government and especially
in the management process. “I would
like to have more input from employ
ees on suggestions,” she said.
Another of Parrish’s concerns is to
make sure most of the county’s busi
ness is conducted in regularly sched
uled meetings so the public can be
there.
Concerning solid waste situation:
"The sooner we begin recycling the
sooner we will reduce the amount of
solid waste and provide some offset
ting income,” she said.
Concerning the sewer situation: “If
the growth rate continues as it has we
will have to have sewer to protect
ground water and health. I know it is
time to plan for it”
Concerning city-county relations:
“We’re all serving the same citizens
and our relations are so tied because
of the water situation I think we
should work toward a harmonious
situation.”
‘The job of a county official is to do
the best job for the citizens while do
ing the least harm to those who dis
agree,” she said.
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Continued from Page 1
ity to work on behalf of the county that
the mayor of a city does,” Hillgartner
said. “Without that kind of authority
to negotiate with state legislators and
other counties we do not have the
kind of voice we need to move forward
with sewer, highways and that sort of
thing”
“There has got to be a person in
charge enough to go down to the Capi
tol to lobby for a water withdrawal, a
sewer discharge, additional state
funding,” he said.
In fact Hillgartner went as far as to
suggest the county incorporate as a
city.
“With county authority so ill-de
fined it is hard to have a voice in state
and federal government,” he said.
Hillgartner is transferring this
week with his employer, Tyson Foods,
to a new position in Waldron, Ark.
Dwight Taylor is an eight-year resi
dent of Forsyth County and is co-own
er of the Taylor and Turner insurance
companies in Cumming and in
Roswell.
He is a deacon, teacher, and pre
school board member at the First
Christian Church.
He believes controlled quality
growth can make Forsyth County a
model county of the 21st century.
“I believe in order to attract people
and businesses to Forsyth County we
must plan for our future. We must em
phasize our youth through our Parks
and Recreation Depts., control the
crime that comes with growth by sup
porting Sheriff Walraven and we must
realize that the excellent fire depart
ment this county enjoys is a major as
set and deserves our support”
Concerning solid waste situation:
“Garbage does not have to be a dirty
word. Garbage can be a profit making
asset and we can no longer avoid the
problem but we must develop a short
term and long term program so that it
is a positive service.”
Concerning the sewer situation: “It
is inevitable.”
Taylor said he believed sewage
must be addressed with a long term
plan because eventually stagnation of
that issue could cause growth to come
to a halt
Concerning city-county relations:
“The City of Cumming and Forsyth
County MUST have a partnership re
lationship working to achieve com
mon goals that benefit everyone. Re
member, we are all Forsyth
Countians, yet whenever someone
asks where you are from you tell them
Cumming, even when you live in the
county.”
Allen Tuggle is a 23 year resident
of Forsyth County. He is a war veteran
and the assistant Sunday School su
perintendent at Sharon Baptist
Church.
“Barry wanted to keep a safe and
clean environment in Forsyth County
and I pledge to do that and keep a safe
place for our children,” said Tuggle.
“I will fight for a drug-free county.”
Concerning solid waste situation:
Tuggle would push for a comprehen
sive recycling program.
Concerning the sewer situation: He
is in favor of pursuing a sewer system
for the county.
Concerning city-county relations: “I
will do my best to work with the city
and county on every problem and to
work things out without too much
trouble.”
SR 1 discontinued from Page 1
month in special use 1 percent tax
The bill is supported by school
boards and PTAs but is opposed by
the Association of County Commis
sioners and the Georgia Municipal
Associations as well as the more rural
counties, said Barnett
The Forsyth County Board of Edu
cation took an official stance in favor
of the resolution on Thursday.
Many in the Ways and Means Com
mittee voted to pass it to the floor so
they could vote against it, he said.
“It has got an even chance,” said
Barnett However, he noted that con
stitutional amendments do require a
two-thirds vote from the house.
The bill passed handily in the Sen
ate last year and waited until this ses
sion for action by the House.
“I would love to see them find some
other source of revenue to run the
schools with,” said Forsyth County
Commission Chairman Michael
Bennett
However, allowing the schools to
use the special local sales tax only
takes the pressure off the state to pro
vide for education as it should and
puts yet another burden on the local
taxpayers, he added.
The ensuing battle for tax money
could cause problems between the
school board and governing authori
ties as well as putting residents in a
hard spot when they are forced to
choose between better roads and ex-
OTEcontinued from Page 1
ence election more up in the air than
ever. Tentative dates for the vote were
March 3 and 10.
If the elections could be held to
gether it would save the county money
and increase the voter participation
on both races, said Stancil.
He said he hoped to have a defini
tive date for the voters by Jan. 28.
With both votes likely to take place
in March one thing is sure - the time
to register to vote is running out
In a regular election voters have un
til 30 days before the date of the elec
tion to register to vote. In a special
called election, voters can register
five days after the “call” goes out The
call is the date the official notice of
the election is run in the newspaper.
Voter registration has been busy
since December, said Stancil.
“People are getting prepared for
panding water lines or new schools.
"The tax is needed for what it was
passed for originally,” said Bennett.
“It will make it harder for us to pro
vide all the services we need to
provide.”
He suggested legislators allow edu
cation to be funded by impact fees
paid by developers - a use not cur
rently allowed under the state
legislatioa
“The school system has only one
source of revenue property taxes,”
said Stone. As the cost goes up the
school boards must go to the property
owners for more and more money, he
said.
Sales tax is the most equitable tax
you have, he added.
“They (county commissioners) are
unwilling to share sources of revenue
that were theirs exclusively in the
past,” said Stone.
Barnett agrees with local educators
and vows to vote for the measure.
“They (county commissioners) act
like it is their money and their reve
nue but it is really the peoples.”
It is simply going to voters to ask
them where they want their money to
be spent
Most local officials, whether in the
school system or the local govern
ments, agree that taxing residents on
their properties is not the fair way to
support schools. Most say they would
support a complete turnover to a
state-wide sales tax for education.
the presidential preference,” said
Stancil.
As of last week the county had about
16,600 registered voters.
If you did not vote in the 1988 elec
tion, chances are your name has been
taken off the roll and will need to be
registered. If there is any question,
registration can be confirmed by a
call to the Registrar’s Office.
If you have moved within the county
since the last election contact the
elections office at 781-2118 to change
your address and find out your new
poll location.
Forsyth County residents may reg
ister to vote in the Registrar’s Office
in the Forsyth County Government
Building across from the courthouse,
the Forsyth County Library, or The
Polo Fields sales office each Saturday
between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.