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Forsyth J Your "Hometown Paper" Since 19 Vol. 95, No. 025 Businesses on late taxpayer list owe $2.6M By Harris Blackwood Community Editor They are Forsyth County’s Top Ten on a statewide list, but this is a list that most indi viduals and business owners would prefer to miss... the state’s top delinquent taxpayers. Eight business entities with operations in Forsyth County have been listed by the Georgia Department of Revenue for failing to pay either payroll withholding taxes or sales and use taxes. The combined listed total of business taxes due from Forsyth County is $2.6 million. Os that amount, $1.92 million is in Sales and 2003 United Way president Rock Hunt Unfted Way Fund-raising effort tops goal, nears $1 million By Harris Blackwood Community Editor For the United Way of Forsyth County, Tuesday was a day of celebration. The agency marked the comple tion of the 2004 campaign in which it exceeded its fund-raising goal by 13 percent and came within a stones throw of raising $1 million. The total for the 2004 campaign is $986,224.32. That amount is $13,775.68 over the campaign goal of $850,000 and marks the third consecutive year the campaign has exceeded the announced goal. A luncheon was held at Windermere Golf and Country Club to mark the conclusion of the campaign. Jeffrey Hammond, a UPS executive who served as campaign chair, brought the audience to its feet in a standing ovation when he announced the 2004 results. The final total is $200,000 more than was raised in the 2003 campaign and includes $43,000 raised in Dawson County, which is beginning a United Way pro gram under the auspices of the Forsyth United Way. The banquet was also a preliminary kickoff for the 2005 campaign, which formally will begin this fall. Sherrie Jones, an executive with Bank of America, has been named to head the new campaign. “The monetary goal is not yet decided at this time,” said Jones. “But there is no doubt that we will go over a million for 2005 after this year's phenomenal posting of $986,000.” The board honored retiring directors Zuma Banks, Ann Story, Roger Swofford, Gary Welch and George Pirkle. Barbara Noon of Northside Hospital Forsyth has been named president for 2004. United Way of Forsyth County provides funds for 16 social service agencies which serve the residents of the county. State ethics panel clears sheriff in campaign flap By Todd Truelove Staff Writer The Georgia Ethics Commission last week dismissed complaints filed against Sheriff Ted Paxton alleging the sheriff had ordered deputies to campaign for him. According to Theodore Lee, the executive secretary for the commis sion, a hearing was held to investi gate the allegations. “It was dismissed by the commis sion.” Lee said. “They heard from four different witnesses from the Missed paper policy: For a replacement paper, call 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and 9 a.m. -1 p.m. on Sunday - (770) 887-3126. Copyright © 2003 Forsyth County News 9C994 04 0 Use Taxes. Two individuals were listed on a separate file of individuals owing personal income taxes to the state. The two, whose names are not being published here because of similarity of names, owe a combined total of $295,959.80. Only two of the eight businesses continue to operate in the county under the same owner ship. A check of Forsyth County Business License records in the Division of Planning and Development showed that one company, American Millwork, canceled its business license in 2001. Codaram Corp, canceled its license at the beginning of 2003. JK A 2004 campaign chair Jeffrey Hammond ** ar Paxton held in the Douglas County Courthouse in Douglasville. “The complainant was not pres- INDEX Abby 5B Classifieds 2B Deaths 2 A Government.». 6A Horoscope 5B Kids Page 10A Opinion 9A Sports 8A THURSDAY February 12,200 a B ’ i - 5 ’ f , - - 1 ~ c IB 11 .1 B B Jb I*" 1 ! 1 1 T x > ■Bl Those attending the United Way luncheon at Windermere Golf and Country Club heard the agency nearly raised $1 million for the 16 groups it funds. More photos see page 10A. Sheriff’s Department.” The com plaints were filed by Michelle Head. Lee said Head was notified about the hear ing, but did not attend. The hearing was Mayor suggests waiting to build justice center Page2A Jr 1 ■ 2004 president Barbara Noon ent,” Lee said. “She had not only been notified she had been spoken with on several occasions.” Head’s complaints alleged Paxton ordered deputies to campaign for him on county time and that the sheriff posted a flyer on county property advertising a campaign fund-raising event. “[The witnesses] all said that the sheriff has not in any way directed or suggested that any of them campaign for him on county time or in county uniform,” Lee said. “It was testified that someone had put [the Two businesses continue to operate under the same ownership, Nugent Rents Inc. and C&R Business Inc. dba 20 West Texaco. One business named in the listing, Cumming Texaco, is no longer owned by the corporation which incurred the sales tax liabili ty. Os the $ 1.92 million, approximately 43 per cent is due to either the Forsyth County gov ernment or the Forsyth County Board of Education, according to Charles Willey, a spokesman for the Georgia Department of Revenue. The delinquent sales tax collections include a 1 percent local option sales tax, and 1 2005 campaign chair Sherrie Jones flyer] on the sheriff’s bulletin board without authorization; the person that was responsible for it was found and reprimanded.” Paxton said Monday the commis sion’s decision came as no surprise. “The allegations which were made were not truthful,” Paxton said of the complaint. “Once the case was presented to the ethics commission, they obviously ruled in the only way that they could and that was to dismiss the charges. There was no evidence whatsoever presented to the ethics commission.” Forsyth girls battle in Region 6-AAAA basketball tournament PageßA percent each for a special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) levied by the Forsyth County government and the Board of Education. “If they collect it, we will be glad to take it,” said Dan Jones, finance director for the Forsyth County Board of Education. Jones said that the school system had no means of knowing how much SPLOST money the delinquent sales tax payments represent. The posted individual delinquent accounts range between $95,960 and $1.3 million and See L/ST, Page 2A Cloudy V u ; . w > High in the low 40s. Low in the low 30s. ISESh BUSINESS, 1B Chamber celebrates 50th year Towers will not move Alternative sites don’t sway board By Todd Truelove Staff Writer Though residents of north and south Forsyth County want the board of commissioners to change the loca tions of new 300-foot communica tion towers and move them away from neighboring communities, the board voted 4-1 Monday against tak ing such an action. Commissioner A.J. Pritchett, who represents south Forsyth, asked the board to consider rescinding a vote taken on Jan. 12 that placed new radio towers for public safety person nel, including deputies and firefight ers, at Fire Station 10 in the southern portion of the county near the Laurel Springs community, and off Molly View Point in northeastern Forsyth. The county government owns the land at each of the locations. In addi tion, a third antenna is to be placed at a facility on Sawnee Mountain. Residents waited nine and a half hours Feb. 2 and an additional three and a half hours Monday to petition commissioners to change the loca tions. “I’m fuming mad,” Ted Ray, a resident of Laurel Springs, said after the meeting. Ray said his home will be the closest one in the community near the new tower and that he was disap pointed the board would not consider an alternative Pritchett presented. Pritchett’s alternative was $500,000 more costly because it called for additional equipment for a fourth antenna at an existing cell tower in the Johns Creek area. However, according to the com missioner’s report, his proposal would have: remained within the budgeted amount of sl2 million, covered the county more completely, and used existing facilities on which to connect the radio antennas. The money is to come from the county’s voter-approved sales tax collections. Instead of building a new tower at Fire Station 10, Pritchett’s alternative would have placed an antenna on a water tank on Gilbert Road. “I think that reconsidering [this alternative] would have been in the best interest of not only the public safety team but also for the commu nity as a whole,” Pritchett said after the meeting. An alternative was not given for the new tower on Molly View Point in his report. “We worked pretty hard on trying to find one,” Pritchett said Tuesday. “We just didn’t have much time.” See TOWERS, Page 2A LAKE LANIER LEVELS Date Level Aug. 7 1068.51 ft Aug. 8 1067.77 ft Aug. 9 1068.86 ft Aug. 10 1068.87 ft Full 1071.00 ft