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top news of 12 e 4
IR Dreams become reality for musician g
Legislators ready for 2013 session
Forsyt-h adds voting power with new seats
By Jennifer Sami
jsami@forsythnews.com
When the 2013 Georgia
General Assembly begins
Monday, Forsyth County will
have the most representation in
its history.
As a result of last year’s
SCHOOL SYSTEM
Gap in
Finances among
topics at retreat
By Jennifer Sami
jsami@forsythnews.com
CHATTAHOOCHEE HILLS — It’s
still early in the budget process, but the
Forsyth County school system is facing
a preliminary $11.6 million shortfall for
2013-14. »
The projections for the $276.7 million
proposed budget were among many
issues discussed last week during a two
day planning retreat for district leaders
at the Inn at Serenbe in southwestern
Fulton County.
School board members,
Superintendent Buster Evans and other
officials were briefed on the financial
outlook, as well as the need for facilities
and improvements, technology and new
state mandates.
Dan Jones, the
system’s chief INSIDE
financial officer, Board briefed
said the budget gap on a number of
was based on the issues.|6A
district receiving
the same local reve
nue as its current
$270.5 ,million bud
get, which originally faced a shortfall of
$8.5 million.
To make up the difference last year,
the system pulled money from its
reserves, or fund balance.
But Jones said that option may not be
the best solution this time around, as the
fund is projected to total about $38.5
million by June.
He noted that S4O million is the ideal
amount to have in the reserves, which
serve as a cushion to pay operating costs
when there’s a lull in revenue. To pull
$11.6 million from that could lead the
system to borrow money to cover opera
tion costs.
The 2013-14 budget would represent
about a 2 percent rise over the current
year. About $3.5 million of the project
ed increase would fund the 50 new
positions needed to handle an antici
pated enrollment growth of 1,200 stu
dents.
Rising health insurance costs for 1,280
employees likely will add $2.3 million to
the budget, with the cost of more than 40
portable classrooms totaling an addition
al $606,400.
See BUDGET | 6A
Volume 104, Number 8 {
© 2013, Forsyth County News
Cumming, Georgia
R
redistricting process, the county
gained two seats in the House
of Representatives for a total of
five.
Those lawmakers will be
joined by two senators whose
districts include Forsyth as they
tackle key issues ranging from
transportation to a budget
EDUCATION
;i~ j | gt g‘ i
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Y NN - T .
New college
hailed during
campus visit
By Crystal Ledford
cledford@forsythnews.com
Students, faculty and leaders of
University Center | GA 400 gath
ered with community members
Thursday afternoon to celebrate the
creation of the University of North
Georgia.
Formerly known as Gainesville
State College and North Georgia
College & State University, the two
colleges were officially consolidat
ed Tuesday after the University
System of Georgia Board of
Regents gave its final approval.
To celebrate the merger, Bonita
Jacobs, president, and other leaders
visited each of the university’s four-
Breakfast launches health initiative
Four local groups to be honored
By Crystal Ledford
cledford@forsythnews.com
Organizations that are
working to make north
Georgians healthier will be
honored by District 2
Public Health during a
Abby 4C
Anniversaries 6C
Classifieds 4B
Deaths 2A
Forsyth Life 1C
Opinion 4A
Sports 1B
shortfall.
“This will be the first legisla
tive session that the new
Forsyth County delegation is in
place and so obviously we have
more votes now than we have
in the past, so it makes it a little
easier for us to prioritize what
needs to happen up here,” said
Photos by Autumn Vetter Forsyth County News
Mary Helen McGruder, right, a member of the University of North
Georgia Board of Trustees, assists in revealing the new college’s
mascot, the Nighthawks, during a ceremony Thursday at University
Center | GA 400. Below, President Bonita Jacobs thanks attendees.
|
Py -
campuses Thursday. Cumming was
the final stop on the tour, after
Dahlonega, Gainesville and
Watkinsville.
Jacobs told a crowd of about 300
breakfast Thursday morn
ing.
The state agency will rec
ognize 21 organizations
from its 13-county area,
which includes Forsyth and
others in northeast Georgia.
The event, which is set for
ZA Board denies
request for
tax refund.
District 24 Rep. Mark
Hamilton of Cumming.
“It’s going to give us a little
more voting power and I think
that is a good example of how
Forsyth County will have more
voting power in what we do.”
District 27 state Sen. Jack
Murphy of Cumming said com
ing up with a balanced budget
will be the top priority for the
session.
“We're going to have approxi
in the University Center’s commu
nity room that they have much to be
proud of. \
“There are a number of things
that make this college very, very
unique,” she said. “We are four
campuses and we're 16,000 stu
dents strong, but we are also the
military college of Georgia.
“We will be one of six senior mil
itary colleges in the United States
and we are the No. 1 Army ROTC
program in the nation.” .
She also praised the university’s
leadership training for students.
“It is our goal that we make cer
tain that the students have a chance
along the way, both in the class
room and out, to get that kind of
leadership confidence,” she said.
See MERGER | 6A
8:30 a.m. to noon at the
Lanier Technical College
Forsyth Conference Center,
is part of District 2 Public
Health’s new Celebrate
Healthy North Georgia ini
tiative.
Dave Palmer, public
information officer, said the
initiative is targeted at mak
ing the region more focused
1C ‘Connector’
reflects
on serving
community.
mately a S7OO million shortfall
between the 2013 and 2014 bud
gets,” he said. “We want to
make sure we don’t cut services
... and not have them deterio
rate.”
About S3OO million of that
deficit could come from an
extension of the hospital bed
tax, which helps fund the state’s
Medicaid program for the poor.
See SESSION | 6A
on health.
“We’re trying to make
2013 the year of fitness, for
everyone to be healthier and
really put the focus on that
here in our district,” hé said.
“We want people to become
healthier and do that
through our community.
See HEALTH | 6A
o
68 /55
Forecast| 2A