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FORSYTH COUNTY
Sunday, August 28,2022
Cumming Farmers Market moving
to City Center, opening year round
From staff reports
A long-time City of Cumming tra
dition will begin a new chapter this
fall at the Cumming City Center.
The Cumming Farmers Market,
established in 1978, for many years
has offered a summer market in the
Cumming Fairgrounds parking lot.
After the final day of the summer
market on Sept. 28, the market will
be permanently relocating to the
Cumming City Center, where it will
now be open year-round, according
to a news release.
“We’re so excited to be partnering
with the city of Cumming to move
See MARKET 12A
After the final
day of the sum
mer market on
Sept. 28, the
market will be
permanently
relocating to the
Cumming City
Center, where it
will be open
year-round.
Photo courtesy
City of Cumming
Olivia Hutcherson, Unsplash
F all is quickly approaching, and with that,
comes all the fun events in Forsyth County.
Check some of them out below and visit
ForsythNews.com for more upcoming events.
IPRA Rodeo
The IPRA Rodeo is an annual Labor Day
weekend event. The show features bull riding,
bare back riding, barrel racing, cowgirl break
away roping, calf roping, steer wrestling, team
roping and saddle bronc riding.
The Rodeo will be at the Cumming
Fairgrounds Covered Arena on at 8 p.m.,
Friday, Sept. 2 and Saturday, Sept. 3; and at 7
p.m., Sunday, Sept. 4. The Cumming
Fairgrounds is at 235 Castleberry Road in
Cumming. Visit cummingfair.squarespace.com
for more information.
The Cumming Fairgrounds is at 235
Castleberry Rd, Cumming, GA 30040
Cumming Art Fest
The Cumming Art Fest, a two-day art-lovers
extravaganza, is planned for Sept. 17-18 at the
Cumming City Center. For more information,
See FALL 12A
The IPRA
Rodeo,
above, and
the Cumming
Country Fair
& Festival
will be
returning to
the fair
grounds
this year.
Local schools,
governments
want input on
tax abatements
By Dave Williams
Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA - Local governments and school
districts should have a say at court hearings on
proposed property tax abatements for develop
ment projects that would cost cities, counties and
schools tax revenue, a lobbyist for Georgia coun
ties said Thursday.
A bill introduced in the General Assembly last
year called for giving local governments and
school districts the legal right to participate in
hearings on tax abatements but failed to get
through either legislative chamber.
Now, a state Senate study committee has begun
meeting to consider what changes might be need
ed to make local development authorities more
accountable. Whether to give cities, counties and
schools a say over the tax abatements develop
ment authorities offer business prospects to cre
ate jobs is among the issues the panel is weigh
ing.
“We do value development authorities as an
extremely important economic development
tool,” Clint Mueller, legislative director for the
Association County Commissioners of Georgia,
told the committee. “[But] we still have to pro
vide services.”
Mueller said tax abatements to lure housing
and/or retail projects are of particular concern
because they bring children who need to be edu
cated and require communities to beef up public
safety. While providing those services requires
additional tax dollars, tax abatements force coun
ties to pass along those added costs to existing
taxpayers, he said.
“All we want is the ability to make our case to
the superior court,” added DeKalb County
Commissioner Jeff Rader, who appeared with
Mueller at Thursday’s hearing.
Giving local governments and school districts a
say at court hearings on tax abatements got some
pushback from members of the study committee
and from some of those who testified before the
panel.
Ed Wall, managing director of the financial
services company Piper/Sandler, said most of his
development authority clients are reluctant to
involve school districts because they’re afraid the
schools will reject tax abatements because they
See ABATEMENTS 12A
Ribbon cutting
for Midway Park
updates is Sept. 8
From staff reports
A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at 11
a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 8, to officially unveil var
ious updates to Midway Park including a new
playground, pavilion and enhanced athletic facili
ties.
“Midway Park was originally constructed in
1982 and is the second oldest park in Forsyth
County,” said Parks and Recreation Director Jim
Pryor.
“Through the years, it has received capital
updates to portions of the property, but I am excit
ed to unveil this upgrade which brings the upper
baseball complex to current standards. I also
believe the new playground and pavilion near the
Community Building will be a big hit.”
Improvements and additions to the park
include:
• New inclusive and accessible playground;
• Laser grading and new sod on diamond fields;
• New batting cages and bullpens;
• New Pavilion with seating for 36;
• New flooring and interior/exterior paint for
Community Building;
• Repaved and leveled park entrance and upper
parking area;
• Sealed and restriped lower parking area.
The budget for the refurbishment was $3.13
million and funding was provided by SPLOST
VIII. The project consultant was Woolpert Design
and the contractor was Diversified Construction.
Amenities at Midway Park and all Parks &
Recreation facilities can be found by visiting
parks.forsythco.com. Midway Park is at 5100
Post Road.
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Access local news online at
ForsythNews.com