Newspaper Page Text
Index
News 2,5,6,7,8
Obituaries 3
Opinion 4
Around the County 6
Sheriff's Report 10
Legals 10
Calendar 11
Sports 12
July 4 Fireworks
The Oglethorpe County Recre
ation Department will host its
fifth annual Celebration in the
Park on July 4 at Bryan Park.
Vendors will open at 6 p.m. and
fireworks are scheduled at dark.
To start your subscription or to donate to The Oglethorpe Echo, see Page 6.
The Oglethorpe Echo
Volume 149, Number 39
June 29, 2023 ■ Oglethorpe County, Georgia
$1
Property taxes on rise for second year in row
By Julianne Akers
The Oglethorpe Echo
Property taxes are climbing again
with this year’s increase being about
22.5% overall, said Chief Apprais
er Kem Caldwell of the Oglethorpe
County Tax Assessor’s Office.
Assessment notices were mailed
on Monday, June 26, and Caldwell
said the Tax Assessor’s Office ex
pects to receive backlash from the
community similar to its reaction
to last year’s 20% increase.
He said property “values are go
ing out of sight,” and the tax hike
is a result of “the fact that people
are paying these prices for land
and homes.”
Throughout 2022, “even though
we had raised the values, every
sale that came through this of
fice, just about, was not just high
er than the new values that we had,
but considerably higher,” Caldwell
said. “They really act as a cata
lyst that left us in the dust, because
our ratio, our sales ratio was still
well out of line with what it should
be, and so we really didn't have a
choice but to do it again,” he said.
Caldwell said property tax in
creases are occurring throughout
Georgia.
“We’re hearing that from coun
ties all around. I know Elbert
County, they didn’t raise values
last year, but this year, they had
to raise 40%, and so it is happen
ing statewide,” he said. “We’re
mandated by the state to try to
keep up with what the market dic
tates.”
See TAXES, Page 5
HOW TO FILE A PROPERTY TAX APPEAL
You must file a property tax appeal in writing no later than 45 days after
the date of the tax assessment notice. Appeal forms can be found at
|httpi//dor.georgia.gov/document5/property-tax-appeal-assessment-form[
There are three appeal methods:
1. County Board of Equalization (value, uniformity, denial of exemption
or taxibility)
2. Arbitration (value)
3. County Hearing Officer (value or uniformity, on non-homestead real
property or wireless personal property valued, in excess of $500,000)
LILLY KERSH/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO
SARAH DONEHOO/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO
Cathi Mowen took over managing the monthly food distribution at the Burts United Methodist Church food bank when Jean
Williamson retired from the position. The food bank is open on the third Wednesday of every month.
'We
don't
refuse
anyone'
Burts UMC food bank
director focuses on
organization, compassion
FOOD
BANK
SARAH DONEHOO/THE OGLETHORPE ECHO
By Sarah Donehoo
The Oglethorpe Echo
Cathi Mowen cuts a piece of cake
as she stands next to her husband
Robert. It’s her 62nd birthday, and
she’s celebrating.
“I wanted to share some cake with
everybody in the food bank,” Mowen
said.
She makes an effort to make the
seasons special at Burts United Meth
odist Church, where she manages
monthly food distribution to help fam
ilies in Oglethorpe County.
Mowen, a member of the church,
sees the reach and limitations of the
food bank, which is open every third
Wednesday of the month from 10
a.m.-noon. The next one is scheduled
for Wednesday, July 19.
The number of people receiving
help from the food bank has grown
from approximately 10-15 families
to over 30 during the course of three
years, Mowen said. The food bank
distributed food on March 15, for ex
ample, to 36 families.
Jean Williamson, who founded the
food bank in 2016, handed primary
responsibility of the food bank over
to Mowen when she retired. Mow
en said her love of God inspires her
to serve people who need essential
items.
“That's really all I can say,” she said.
“Give to the community, that's what
He wants us to do, like Burts does. We
don't refuse anyone. If they need food,
they can get it free of charge.”
Mowen said she feels compassion
toward the families that have children
who receive goods from the church.
For example, parents brought two ba
bies to the food bank this spring and
Listen for More
Hear Cathi Mowen describe
her duties and experiences
at the Burts UMC Food Bank
at|podbean.com/pu/pbblogT-
9a2wq-cd222f, narrated by
The Oglethorpe Echo's Juli
anne Akers.
there was baby food for them, which
is a blessing, she said.
Those blessings make the challeng
es managing the food bank reward
ing. She has to keep track of inven
tory, maintain communication with
state resources, nonprofits and other
churches, and make sure volunteers
are present to distribute food.
Mowen has worked to secure
more resources to distribute dur
ing her time leading the food bank.
Ads in Crawford and word of mouth
have been beneficial for the food
bank, Williamson said. She contin
ues to volunteer at the food bank,
which has seen a growth in volun
teers to about six to seven, on aver
age, per month.
Mowen, a Hart County resident, is
matter of fact about her move from
volunteer to director of the food bank.
“I stepped in, since I knew how to
order; I did so with her several times,”
she said. “I took it from there.”
The food bank offers dry goods,
drinks, produce, vitamins, tea, coffee
and candy. Specific items vary month
to month. People are always welcome
to get food from previous months if it
better fits their needs.
See BURTS, Page 2
Library
gets new
branch
manager
By AvniTrivedi
The Oglethorpe Echo
Katherine Ratcliffe is the new branch
manager at the Oglethorpe County Li
brary, replacing Austin Jenkins, who is
joining the Athens-Clarke County Li
brary.
Jenkins has worked with the
Oglethorpe County Library for the past
10 years. He started working as the chil
dren’s librarian and participated in the
youth services in 2011. He became the
branch manager in May 2016.
“The Oglethorpe County Library will
always be my home library,” Jenkins
said. “I’ve spent most of my career here.
I’m sad to see it go, but I’m excited to
start this new chapter.”
Jenkins will be an administrative as
sistant working with the Athens Region
al Library System. He will be based at
the Athens-Clarke County Library, but
will move around the county, visiting all
the libraries within the system, offering
support to the branch managers.
See LIBRARY, Page 8
SUBMITTED PHOTO
New Oglethorpe County branch
manager Katherine Ratcliffe and
outgoing branch manager Austin
Jenkins were the guests of honor at a
party hosted by staff and library sup
porters last week. Jenkins had been
the branch manager since 2016.
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REALTREE
UNITED COUNTRY
Southern Select Properties
Call/Text 678-791-3483
Office 706-424-2472
homenlandman@yahoo.com
|gotlandgeorgia.com|
1108 Crawford Smithonia Rd.
Crawford, GA 30630
SOUTHERN
SELECT PROPERTIES
Phil Wilson, Broker
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