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The Lee €oumiy Ledger
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Volume XXIV - Number 7
your Hometown Source of Cocal JVews
Leesburg, Georgia -- September 27,2001
Hometown Newspaper of Spencer and Carol Bowden
Fifty Cents
The Lee County Board of
Equalization ruled on September
21, 2001 in favor of the Lee
County Board of Tax Assessors
and against A.B.C. Dorminy of
Fitzgerald. Albany attorney Louis
E. Hatcher, with the well known
law firm of Watson, Spence,
Lowe and Chambles. represent
ing the Lee County Board of
Equalization, stated that Dorminy
had appealed the 1997 valuation
on his property which fronts
along Lake Blackshear in the
northeast section of Lee County.
For the past 4 1/2 years, the case
has been litigated between Lee
County Board of Tax Assessor’s
attorney, George Ellis of Ameri-
cus and Dorminy’s attorney.
Wheeler Bryan of Atlanta. In
1998, Albany attorney. Don
Rentz was also retained by
Dorminy to represent him in his
appeal.
In the ruling last week, attorney
Louis Hatcher said the Lee
County Board of Equalization is
sued a final order in the case. The
unanimous ruling addressed both
valuation of the property and uni
formity of value between other
classes of property in Lee County.
In their ruling, the Board stated,
"We find no reason to believe that
the property involved in this ap
peal is not uniformly assessed
with other property included in
the applicable digest. The Tax As
sessors supported its determina
tion of uniformity and valuation
with credible evidence". Hatcher
noted that Dorminy may appeal
the decision to the Superior Court
of Lee County.
In a statement released last
week to the Albany Herald, attor
ney Don Rentz stated, "The
Dorminy’s will continue to appeal
land values assessed by Lee
Stanley and the board’s uphold
ing of those assessed values for
tax years 1998, 1999 and 2000".
He said they based this decision
on ‘legal and tactical reasons’”.
When reached for comment by
the Lee County Ledger, Lee
County’s Chief Appraiser. Lee
Stanley made the following state
ment, "Certainly, every taxpayer
has a legal right to appeal their
valuation. We have always made
every effort to explain and share
our data and sales information
with any person who questions
their value. Everyone in Lee
County knows the pressure on
valuations in a county with tre
mendous growth and demand.
Once the Board of Tax Assessors
Doherty
Duggan
wRouse
Insurors
Home • Auto • Business • Life/Health
P.O.Box 71628 (912) 888-2040
Albany, GA 31708-1628 800-628-2040
2301 Dawson Road (31707) Fax (912) 435-3036
www.ddrins.com
Lee County
Primary
School
Fall
Carnival
10:00 - 2:00
Saturday
October 6
Hank Hammond, Director of the
Lee County FSA Office, US De
partment of Agriculture, is invit
ing all interested farmers to attend
an informational meeting to be
held on Friday, September 28th at
10 AM in the Lee County Gov
ernmental Building Assembly
Room.
Representatives from Farm Ser
vice Agency, Natural Resources
Conservation Service, Rural De
velopment, and Cooperative Ex
tension Service will be on hand
to discuss their respective pro
grams and to answer any ques
tions.
A discussion of the upcoming
FSA County Committee elections
will be held at this meeting, and
nomination forms will be avail
able for those persons residing in
the Local Administrative Area
(LAA) up for election this year.
Lee County is divided into three
LAA’s or "districts" for Commit
tee election purposes. This year
LAA "A" will elect a new Com
mittee-person to represent farm
ers in that area. LAA "A" encom
passes farms in the North-central
area of the county, beginning at
Hwy 19, from Leesburg to Smith-
ville, eastward to New York Rd.
The Lee County FSA Commit
tee is comprised of three farmer-
elected representatives, one from
each LAA, that administer fed
erally mandated farm programs
on the county level. Currently,
members of the Committee are
Steve Childers, Willie Moms and
Sheila Wheaton. All interested
persons are invited to attend. For
more information, call (229) 759-
9267.
Georgia Tech’s Economic Development
Institute Names Region Manager
Lee County Board of Equalization met regarding an appeal from ABCD Farms
Inc. and ABC Dorminy, Jr. for Tax Year 1997. The board was notified by the
Dorminy’s attorney that they were withdrawing the appeal. Pictured above (l-r)
are Louis Hatcher, attorney, Stephen Roberts, Henry Studdard, and Flora West.
Final Order Rules In Favor
Of Tax Assessors
Dorminys Plan to Continue Appeals
has reviewed and finalized a
value, it is my duty and respon
sibility to vigorously defend the
value for all the citizens of the
county. By law, we must be fair
and uniform with all taxpayers
and between different types of
properties. We’ve already had
several hearings on Mr.
Dorminy’s appeal. This matter
has taken almost five years and
many hours of hard work by our
staff, but I know, based on the in
formation in our files, the value
on this particular property has
been fairly and uniformly applied
by the Board of Tax Assessors.
Mr. Dorminy has active appeals
for 1998.1999 and 2000 and just
filed an appeal for the current,
2001 tax year. We stand ready to
defend our values on this prop-
The Economic Development
Institute at the Georgia Institute
of Technology has named Arthur
J. Ford region manager for south
Georgia. He will oversee Georgia
Tech’s regional offices in Albany
and Douglas.
Ford will be responsible for pro
viding managerial and technical
assistance to industries, support
ing Georgia’s economic develop
ment efforts through courses and
research, and using technology to
help companies and communities
become more productive and
competitive. "I am excited about
the opportunity to serve people in
a larger portion of south Georgia,"
Ford says. "Our new structure al
lows us to develop a regional team
with the skills to more effectively
meet the regions’ needs."
Recently the Economic Devel
opment Institute realigned the
number of service delivery re
gions in the state from 12 to seven
in an effort to increase teamwork,
communication and breadth of
services offered to Georgia busi
nesses. The regional realignment
was also done in recognition of
Georgia Tech’s collaboration with
the Georgia Department of Indus
try, Trade and Tourism and the
Georgia Department of Commu
nity Affairs.
According to Rick Duke, direc
tor of the Economic Development
Institute, this was done to capi
talize on the strengths of the Eco
nomic Development Institute as
a team. "We want to have repre
sentatives of all resources-qual-
ity. energy, lean enterprise, infor
mation technology, economic de
velopment, environmental man
agement. marketing and strategic
planning, process productivity-in
each regional team," he says.
"This gives us the breadth we
need to serve effectively."
Ford came to Georgia Tech’s
Albany regional office in 1986 as
an engineer. In this role, he was
responsible for providing man
agement and technical assistance
to industries and communities in
the 20-county Albany office re
gion. Prior to joining Georgia
Tech, he was employed at
Albany’s Lilliston Corporation
and was responsible for oversee
ing its industrial engineering ac
tivities.
Ford’s current interests include
economic development, entrepre
neurial and incubator develop
ment. financial analysis for enter
prise strategic planning, produc
tivity and facility expansion plan
ning. He is a registered profes
sional engineer and a member of
the Georgia Economic Develop
ers Association, the National
Business Incubation Association
and the American Society of Ag
ricultural Engineers.
A native of Bay Springs, Mis
sissippi, Ford received his
bachelor’s degree in agricultural
engineering from the University
of Florida and his M.B.A. from
Albany State College. He is also
a graduate of the University of
Oklahoma’s Economic Develop
ment Institute.
The Albany regional office is
located at 1117 Whispering Pines
Rd. and the Douglas regional of
fice is located at 404 N. Peterson
Ave. Ford can be reached either
by phone (229.430.4188) or by e-
mail (art.ford@edi.gatech.edu).
Sentences Issued In Municipal Court
erty and I truly believe, in the
FSA To Condtitr aluesw,llbeuphe “ r -
Informational Meeting
Leesburg Municipal Court was
held September 18, 2001 with
Cathy Spillers presiding.
Michael J. Bradley was found
guilty to driving on suspended or
revoked license and proof of in
surance on person. He was fined
$245.00 and sentenced to 12
months probation.
Bruce Darnell Butts pled nolo
to disorderly conduct. A $70.00
fine was suspended with 30 days
pre-trial probation.
Vonda Anisha Davis pled not
guilty to running a stop sign. Her
fine was suspended with 60 days
pre-trial probation.
John Todd Fleming was found
guilty to DUI third offense. He
was sentenced to credit for time
served, a fine of $1547.00, 12
months probation and 120 hours
of community service.
Paul Golden, Jr. pled not guilty
to cruelty to animals - fighting. He
was found guilty and was fined
$1000.00, and sentenced to 24
months probation and allowed no
possession of animals during the
probation period.
Jack Griffin was found guilty to
public drunkenness. He was sen
tenced to a fine of $70.00 and two
months probation.
Allman G. Hogsed was found
guilty for failure to dim head
lights. He was fined $70.00.
Anthony Michael Kempisty was
found guilty to giving false infor
mation to police. He was fined
$70.00 and given 30 days proba-
Death Claims Leesburg
Councilman Jessie Henderson
Leesburg City Councilman School. He was an Army veteran Mr. Henderson is sur
Leesburg City
Jessie Clyde “J.C.” Henderson
died September 21. 2001 follow
ing an illness. Funeral service for
Mr. Henderson will be held Fri
day, September 28 at 1:00 p.m.
at Macedonia Baptist Church.
Macedonia Baptist Church is lo
cated on Macedonia Road in Lee
County. Interment for Mr. Hend
erson will be in Macedonia Bap
tist Church Cemetery. Rev.
Tramaine Hill and Rev. Gary
Baker will officiate.
A native of Lee County. Mr.
Henderson was a self employed
brick mason contractor and ma
sonry instructor at Albany Tech
nical College. He was a 1948
graduate of Lee County Training
School and a graduate of Albany
Area Vocational Technical
lArmy
of the Korean War. Mr. Hender
son was a member of the
Macedonia Baptist
Church, He was
chairman of the
Deacon Board and
secretary of the
Greater Bethesda
Association, mem
ber of the American
Legion Post 512
and a member of
the Ambassador
Club.
Mr. Henderson was a long-time
member of the Leesburg City
Council and former mayor pro-
tem of the city council. Mr.
Henderson recently qualified for
reelection to the Leesburg City
Council.
Mr. Henderson is survived by
his wife, Pauline Mosley Hend
erson of Leesburg: five sons,
Jessie Bernard
Frazier of Ft. Belvoir,
Virginia. Willie
Clarence Guest, Earl
Kennedy Henderson
and James Calvin
Guest, all of Albany.
Georgia, and David
L. Ross of Detroit,
Michigan; three
daughters, Cheryl
Lynn Wallace of
Mufreesboro, Tennessee. Ida
Pearl Range of Albany, Georgia
and Hilda M. Doster of Warner
Robins, Georgia; one sister.
Charlie Lou Flowers of Leesburg.
Georgia, 22 grandchildren and
eight great-grandchildren.
tion.
Curtis Theo McGee was found
guilty for a no seat belt violation.
He was fined $15.00.
Ferlin Eugene Parker was found
guilty for driving on suspended -
revoked license and DUI first of
fense. He was sentenced to a fine
of $1465.00, 12 months proba
tion, 24 hours jail and 40 hours
community service.
Andrew Lee Smith, Jr. pled
guilty to open container, no proof
of insurance and DUI first of
fense. He was sentenced to a fine
of $1165.00, credit for jail time
served, 40 hours community ser
vice and 12 months probation.
Crystal Strokes was found
guilty to driving on suspended -
revoked license. She was sen
tenced to a fine of $625.00 and
12 months probation.
Tiffany Hansen pled nolo to
improper parking and was fined
$35.00
Anthony Terrell Ware pled nolo
to DUI first offense. He was fined
$715.00 and sentenced to 12
months probation.
Shannon Newell, charged with
DUI and driving while license
suspended - revoked, had her case
continued until the October 16th
court date.
Chantay Smith had her charge
of obstruction of an officer re
duced to disorderly conduct. She
was fined $100.00.
Vernon McCray Watson
charged with unlawful use of utili
ties was sentenced to six months
probation and no utility service
until account is paid in full.
The following people failed to
appear in court or make arrange
ments to pay their fines. A $25.00
contempt of court fee will be
added. A Department of Public
Safety (DPS) Form 912 will be
issued which will result in suspen
sion of their driver’s license if not
paid within 20 days. The follow
ing fines have the contempt of
court fee added:
Virginia H. Austin, charged with
speeding 72 in a 55 m.p.h. zone,
was fined $85.00.
Christopher B. Bashline,
charged with speeding 50 in a 35
m.p.h. zone, was fined $75.00.
Timothy Wayne Carter, charged
with no seat belt, 19 years or
older, was fined $40.00.
Charmon Lavern Chapmon,
charged with speeding 67 in a 45
m.p.h. zone, was fined $115.00.
Ralph C. Franklin, charged with
no proof of insurance, was fined
$275.00.
Ernest Romarian Hudson,
charged with refusing to obey
officer’s directions, was fined
$135.00.
Kelvin Montrez Leroy, charged
with speeding 71 in a 45 m.p.h.
zone, was fined $125.00.
Kabron Carnell Little, charged
with no proof of insurance, was
fined $275.00.
Freemont Casaueno Lowe,
charged with speeding 52 in a 45
m.p.h. zone was fined $65.00 and
was fined $150.00 for an expired
tag.
Brian Keith Merritt, charged
with no proof of insurance, was
fined $275.00.
David R. Seward, charged with
no seat belt 19 years or older, was
fined $40.00.
Octavious L. Singleton, charged
with no proof of insurance, was
fined $275.00 and was fined
$75.00 each for two charges of no
seat belt four years and younger
first offense.
Heather Arlene Smith, charged
with no seat belt 19 years and
older, was fined $40.00 and was
fined $95.00 for no license on
person.
Melissa Anna Thomas, charged
with speeding 61 in a 45 m.p.h.
speed zone, was fined $145.00.
BUFFALO ROCK
Smithville’s
6th Annual
Chicken Pie
Festival
10:00 - 5:00
Saturday
October 27
