Newspaper Page Text
The Lee County Ledger
Volume XXIV - Number 39
Leesburg Police Charles Moore
reports that officers worked sev
eral cases during the past week
including cases involving vandal
ism, larceny, bomb threat,
weapon violation, recovered
property, missing juvenile, and
sexual offense.
Lt. Gregory Barrett worked a
vandalism case May 6 on at the
Lee County Parks and Recreation
Complex on Park Street. Lt.
Barrett made contact with an em
ployee who advised that he
caught three male juveniles who
were throwing rocks at a score
board. The three juveniles and
parents agreed with the employee
for the juveniles to pick up trash
at the ball field.
Captain Monterey Moody
worked a larceny (gas drive off)
case May 5. Captain Moody was
Doherty
Duggan
zrRouse
Insurors
Home • Auto • Business • Life/Health
P.O.Box 71628 (229)888-2040
Albany, GA 31708-1628 800-628-2040
2301 Dawson Road (31707) Fax (229) 435-3036
www.ddrins.com
Lee County
Utilities
Authority
Board Will
Meet
Thursday,
May 16 at
6:00 p.m.
advised by the manager of the
convenience store on Highway
19 South that three males in a
green pick up pumped ten dol
lars in gas and drove off without
paying. The vehicle was not lo
cated.
Corporal Craig Steel worked a
bomb threat at Lee County
Middle School. Steele was noti
fied by the dispatcher about the
bomb threat. All the students
were evacuated by the school
staff. A safety zone was set up
by the city police around the
school with the assistance of the
sheriffs department. The fire
department and bomb techni
cians were called. The school
was searched and deemed secure,
Chet Michael Maine, 18, was
charged by Patrolman Dennis
Griffin with having a weapon on
school campus April 30. Patrol
man Griffin was advised that a
truck was improperly parked at
the high school cafeteria. The
cafeteria worker stated that there
were knives in the bed of the
truck. An assistant principal and
Patrolman Griffin saw the knives
in the bed of the truck. A con
cerned student advised that the
truck belonged to Maine. Maine
admitted to using the knives on
a camping trip and had forgotten
they were in the truck. He was
issued a summons on the charge.
Captain Moody worked a case
April 30 in which property was
recovered from a theft in Albany.
Councilman Sidney Johnson
who was at the Leesburg City
Hall observed a female who was
driving a SUV place a black trash
bag in a dumpster behind a pri
vate business. Johnson told the
city clerk who advised that it was
illegal. Mr. Johnson got the bag
from the dumpster which con
tained the contents from the theft.
See Police, Page 2A
your Hometown Source of Cocal flews
Leesburg, Georgia -- May 9,2002
Hometown Newspaper of Julian and Judy Taylor
Fifty Cents
County’s Proposed Budget
Reflects Millage Reduction
Christi Dockery, Lee County Clerk, was presented a
plaque by Commission Chairman Billy Mathis in
recognition of Dockery completing state
requirements for certification as county clerk.
Reaction at Lee County Board
of Commissioners' Budget Work
shop was positive and reflected
optimism from the elected offi
cials at the meeting Monday af
ternoon.
Betty Johnson, Tax Commis
sioner, stressed to the budget com
mittee the need for a part time em
ployee to collect property tax. The
tax commissioner also questioned
the advertised salary for a code
enforcement officer that is cur
rently open. Ms. Johnson pointed
out that employees in the court
house are not treated the same as
employees in the administrative
building.
According to Billy Mathis,
Chairman of the Lee County
Commission, the proposed bal
anced budget will provide ser
vices to Lee County citizens with
out a tax increase.
The proposed budget under con
sideration puts a freeze on hiring
new employees although $70,000
is included in the proposed bud
get to bring employees’ pay level
up to established standards ac
cording to a salary survey that is
being conducted by an outside
source. A two percent cost of liv
ing raise is included in the pro
posed budget for all employees.
During the past several weeks,
Langford Holbrook, County Ad
ministrator, met with elected of
ficials and department heads to
review budget requests. Mr.
Holbrook and Darlow Maxwell,
Finance Director, consolidated the
budget information. The
commission’s budget and finance
committee analyzed the budget
and made reductions in items re
quested by various departments to
balance the budget based on an
ticipated revenues.
The commissioners will receive
copies of the proposed budget at
their meeting on Monday, May
20. Copies of the proposed bud
get will then be on display in the
county clerk’s office for public
review as well at the Lee County
Ledger.
A public hearing regarding the
budget will be held during the Lee
County Board of Commission
meeting on June 3. That meeting
will begin at 6:00 p.m.
The commissioners will adopt
the budget during their regularly
scheduled meeting on June 17.
The budget will be effective start
ing July 1, 2002.
While the budget appears to be
very tight, citizens' safety is be
ing addressed. 24 hour seven days
a week fire protection will be pro
vided at the new fire stations in
the Redbone District as well as the
new station in Leesburg. The
sheriff’s department will receive
new patrol cars under the pro
posed plan. Chairman Mathis said
the intent will be to include new
vehicles in the budget every year.
The public works department
will be able to meet the needs of
Lee Countians more efficiently
with the addition of new equip
ment that has been needed for
several years. The public works
department, by using a lease pur
chase plan over the next five
years, will see their fleet of equip
ment increase by two
motorgraders, one self propelled
roller for road projects, one trac
tor for roadside mowing and two
six foot mowers to replace obso
lete mowers.
The two replacement
motorgraders will cost $225,500
to be funded over five years at
$51,531.26 per year. The self-
propelled roller for road projects
will cost $78,000 or $17,824.56
per year for five years. The trac
tor for roadside mowing will cost
$41,600 over the five years or
$9506.43 per year.
Courthouse Renovation Complete
Leesburg District Commissioner Lewis Harris was
presented a plaque by Commission Chairman Billy
Mathis in recognition of Harris completing state
requirements for certification as county
commissioner.
Leesburg Police Files
Weekly Report
During their meeting Monday
night, the Lee County Board of
Commissioners accepted the
courthouse renovation project as
being completed. The renovation
project cost $419,398.00 It was
anticipated that the project would
cost $376,805.00. Some of the
latest expenditures included
$2,950.00 for removal and dis
posal of lead paint from the win
dows and $3000 to add additional
canopy at the north entrance at the
courthouse. The contractor was
paid $5,391.00 for an office
trailer that was used by the mag
istrate court office during the
renovation process.
The commissioners held a pub
lic hearing in which Bob Haas
was requesting a variance in the
zoning regulation to place a tem
porary sales trailer on Lot 41 in
North Pebble Ridge Subdivision.
Pam Thompson, County Planner,
county staff and the planning
commission recommended ap
proval of the variance for a pe
riod of time not to exceed 12
months.
The commissioners awarded
the bid for knuckleboom trash
loader. Southeastern Welding of
Albany submitted the low bid of
$48,762.74. $35,000 was allo
cated in the current budget for the
purchase of the knuckleboom
trash loader. The public works
department will transfer funds
from other public works budget
accounts to offset the difference
of $13,762.74.
The Lee County Development
Authority requested the board of
commissioners to initiate the pro
cess to rezone the 64 acre tract
currently zoned Ag between Oak
land Road and Highway 82. The
Lee County Development Au
thority staff has concluded that
particular site is a prime location
for industrial and commercial
development.
The board of commissioners
reappointed Tony Bretti, Judy
Pate and Neil Thompson to the
Lee County Development Au
thority. Bob Usry and George
Walls were reappointed to the Lee
County Utilities Authority.
The commissioners approved a
change in the flood houses buyout
program. The county has been
acquiring flood houses through
the Hazard Mitigation Grant pro
gram. Thus far, the county has
sold as surplus and had moved 17
houses. There are currently 15
houses that have been sold and
are waiting to be moved. The
county has acquired 12 more
houses that need to be bid out or
demolished. It was pointed out
that the county also needs to de
molish any house that has not sold
and other structures on the lots
where the houses were moved.
Langford Holbrook, County
Administrator, pointed out that
due to the limited number of
qualified house movers, the mov
ing process has gotten very be
hind. Some houses have gone
over the 90 days limit in which
they were to be moved.
The logistic of selling the
houses, getting all the required
paper work and certifications and
getting the houses moved and fi
nalizing the transaction requires
a large amount of county staff
time.
See Courthouse, Page 2a
Jackie Sizemore is pictured with his son Walker and
his wife Jenny.
Jackie Sizemore Announces
Candidacy For County
Commissioner
A Classic Photo:
This picture shows Lee County High School moving
down the road in 1977, and now Lee County
Elementary School will follow. LCES will leave these
historic buildings to relocate at the end of this year.
We are proud of our school and since we are the last
group of students to be educated at this facility, we
want to celebrate 80 years of educational excellence.
This is an invitation for our community to come and
walk down these historic halls for the last time.
Please join us Thursday night at 7:00 in our good
bye ceremony.
Smithville resident Jackie
Sizemore announced his intention
to run for county commissioner
of the Smithville/Chokee district
in the upcoming election.
Sizemore, a lifelong resident of
Lee County, lives on Childers
Road with his wife, Jenny, and
their son, Walker. Sizemore is the
Vice-President of Sizemore
Brothers Plumbing and Heating
Contractors.
"I am excited about the oppor
tunity to represent the citizens of
the Smithville/Chokee district.
Jenny and I have many friends
and most all of our family in this
district and I feel that I understand
the people here. I can provide the
voice this district needs. In the
past, I think our area has some
times been neglected as the
county grows." Sizemore stated.
"We have a lot to offer as a rural
district with some industrial base
in Smithville. We need to plan
now as the growth continues to
move north in Lee County. I have
a real appreciation for this district
and its people.
Sizemore graduated Lee
County High School in 1988 and
attended Georgia Southwestern
College on a baseball scholarship.
Sizemore is quick to point out
that he has never considered him
self a politician. '"Lee County has
always had a good mix of com
missioners who come from a va
riety of fields. I think I can fur
ther that tradition. I think people
that know me will tell you that I
am a man of my word. I don't
change from day to day. I think a
commissioner's job is to listen to
the people and vote according to
their will."
BUFFALO ROCK
Fee fishing
Derby For
Kids
Ages 5-16
Saturday,
May 11 from
8 a.m. to 12
noon at 579
Gosa Road