The Wiregrass Farmer, January 7,2015 - Page 3
Police Chief Joe Saxon resigns; letter reprinted here
The Honorable James Hedges
Mayor & Council Members
YEAR
(Continued from Page 2)
Week 3
Sycamore raises traffic fines
by 10 percent.
American Legion Post 98
receives the National Post Ex
cellence Award. Just a few
years earlier, Post 98 was in
danger of closing. Now it
boasts a large membership and
is very active in Turner
County.
The Eureka Well project is
hit by another delay. The pump
for the well arrives in town
broken. Interim City Manager
Dan Bollinger said the delays
are costing the contractor
money.
A deficit at the Board of Ed
ucation brings increased state
scrutiny on the school system
budget. Chairman Sam Brown
said the deficit was an account
ing issue and the system was
not out of money.
The Health Department an
nounces free flu shots.
In sports, the Middle School
Rebels take third in their divi
sion. The Rebs were off last
week and are geared up to play
Clinch County.
Moultrie Tech’s adult edu
cation program in Ashburn re
ceives two state awards for
excellence.
Week 4
Rebecca asks for increased
patrols b y the Sheriff’s De
partment. Chief Deputy
Charles Dean says if Rebecca
will pay the salary for a deputy,
that person can concentrate on
Turner County’s city to the
east.
The 10th graders visit
Chehaw Park in Albany and,
despite rumors, no alligators
were harmed. The TCHS
marching band performs at the
Sound of Silver in Blackshear.
Sycamore Mayor Wayne
Woodruff asks for public sup
port for the department store
coming to town.
A comeback late in the
game was too late to deliver
the victory for the Rebels as
they played Clinch County.
The fun run for Chloe
Kendrick is listed as a big suc
cess.
With gun deer season open,
trophy deer pictures start com
ing in.
Week 5
An accidental fire guts Ash-
burn’s “knuckle boom” truck.
The Health Department’s
test drive of a pandemic illness
response goes over very well
says nurse Mary Anne Sturde-
van.
In Sycamore, Chief Lee
Ann Clark equips all officers
with uniform cameras.
In one that goes to the wire,
the Rebs lose a close one to
Atkinson County.
A robbery in Sycamore is
MISS
YOUR
PAPER?
please call us
567-3655
I am writing to you today, to
submit my letter of resignation
under investigation. A store-
window smashing is also under
investigation there. The rob
bery was of a woman who
worked at the store where the
window was busted.
NOVEMBER
Week 1
Dustin Land is sworn in as
a new lawyer by Chief Judge
Bill Reinhardt.
A SWAT team was called in
to south Ashburn over a possi
ble kidnapping. No one was
hurt in the incident and as of
press time for the week,
charges were pending against
one man.
The County Commission
approved bids for work on
Bethel Road, Leon Williams
Road and Lakeview. Toys for
Tots kicks into gear.
Another game goes down to
the wire as the Rebs beat
Wilcox County.
Week 2
A man not long out of a fed
eral prison for bank robbery is
headed back to federal lockup.
William Maurice Bird of
Stockbridge robbed banks in
Virginia and headed south, hit
ting a bank in Cordele and then
Colony Bank here. He was ar
rested in Orlando.
A man accused of shoplift
ing in other communities was
caught outside Colony Bank
when he tripped on a fire ant
mound.
Voters in Turner County
support Republicans by a large
margin in the election. Of local
interest, Cedric Carithers wins
the Ashburn mayor post, de
feating Art Eld. Mayor Jim
Hedges chose to not run again.
Mayor Hedges is saluted by
American Legion Post 98 for
his tremendous work on behalf
of veterans. The City Council
prohibits guns at City Council
meetings, except by law en
forcement officers.
Irwin County cements the
region champ title with a win
over Turner County.
Week 3
The Board of Education
takes out a $250K loan. This is
in addition to the $1 million
loan it already has.
Sycamore’s new municipal
court judge Aleta Larger is
sworn in. She replaces Herbert
Benson who resigned. David
Morgan, an attorney from
Abbeville, is hired to be the
public defender.
Veterans Day is observed
as Chief of Police for the Ash
burn Police Department. I am
aware that change is a require
ment of life and as such I un
derstand that a change has
been suggested and planned
for the Ashburn Police Depart
ment in 2015.1 respectfully re
quest that this resignation not
be made public until the effec
tive date.
During the last five and one
half years I have been privi
leged to work with a group
second to none. In my tenure
we have no unsolved homi-
here with the JROTC’s annual
event at the Civic Center and
American Legion Post 98’s
event at Elrod Park.
The Lady Rebels competi
tion cheerleading squad over
comes some serious hurdles in
the season to come away much
improved.
Week 4
Garbage rates are headed
up, again.
The Chamber of Commerce
updates its bylaws.
Sycamore announces plans
to go after past due property
taxes. The Council also splits
on making adjustments to a
water bill.
Mamie Stanford Davis cel
ebrates 103 years. Her birthday
is Nov. 17.
DECEMBER
Week 1
County Lire Chief Robby
Royal says Turner County’s
chances for getting a grant for
a new fire truck are better than
ever.
Chykymbrion Jackson
serves as President Pro Tem at
the state Y-Club assemble in
Atlanta.
The Chamber of Commerce
hosts job fairs for two local
businesses.
Week 2
The School Board renews
its $1 million loan with South
Georgia Bank. The board also
looks at spending money on a
truck for the ag program, a new
car for the driver’s ed program
and improvements to the field
house.
Basketball season opens
with the boys and girls win
ning opening matches.
Wrestling season is also under
way.
Week 3
The American Legion Post
98 wins the best entry in the
annual Christmas Parade.
Sycamore announces plans
for a website. The Council also
approves the garbage rate hike.
The Council passes half the
cost of uniform rental and
cleaning to the employees
there.
The winning ways on the
courts continue for the basket
ball teams. The wrestlers are
also turning in good perform
ances.
Samantha Newberry repre
sents Turner County as the
Moultrie Tech EAGLE stu
dent.
cides, let me repeat that, no un
solved homicides since July
2009. This agency has
stemmed the epidemic tide of
identity theft and tax fraud,
curbing the flow of over 14.2
million dollars in fraudulent re
funds that were being chan
neled through Ashburn
Georgia. We have collected
over 7 million dollars in fines
and forfeitures, while increas
ing safety and compliance
from the motoring public. We
have received over 3 hundred
thousand dollars in grant
Turner County has moved
from a Tier 2 ranking to a Tier
1.
Each year the Department
of Community Affairs (DCA)
ranks all counties in Georgia
based on economic factors and
then divides them into tiers as
required by the Georgia Job
Tax Credit Law.
This law allows for a job tax
credit for any business or head
quarters of any business en
gaged in manufacturing,
warehousing and distribution,
processing, telecommunica
tions, broadcasting, tourism, or
research and development that
creates and maintains a certain
number of full time jobs. In
Tier 1 counties, job tax credits
are allowed for any business,
including retail. The tier rank
ing of the county determines
the amount of Job Tax Credit
businesses located in the
county are entitled to receive,
as well as the minimum num
ber of jobs they must create to
be eligible.
In Tier 1 counties, a busi
ness must create at least 2 new
jobs to be eligible for a credit
monies, while not needlessly
expending local tax dollars. We
have managed to purchase a
total of 8 new vehicles through
the carful (sic) utilization of
USDA matching grants. We
have reduced, the back log of
court documents to a two
month window; as opposed the
highly litigious environment in
2009 where judicial decisions
effecting freedom did not go in
for years. This group of highly
motivated and professional of
ficers have cleared bank rob
beries, successfully resolved
of $3,500 per job. In Tier 2
counties, the job creation re
quirement is 10 new jobs for a
credit of $2,500. In Tier 3
counties, the job creation re
quirement is 15 new jobs for a
credit of $1,250 per job. In Tier
4 counties, the job creation re
quirement is 25 new jobs for a
credit of $750 per job.
Any business that comes
into Turner County and creates
a minimum of 2 new jobs will
be eligible for the Job Tax
Credit of $3,500 per job cre-
numerous barricaded gunmen
situations and situations and
still managed to lower the ac
tive complaints against offi
cers by over 75 percent.
I leave knowing that with
out question this agency is a
marked improvement over the
one I inherited in July 2009.1
thank you and the council for
the chance to serve. This resig
nation will take effect at 5:00
pm on January 7th 2014.
Sincerely and Respectfully
Joseph D. Saxon
Chief of Police
ated to go against their tax lia
bility. The Job Tax Credit can
be taken for up to five years as
long as the jobs are main
tained. Lor example, if a man
ufacturer comes in and creates
50 jobs, they would receive a
Job Tax Credit for $175,000
per year amounting to
$875,000 over a 5 year period.
Lor any questions regarding
the Job Tax Credit and other
incentives you can contact the
Turner County Development
Authority at 229-567-9696.
Liberty Tax Service Throws
Roadside Party
Ashburn, GA (1/7/15) - Who better to
host a party celebrating another season of
tax returns than Liberty Tax Service? Join
the games and festivities at the Liberty Tax
office located at 751 E.
Monroe Ashburn, GA
31714 on 1/7/15 between
3-6 pm. Liberty Tax has
planned a day of food,
family fun and entertain
ment. We will have Af
fordable Care Act experts
in our office to help you
with whatever questions
you may have.
"The season is an ex
tremely busy time for our
offices and our employ
ees. We invite the public
to come out and enjoy some fun and food
now that our office is open,” stated Mark-
land Aultman, owner of Liberty Tax Service
in Ashburn. Call 229 854-3265.
I! Liberty
Tax
Service'
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PUBLIC NOTICE
On Sunday January 4th, 2015 at 10:45 a.m. city
workers found the manhole hole at Rockhouse
Rd. and Sylvia Dr. had started to overflow. The
new spill was a result of 1.3 inches of rain on top
the recent 9.5 inches of rain. The pumps in the
Rockhouse lift station are unable to keep up with
the heavy flows. The area remains posted and
has been reported to EPA and the Turner County
Health Dept.
Replacement chief a mistake
Lormer Ashburn Councilman Art Ed provided this statement
to The Wiregrass and on his Lacebook page.
It is with great sadness that I read about the resignation
of Police Chief Joe Saxon. This is a man who built our
Police Department to be one of the best in south Georgia.
What saddens me even more is when I heard who they
were going to put into the position. A man that we fired
in 2001 because the department had gone completely to
pieces with no sense of direction. This new administration
as far as I'm concerned is starting out on the wrong foot I
think our city will suffer because of it. Only time will tell.
The former chief Mr. Eld refers to is James Davis.
Ashburn City Council agenda
Ashburn City Council meeting agenda
Thursday, 6 p.m.
Roll Call
Pledge
Prayer
Swearing in of New Council Member John
Burgess by Judge Penny Thomas
Swearing in of New Council Member James
Burks by Judge Penny Thomas
Swearing in of New Mayor Sedric Carithers
by Judge Penny Thomas
• Remarks by Mayor Carithers
City of Ashburn Linancial Audit LY July 01,
2013 to June 30th, 2014 - Brandon Mont
gomery Of Herring CPA Group
Regular Session:
• Approval of the December 4th 2014 Coun
cil Meeting Minutes
• Re-Appointment of Municipal Court
Judge Ray Holland
• Re-Appointment of Municipal Court Pros
ecutor Llynn Coleman
• Re-Appointment of Municipal Court Indi
gent Defense Attorney John Sherrar
• Re-Appointment of City Attorney Tommy
Coleman
• Appointment of Mayor Pro-tem
• Approval of Alcohol Beverage License for
2015 for the following:
La Hacienda - 247 E Monroe - Beer, Wine,
On-premise Consumption, Liquor by the Drink
Pizza Hut, 105 Whittle Circle - Beer, On
premise Consumption
Westside Grocery, 642 West Madison Avenue
- Beer
Quick Change Pood Mart #64, 828 E Wash
ington Ave -Beer, Wine
SV Pood Inc/Honey Bear, 754 E Washington
Avenue - Beer, Wine
Krupa Pood Inc., 742 East Washington Av
enue - Beer
Walmart, 155 West Washington Avenue -
Beer, Wine
Ashburn Super Market, 818 South Gordon
Street - Beer, Wine
Busy Corner, 106 East Monroe Avenue -
Beer, Wine
Piggly Wiggly, 215 East Monroe Street -
Beer, Wine
Stop & Save, 415 West Washington Avenue
- Beer, Wine
Chevron Gas & Pood Mart, 2005 North
Street - Beer
Dollar General, 326 East Washington Avenue
- Beer, Wine
Quick Stop #3, 708 North Street - Beer,
Wine
Washington Grocery, 833 West Washington
Avenue - Beer, Wine
G-Nez Express, 507 Jefferson Street - Beer,
Wine
Carroll’s Sausage & Meats, 315 Whittle Cir
cle - Wine, On-premise Consumption
Pink Panther, Lee Street - Beer, On-Premise
Consumption, Brown Bag
Quarter Racks Grocery, 722 South Gordon
Street - Beer
Rescue Smokehouse Grill, 245 East Monroe
Street - Beer, On-premise Consumption
Executive Session: Personnel
Turner County moves to Economic Tier 1
