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It is high time someone
attempted to put what you
have frequently termed the
“Tax Mess” into the proper
perspective. We have witnes
sed four separate court cases
with numerous time consum
ing continuances. One of
these cases went to the
Supreme Court of Georgia
who denied allegations made
and stated the local Superior
erred in handling the case as
it did. Later the Supreme
Court refused to consider an
appeal.
Two local Superior Court
Judges disqualified them
selves in one case each on the
technical grounds of “con
flict of interest”. One
commissioner has resigned
in the past year and two
others did not offer for
re-election. A qualified tax
appraiser resigned after
serving several months. I
know from experience that is
most difficult to persuade
any qualified, eligible and
willing person to serve in any
capacity in the tax depart
ments. The air is becoming a
bit fetid with exaggerations,
half truths or worse and
advice to not pay your taxes
or lower your appraisals, etc.
All this plus the current
political hogwash.
The 1974 appraisals which
had been accepted were
raised with a reduction in
millage rates from 31.75 to
23.75 for the 1975 digest. The
1975 appraisals were reduced
a flat 25 percent across the
board in a majority of cases
with the millage rate to be
determined after protests
are heard. A court case was
started on this latest change
and the Judge promptly
disqualified himself as his
home county was mentioned
and he owned property
therein. A full page ad
appeared in the local paper
berating failure of Commis
sioners to furnish tax payers
with millage rate on the
,reduced appraisals and pre
dicting the reduced apprai
sals would result in a millage
rate of from 32 to 35 mills.
Lets look at some fieures and
see just how they would
affect the average home
owner. My home is in the
medium price range and my
taxes have been as follows.
The 1976 figure is the reduced
appraisal at the predicted 35
mill rate.
1974 - $183.88
1975 5174.77
1976 - $173.18
It is quite evident that
home owners on lots or small
tracts of land have not been
materially affected by the
fluctations in appraisals and
millage rates. I checked over
200 places on the 1974 and
1975 digests and find these
figures to be generally in
line.
Operating under instruc
tions and criteria of the State
Revenue Department local
appraisers set up road
frontage one acre deep at
approximately from SIOOO to
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L STYLE, BUT WE CAN GET ONE V
(OUT OF SCRANTON RIGHT A\WM)
Mf */g(j JUS' HOPE IT AIN'T 1
“^K^^^^jN^WALKIN^PISTANCEIy
If we don't stock it, we'll make
every effort to get it for you.
Mattel (BuiLLezi Supply
BUILDING MATERIALS LUMBER j
25 Carolina Ave. Jackson, Ga. I
Phone 775-3266
S2OOO per acre. Useable land
back of the road frontage was
valued considerably down
ward to approximately $l5O
per acre for waste land. The
highest valuation overall per
acre that I have been able to
find is $839 per acre and that
being a 202 acre farm
directly across Highway 36
from the diagnostic center.
All this talk one hears about
“My farm is appraised at
$1,600 per acre” is pure and
simple exaggeration. Admit
tedly some appraisals may
be subject to arbitration or
adjustment but if the owner
can’t prove justification for a
reduction why not accept the
decision and stop starting
court cases that are accom
plishing nothing, except
expense to the tax payer and
damage to the economic
stability of the county.
According to press re
leases the 1 percent sales tax
is exceeding all expectations.
The nine months tax collect
ed in Butts County will
apparently be applied again
st the 1977 property tax, after
which a full years collections
will apply. In addition the
new beer tax now county
wide is producing thousands
of more dollars. Most
certainly these increased
revenues are going to give
considerable relief in proper
ty taxes within a few months.
I do not pretend to have the
whole answer but to show I
am or should be familiar with
tax procedures I will state
that I served as temporary
Chairman of the Tax Board
and handled 13 cases of
arbitration plus 42 other
cases threatening arbitra
tion. I assisted Southeastern
and Hannicutt appraisal
companies in re-appraisals
of all lake properties and
certain other properties. All
of this for a small amount of
expense money on one
occasion.
I have verbatim copies of
court decisions; list of
litigants with taxes paid in
1974 and 1975; clippings of
news releases from your
paper and other clippings
from other papers on
comparable matters. In
addition I have copies of laws
and masses of figures from
county records which space
does not permit to publish
and which might only cause
personal embarrassment
albeit very interesting.
My sympathy goes out to
farmers in this tax matter
but those land speculators
who stand unnamed in
“Incorporation” handling of
sales I say take it or leave it.
In view of major relief that
is certain to come within a
year I suggest that those who
have a grievance handle
same through proper chan
nels as suggested by the
Supreme Court of Georgia
and accept the decision
without further futile court
action. And please P.T.A.
stop protecting my interests.
I am more than satisfied and
THE JACKSON PROGRESS-ARGUS, JACKSON, GEORGIA
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
I thought some of your
readers may be interested in
an energy conserving home I
am building outside of
Jenkinsburg. Some of the
primary features are:
Six inches inslulation in the
outer walls instead of the
standard three-and-one-half
inches.
Six inches insulation under
the floor.
Twelve inches insulation
above the ceiling.
Reduced window area
(limited to .08 percent of the
floor area of the house).
Thermostat controlled at
tic exhaust fan to reduce air
perhaps if no more results
are forthcoming than as at
present, I suggest we get the
Honorable Hosea Williams
and his group of chanters to
come down and start a
march on the court house.
THANKS
VOTERS AND FRIENDS
Your generous support on August 10 not only placed me in the August
31st run-off for Post No. 3 on the Butts County Commissioners, but gave me the
highest vote total of the four candidates in this race.
Your wholehearted endorsement of my candidacy left me not only humbled
by your response, but even more dedicated to the task of building a better
Butts County for all of us.
Asa busy businessman, I make you this solemn promise, I will devote
as much time to the office of County Commissioner, if elected, as is required
to give you the type of progressive, professional administration of this office
that you are entitled to.
In the brief period before the August 31st run-off primary, I will make
every effort to contact as many of you personally as humanly possible.
Should I fail to see you personally, please accept this notice as my appeal
for your vote and support and my pledge to conduct die affairs of Butts County
in a fair and honorable manner.
Thank you again for your wonderful response to my candidacy.
WILLIAM C. MITCHELL, JR.
Candidate For
BUTTS COUNTY COMMISSIONER
POST NO. 3
Democratic Primary Run-Off, August 31st
Flovrlla Happenings
By Mrs. Emily Burns
Mrs. S. A. Elliott and Mrs.
Winnie Moncrief visited with
Misses Vivian and Agnes
Hay recently.
conditioning requirements.
These features permit use
of a smaller heating-air
conditioning unit.
The difference in cost
between this and “standard”
construction is negligible.
As energy costs continue to
rise-whether gas or electric
it becomes important to
reduce and conserve total
energy requirements; and on
an individual basis, we all
can appreciate a substantial
reduction in heating and air
conditioning costs.
Franklin D. Terrell
P.O. Box 126
Jenkinsburg, Ga.
Guests Monday of Mr. and
Mrs. S. A. Elliott were Mr.
and Mrs. Dave Phillips of
Clearwater. Fla. and Miss
Kathleen Maddux of Macon
Mr. and Mrs. C. T.
Huggins. Emily and Skip
attended the Moore family
reunion at Oak Mountain,
Ala. during the weekend.
Paul. Christine, Sonny.
Pat. Michael, Brandan and
Crissy James attended the
James family reunion held in
Locust Grove at the home of
Mr and Mrs. Branard
Singley.
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Heil and
Miss Pat Heil visited Mrs.
Mollie Padgett recently.
Sunday guests of Mrs.
Mollie Padgett were Mr. and
Mrs. Ralph Mulkey of
Riverdale.
Mr. and Mrs. Sonny
THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 1976
James. Michael and Brandon
s|H nt Monday at Six Flags in
Atlanta.
The marriage of Mr.
Randy Long and Miss Kathy
Despain of Chamblee was
performed Saturday after
noon at 2:30 at the Flovilla
Baptist Church with Rev.
James Bohannon officiating.
Mr. and Mrs. Dale Robin
son and Jason spent last
week vacationing at North
Mvriie Beach. S. C.
Mr and Mrs. Malcolm
Smith and Rod. and Mrs. R.
C. Riley. Sr. visited on
Sunday afternoon with Mr.
and Mrs. Claude Riley of
Clarkston.
Mr and Mrs. Ed Williams,
Glenn and Andy enjoyed
several days last week
vacationing at Daytona
Beach, Fla.
Mr. and Mrs. Sanford
Elliott, Mary Ann and Elaine
visited in Orlando, Fla. this
weekend with Miss Wendy
Elliott, a student at The
Southeastern Academy.
Mrs. Edith Roberts and
Miss Virginia Smith, along
with Mrs. Beth Hearn on
Sunday and Mrs. Sara
Freeman on Monday, visited
in Cork with Miss Roxie
Smith and Mrs. Roxilu
PEST CONTROL
Residential A Commercial Service
(r O. &G.
\ > EXTERMINATING CO
EAST MAIN ST.
HAMPTON, GA.
I. Ants - Roaches - Fleas
aJ 1 ' * VTioks - Mice - Rats - Etc
SL&lkf a \ INSPECTIONS
JSpI 1-946-4660
CALL COLLECT
Bohrer and their guest this
week. Miss Jewel Smith of
Manchester.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Duke
of Gordon. Mr. Emory Duke
of Jonesboro, Mrs. Emily
Burns, Billy and Beth and
guests, Mr. and Mrs. Paul
Duke, Paul Curtis and Gary
of San Antonio, Texas spent
Wednesday at Six Flags Over
Georgia.
"Opportunities come every
twelve years." Hindu proverb
