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3ntk&tnt Progress-Argus
Volume 104 Number 2
Income From County's Social
Tax Levies Makes Decline^
Butts County’s revenue
from two tax sources that
were tapped in 1976 made an
appreciable dip in October,
according to a spokesman for
the Butts County Commis
sion.
The County realized
$13,304.03 from the one-cent
sales tax in October, a
decline of $1,793.04 from the
$15,097.07 the tax generated
during the month of Septem
ber.
As the optional one-cent
Debt Is Paid
After Lapse
Of 25 Years
A. F. White, of Flovilla, has
brought in a copy of the
Progress-Argus issue of
September 10, 1925 which
contained a story about his
late father, Dr. A. F. White,
of Flovilla, and the payment
of a deferred debt. The story
is as follows:
“It has been said that the
happiest words of tongue or
pen is, ‘Enclosed find check.’
Dr. A. F. White, well
known Flovilla physician,
recently received a check in
settlement of an account that
had been forgotten. Some 25
years ago he was called to
treat illness in a family
residing at Lamars Mill. In
the fall the family informed
Dr. White they were unable
to settle the bill, but if they
ever got the money the
amount would be paid. He
dismissed the matter from
his mind.
The name of the family
was Odom. The Odoms are
said to have had a cottage at
the camp ground. Probably
they will be recalled by some
of the older citizens.
Last week Dr. White
received the following letter
from Orlando, Fla:
Dear Dr. White: Enclosed
is my check for $60.44. This
pays a bill for Miss Berta
Odom, of long standing, as I
remember it, together with
interest. Thank you, (Signed)
Mrs. G. R. Stephens.
Judge Rules Tax Refund
Applications May Be Made
In an order signed Monday,
Superior Court Judge Hugh
D. Sosebee has ruled that
applications for refund on
overpayment of 1975 taxes
may be made to the Butts
County Commissioners.
In making his ruling,
Judge Sosebee cited a 1975
Georgia law which provides
that “each county and
municipal corporation of this
State is hereby authorized to
refund to taxpayers any and
all taxes and license fees
which may be determined to
have been erroneously or
illegally assessed and col
lected from such taxpayers
under the law of Georgia or
under the resolutions or
ordinances of any county or
municipality or overpaid by
such taxpayers, whether
paid voluntarily or involun
tarily.”
The judge’s order was in
answer to a petition for
injunction brought by Johnny
Colwell, Robert Williams,
Grover McKibben, Robert
Lane and John B. Bystricky,
as plaintiffs, against D. W.
Bailey, W. A. Duke, Mrs.
Walter J. Bennett and Mary
Will Hearn, defendants. The
injunction petition sought to
enjoin the Commissioners
from making a refund to a
levy is applicable to all retail
sales, the revenue decline is
probably indicative of a
general slackening of sales at
the retail level.
Funds derived* from the
local sales tax are divided on
a pro rata basis among the
County and its municipali
ties, with Butts County
receiving 57.8 percent of the
revenue; Jackson, 35.7 per
cent; Jenkinsburg, 3.6 per
cent, and Flovilla, 2.7
percent.
Nat’l. Quality
Award Given
To J. E. Jones
J. E. Jones, CLU, Special
Representative for Jefferson
Standard, in Warner Robins,
has been awarded the
coveted National Quality
Award for 1976, according to
announcement received this
week.
Mr. Jones has received
special recognition for hav
ing qualified for this designa
tion for seven years.
The highly esteemed Na
tional Quality . Award is
granted annually to qualify
ing representatives in recog
nition of the superior quality
of life insurance service they
have rendered to the public.
The award, in the form of a
certificate, is made by the
National Association of Life
Underwriters and the Life
Insurance Agency Manage
ment Association.
Mr. Jones, a retired
Colonel, is cousin of Vincent
S. Jones and the late Doyle
Jones, Jr. of Jackson.
The receipt of this check
has made Dr. White believe
in the inherent goodness of
human nature. It has also
called to mind the old adage
that “An Honest Man is the
Noblest Work of God.” He
probably appreciates the
loyalty and kindness that
prompted the remittance
more than the material value
of the check itself.”
certain class of individual
taxpayers.
The lengthy legal hassle
over the 1975 Butts County
tax digest began in the fall of
that year when approximate
ly 250 taxpayers formed the
Butts County Taxpayers
Protective Association to
seek relief from what they
believed were excessively
high evaluations of their
properties on the 1975 digest.
Arbitration was eventually
agreed upon as the most
effective, and least costly,
method of resolving the
dispute and the average
percent reduction granted
TPA members of their 1975
property assessments was
38.4 percent.
In December, 1976, the
County Commissioners and
the Tax Assessors solicited
claims for refunds from
those parties not previously
granted relief from the 1975
digest. Asa result, over 1,000
taxpayers applied for a
refund of taxes paid on the
1975 digest.
At a December hearing on
the injunction petition, evi
dence was introduced that
the County Commissioners
proposed a 30 per cent
across-the-board reduction in
the 1975 real property
ackson, Georgia 30233, Thursday, January 13, 1977
Revenues from the beer
and wine tax also declined in
November, with the County
realizing $2,236.02 from this
source. This represents a
drop of $320.78 from the
$2,556.80 the tax brought in
for the month of October.
The total tax decline of
$2,113.82 in one month could
not have come at a worse
time, with the County
officials struggling against
mounting debts until reve
nues from the 1976 tax levy
can be received.
BCABC Film
Be Viewed By
PTA Groups
Thursday, January 13, at
7:30 p.m. in the Henderson
Cafeteria a joint meeting of
the Henderson Elementary
and Jr. High PTA is
planned.
Mrs. Carol Weaver and Mr.
Tom Woods will show the
film presentation of the Butts
County Beautification Com
mittee. The PTA is fortunate
to be able to have this
program and urge all
members and visitors to take
advantage of this oppor
tunity.
Parents desiring to bring
school aged children may do
so as this will be educational
for them. A nursery will be
provided for the small
children.
HERBERT SHAPARD, JR.
IS TOP SCHOLAR
Sewanee, Tenn. Herbert
Shapard, Jr., son of Herbert
F. Shapard of 615 Joy Street,
Jackson, is on the Head
master’s List, the first honor
roll, at Sewanee Academy
for the third grading period
and the first semester.
The ■ Academy is the
preparatory unit of the
Episcopal-owned University
of the South and shares its
mountaintop campus, cul
tural events, and honor code.
Founded in 1868, the AcaSe
my now enrolls about 160
boarding and day students.
assessments with refunds
going to those parties who
had paid an amount over and
above the assessment.
In his order of Monday,
Judge Sosebee ruled that the
Commissioners may receive
applications for refunds, but
that the Commissioners
cannot adopt a fixed percent
age of reduction and apply it
across the board, without
regard to whether such
applicant’s assessment
might have been too high or
too low for the year 1975.
Judge Sosebee said specif
ically in his order:
“It is the conclusion of this
Court that under the law, the
County Commissioners for
Butts County, Georgia, may
receive applications for
refund, and if found meritor
ious in accordance with the
cited provisions of law, make
refund, but in carrying out
this procedure, the Commis
sioners cannot adopt a fixed
percentage and apply it
across the board, nor can
they exclude any particular
class of citizens in Butts
County who may wish to
apply for a refund; that is,
those whose claim was
arbitrated would have a right
to file a claim and have their
claim considered on its
1976 Tax Bills Be Mailed This Week;
Commissioners Request Local Legislation
With the 1976 Butts County
tax digest approved as
submitted by the State
Revenue Department, and
with the millage set at 24.367
mills, Butts Countians should
begin receiving their 1976 tax
bills this w'eek, according to
Mac Collins, chairman of the
County Commission.
The law provides for
payment of. county ad
valorem taxes at anytime
within 60 days from receipt of
the tax bill.
At a meeting Friday
afternoon of the Commission,
Tax Commissioner Ricky
Beauchamp reported that
$106,549.45 had been received
through December 31st on
prepayment of 1976 taxes.
These funds are being held in
escrow until released by the
former Tax Commissioner,
Mrs. Mary Will Hearn,
and-or until an audit of the
office is completed.
The Commissioners voted
to delay until Monday a
decision on county-wide
garbage pick-up, a service
Smith Home
In City Goes
Commercial
Announcement is made
this week of the purchase by
Larry Deraney and Dr.
William Mitchell of the
frame house at the corner of
College and Mulberry Streets
from Miss Ethel Smith.
The house, formerly utiliz
ed as a residence, will be
renovated and remodeled to
suit the needs of prospective
renters, Deraney said.
The location is considered
a prime commercial one,
being adjacent to property
owned by Southern Bell and
situated across College
Street from the A&P and
Polk Tire Company property.
merits by the Board of
Commisioners. Under the
cited provisions of law, the
Board of County Commis
sioners would be required to
consider each claim for
refund individually and
separately in determining
whether or not the property
of the taxpayers was er
roneously or illegally assess
ed, or whether or not any
taxes were received that
were erroneously paid by the
taxpayer or illegally collect
ed by the taxing authorities.
Under this order, the
Commissioners for Butts
County, Georgia, are hereby
authorized to process the
applications for a refund and
to consider such application
for a refund on its merits and
to make a determination as
whether a refund is in order
or is not in order. In making
this determination, a finding
of fact shoud be entered
explaining why the claim is
denied, or if a refund is
granted, to state specifically
why the refund is allowed or
granted.
In entering this order, the
Court is not making a ruling
nor expressing an opinion as
to the validity of the 1975
property tax assessments.
That is not an issue in this
ease,"
presently costing the County
about $49,000 a year.
The Commissioners voted
unanimously to request Bill
Jones, Representative-elect,
to introduce several local
bills at the next session of the
General Assembly. Among
the requests were:
A bill that would authorize
semi-annual payments of
County taxes, on June 20th
and December 20th, which
would be optional in 1977 but
mandatory thereafter.
A bill that would designate
Post No. 1 as chairman of the
County Commissioners in
both the primary and general
elections.
A bill that would place all
of Butts County in the 78th
Representative District. At
present, about 600 voters in
the Worthville area are
eligible to vote in the 73rd
Representative District.
A bill that would require
taxpayers to make their tax
returns to the Tax Assessors,
rather than to the Tax
Commissioner.
Electronic Lab
Dedicated At
Ga. J-School
Dedication ceremonies for
the new James M. Cox
Electronic News Laboratory
were held January 6 at the
University of Georgia’s
School of Journalism.
Anne Cox Chambers,
chairman of the board of
Atlanta Newspapers, made
the formal dedication saying
that despite the tremendous
technological and compu
terized progress that has
been made in news gathering
and editing, “the machine
must be filled with creative
and accurate words. That is
the important part you (the
students) will play.”
Mrs. Chambers was wel
comed by the Dean of the
Journalism School Scott
Cutlip. Following the dedica
tion, H. L. Stevenson, Vice
President and Editor in Chief
of United Press Interna
tional. spoke to a large group
of students, faculty and press
on “The Exploding World of
Electronic News.”
The new equipment was
made possible by a $67,000
grant from the Cox Founda
tion. Included are two
high-speed printers which
print 1200 words per minute.
The printers feed the copy
into a New York computer
and issue computer printouts
of the copy. These printouts
may be used by instructors to
make copies of a student’s
work for grading.
In addition, the equipment
directly links the Journalism
School with UPI computer
files. The school is the first in
the nation to have direct
access to full UPI wire
reports.
The Progress-Argus was
represented at the dedication
by Vincent Jones and Dale
Whiten, both graduates of the
Henry W. Grady School of
Journalism,
FISHING ACTIVITY
IS AT LOW EBB
According to Ben Gunn,
chief fishing forecaster for
the Department of Natural
Resources, there has been
little fishing in Butts County
lakes for the past week.
In his prediction for fishing
conditions for the week of
January 9-15th, Gunn says
that Jackson Lake will be low
and clear and that High Falls
will be normal and muddy.
An amendment to the
present law which would put
Butts County on a cash basis
and eliminate the past policy
of deficit financing.
Dr. William Mitchell was
appointed as the Commis
sion's representative to the
Butts County Board of
Health.
As an economy measure,
effective Sunday, January
i6th. the County land-fill
dump on Brownlee Road will
be closed each Sunday and a
dumpster will be placed at
the entrance for the con
venience of all citizens.
The Commissioners have
initiated a maintenance
program on all vehicles
owned by the Sheriff's
Department and this facility
will be expanded in the
future.
The complete breakdown
of the 1976 tax levy is
reproduced elsewhere in this
issue.
At the meeting Monday,
the Commission voted un-
Walter Finley
Home Burned
On Monday
The home of the Walter
Finleys on the Keys Ferry’
Road, about 200 yards from
the Henry County line, was
destroyed by fire early
Monday morning.
The loss was described as
total for both the dwelling
and all possessions.
Settle & Robison, of
Jackson, owner of consider
able property in that area,
was listed as owner of the
home occupied by the
Finleys.
Both the Butts and Henry’
County fire departments
responded to the call but
were unable to save the
dwelling.
Those wishing to make
donations of clothing to the
Finley family, who lost all of
their possessions in the fire,
may leave them with Butts
County Sheriff Billy Lever
et te. or one of his deputies.
Proper sizes for the adults
are dress size 18. shoe size
7' 2. and trouser size 38. shirt
15' 2 and shoe size 10. For the
six-year-old girl, dress size
6-to-7 and shoe size 10. and
for the eight-year-old boy,
clothes sizes 8-to-10 and size 1
shoes.
COUNTY DUMP BE
CLOSED ON SUNDAYS
At their meeting Friday,
January 7th, members of the
Butts County Board of
Commissioners voted to
close the County land-fill
dump on Brownlee Road on
Sundays as an economy
measure.
For the convenience of
those who have been using
the dump on Sundays, a
dumpster will be placed
outside the gates.
The effective date of the
Sunday closing will be
January 16th.
BAND BOOSTERS
Wil l. MEET
JANUARY ITTII
The Butts County Band
Boosters Club will meet
Monday. January 17th. at
7:30 o'clock in the Jackson
High School Library. The
public is invited to attend this
meeting.
animously not to accept a
$60,000 bid by John Sherrell
to provide ambulance ser
vice for the county. Sherrell,
whose ambulance service the
county is presently contract
ed with, said he would
terminate service as of
January 23.
The Commission later met
with the Hospital Authority
and the members were asked
if they were interested in
contracting for ambulance
service. The Authority said it
would consider the proposal
and give an answer after its
meeting Thursday night.
The Commissioners will
also meet with state officials
this week to determine if any
state assistance can be
obtained in getting new
ambulance service and
equipment.
The Commission voted to
renew the contract with Solid
Wastes. Inc. for continued
county-wide garbage pick
up.
However, the new con
tract. which is for 31 months.
Southern Railway To Train
Hundreds at McDonough Center
A $970,631.00 contract with
the Washington. D. C..-based
Southern Railway Company
to help train and provide jobs
for 1,164 persons during 1977
was announced today by the
Employment and Training
Administration of the U. S.
Department of Labor.
The one-year agreement
continues a similar program
conducted by Southern in
1976. which resulted in the
training of 1,230 persons and
their subsequent placement
in various mechanical, cleri
cal. informational, and train
service jobs throughout
Southern's 10.500-mile sys
tem in 13 southeastern states.
As in last year's program,
the emphasis in 1977 will be
on the training and employ
ment of minorities, including
veterans and those who are
disadvantaged, or unemploy
ed. or underemployed.
Individuals selected for
training will be recruited
from the areas in which they
will be offered jobs. The
selection will be made in
cooperation with U. S.
Employment offices, and
Gas Shortage Affects Schools,
Industries As Cold Continues
Jackson Mayor C. B.
Brown. Jr,, faced Tuesday
with a drastic reduction in
the City's natural gas
supplies from the Southern
Natural Gas Company,
ordered all public and
private schools in the County
closed for Wednesday and
until the severe winter
weather abates.
Mayor Brown said the
school closing, which applied
to both public and private
schools, w ill be handled on a
day-to-day basis and school
will resume when the
weather moderates and the
City's gas supplies return to
normal.
Gas supplies to the City's
industries have also been cut
back and industrial users are
cooperating by shutting down
parts of their operations, the
Mayor said.
Mayor Brow n asked for the
cooperation of all citizens
during the emergency and
requested homeowners to
turn their thermostats down
as low as possible upon
retiring.
Butts County on Monday
15c Per Copy
is $41,520 a year com Dared
with the $47,888 previous
contract and represents an
annual savings of $6,360.
In other action, the
Commission discussed work
ing out a system whereby
city fire department person
nel would also answer county
calls with a volunteer
manning the department
while the regular employe
was away.
City Councilman John
Coleman, who heads the city
fire department committee,
reported to the Commission
that the city-county fire truck
which was wrecked about a
year ago, should be repaired
and ready for service this
week.
The Commissioners voted
to make the owner of a
tractor which is already in
use at the Road Department,
an offer of $40,000 for the
tractor. This price is to
include the SB,OOO owed on the
past-due lease.
The Commission desig
nated E. H. Roberts as
temporary zoning admini
strator.
other federal and state
agencies.
Individuals selected for
mechanical crafts will be
trained at Southern's new
Technical Training Center at
McDonough. Ga.. for assign
ment in their home areas.
Those chosen for train
service jobs will be trained in
the area to which they will be
assigned.
The contract with Southern
was negotiated under pro
visions of the Comprehensive
Employment and Training
Act (CETA), which became
public law on December 28,
1973. The stated purpose of
that Act is: “To provide job
training and employment
opportunities for economical
ly disadvantaged, unemploy
ed and underemployed per
sons. and to assure that
training and other services
lead to maximum employ
ment opportunities and en
hance self-sufficiency by
establishing a flexible and
decentralized system of
federal, state and local
programs."
night had its coldest weather
of the year, with tempera
tures locally registering as
low as eight degrees.
SOCIAL SECURITY
SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED
A representative of the
Griffin Social Security office
will be in Jackson every
Thursday in the Butts County
courthouse between the
hours of 10 a m. and 1 p.m.
JOE. THE HOBO. SEZ:
r f
A rolling stone nowadays is
a bachelor who has gathered
no boss.