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THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2008
Maysville considers 40% water rate hike
By Justin Poole
FACING AN income shortfall due to
declining demand, the Maysville City
Council is considering a 40 percent hike
in water fees. The current minimum
average bill of $14.50 per month would
jump to $20.30 under the plan.
Last Thursday, the council continued
work on its budgets for 2009 and focused
on the city’s water and sewer department
where the town projects a $184,000
shortfall without a rate increase.
Stephan Lewis, Lyn Villyard, and
Mayor Jerry Baker met earlier with
Chip McGaughey from Engineering
Management, Inc. to discuss the water
and sewer budget. McGaughey said that
the billing system shows a reduction in
use and that means the same amount of
revenue dollars has to be created with
less water being sold.
“Based on the (previous) billing infor
mation we got,” McGaughey said, “the
average use per customer is 4,700 gal
lons per month. According to the billing
system now, the average use is 3,800
gallons per month.”
Baker said the city survives off of
the water and sewer income but that he
BUDGET REVIEW
Chip McGaughey from EMI shows
Maysville City Coiuncil an income
and expense comparison to deter
mine where expenses could be
cut. Photo by Justin Poole
does not favor raising the water rates
higher than necessary. To make up for
the shortfall, the water rates would have
to increase 40 percent. McGaughey also
offered an option to the council to add
rate categories incrementally to soften
the rate hike for some customers.
Lewis stated that he would like to see
a blending of the two options.
Mayor Baker suggested taking
$110,000 from the city’s reserve fund
of $384,000, then slowly adjusting the
rates.
But officials said that even if the city
covered the entire amount from reserve
funds, the problem would only be pushed
to another year as fees and supply costs
continue to rise.
GENERAL FUND
Although it wasn’t discussed Thursday,
Maysville's general fund budget work
sheet projects a tax decrease and only
a small increase in spending. The 2009
general fund budget would net $657,400,
a little more than the 2008 budget of
$635,100. Most of the increase in rev
enues would come from more franchise
tax income.
In expenses, the budgets for both the
city’s police department and library
would be increased. Salary increases are
included in the budget draft.
Runoff election set Dec. 2
Early voting under way in county
THREE STATE seats will be
on the ballot in the special elec
tion on Tuesday, Dec. 2. Early
voting is already under way this
week.
Voters will have three seats
to decide:
•United States Senator: Saxby
Chambliss (R) and Jim Martin
(D).
•Public Service Commission:
Lauren “Bubba” McDonald (R)
and Jim Powell (D).
•Court of Appeals Judge: Sara
Doyle and Mike Sheffield, both
non-partisan.
Early voting is being held
through Friday of this week in
the Administration Building in
Jefferson. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5
p.m. Next week, advance voting
will be held Monday through
Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
at the Administration Building.
Pendergrass budget stays flat
BY SHARON HOGAN OTHER BUSINESS
THE PENDERGRASS City
Council held the first of three
public hearings on Tuesday morn
ing to address the proposed 2009
budget and the proposed 2008
millage rate. No citizens were in
attendance at the meeting.
The proposed millage rate for
2008 is three mills, the same as
it has been the past four years.
City Administrator Rob Russell
said. The proposed budget totals
$680,000 for 2009.
“This is the same budget as last
year,” Russell said.
Some of the money has been
shifted from public safety to pub
lic works in order for the city to
do more work on its streets and
roads, he added.
The other item on the agenda
for Tuesday’s budget hearing
was a discussion on the city’s
planning and zoning proce
dures. Russell said there were
no changes in the procedures.
The hearing was necessary to
make the public aware of the
appeal process that is included
in the planning and zoning pro
cedures.
“This is the same procedure
that the city already has and
a copy is on file at city hall,”
Russell said.
A second hearing was set for
6:30 p.m. that Tuesday and the
final hearing is set for 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 25. Both hear
ings will be held at the depot.
Lawsuit filed against Crow
A LAWSUIT has been filed
against Jackson County commis
sioner Tom Crow for “defama
tion of character.”
Charles Shepherd filed the suit
against Crow and Gene Gilbert
for comments he alleges that they
made about him in April.
The lawsuit does not out
line what was said to defame
Shepherd. However, it does state
that the comments “caused harm
to him and his income.” He is
asking for $10,000 in punitive
damages and for “future earn
ings loss.”
Legislators: Budget to
be main focus of session
BYANGELA GARY
WHEN Legislators head to
Atlanta in January for the 2009
General Assembly, the state’s
shaky budget will be the main
topic of debate.
Legislators representing
Jackson County at the state
capitol. Rep. Tommy Benton,
Sen. Ralph Hudgens, Sen.
Lee Hawkins and Rep. Tom
McCall, agreed at the Jackson
County Chamber of Commerce
breakfast on Nov. 11 that the
state’s budget will be the main
topic in the upcoming session.
Hudgens said the only state
revenue that is not down is tags
and titles, which is up slightly.
“You can’t run a state on
tags and titles,” he said. “We
are going to be talking about
budget, budget, budget...We
are in a crisis here in Georgia.
Revenue is falling.”
When asked what would be
cut from the budget, he said:
“We will cut real dollars and
real programs that impact real
people.”
Hawkins agreed that the
budget is the main concern, but
said it brings an opportunity to
the legislators.
“These are tough times, but
sometimes tough times leads
itself to opportunity,” he said.
“The economy is bad but there
is a light at the end of the tun
nel. We will get out of this.
We have before... It’s a time to
look at our state and remove
non-essential items.”
Hawkins said health care and
transportation are other issues
that will be on the agenda for
the 2009 session.
Benton agreed that finding
“a way to better fund transpor
tation” will be a main issue and
asked for input from people in
his district. He asked that citi
zens send him their concerns
about transportation and other
issues through emails and let
ters.
“Please let us hear from you
if you have concerns,” he said.
“If we don’t hear from you,
then we don’t know that there
are concerns.”
McCall serves on the agri
culture committee and said
issues, ranging from “cows
to sows” would be on the
agenda. He added that he is
against privatizing state golf
courses and understands that
issues about the Bear Creek
Reservoir are of concern to
Jackson Countians.
Hudgens also commented
on Benton’s support Monday
to oust House Speaker Glenn
Richardson from his position.
He encouraged Richardson
to “be a man” and not take
any retaliation action against
Benton. Richardson survived
a challenge to his position
from an uprising by some
House Republicans, including
Benton.
On another issue, Hudgens
said he supported small busi
ness and legislation that impacts
these business owners.
“Small business is the back
bone of our economy and we
need to do all that we can to
promote it.”
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Longer elementary day
proposed with bus changes
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
ONE OF THE major chang
es in a plan to realign Jackson
County School System bus
routes would be a longer
school day for elementary
students.
The proposed new “bell
time” to start elementary
classes is 7:40 a.m., compared
to the current 7:50 a.m. or 8
a.m. start time. Elementary
classes would end at 2:40
p.m., compared the current
finishing time of 2:35 p.m.
Last week, a committee of
school principals and district
transportation officials held
the first meeting to discuss
proposed changes for bus rid
ers. The committee will meet
again on Wednesday, Dec. 17,
at 1 p.m.
Middle and high schools
are expected to start class at
the current “bell times” next
school year. The district’s
transportation department
would schedule students to
arrive early enough to eat
breakfast at the schools prior
to the start of class.
Another change would
include ending the dual bus
sing of elementary, middle
and high school students on
the same bus in the mornings,
according to Vicky Evans,
transportation coordinator for
the school system.
The district plans to get ele
mentary students in the morn
ings, take them to school,
and return to pick up middle
and high school students. The
school system would use the
same bus drivers on those
routes.
“I think more kids would
ride the bus if there weren’t
middle and high (school stu
dents),” Evans said of poten
tial elementary bus riders.
In tossing around possible
times to start classes, Evans
said bus drivers need enough
time to pick up elementary
students and take them to
school — and return to get
middle and high school stu
dents. Committee members
considered a number of pos
sible start and end times for
all schools.
The school system is also
considering a proposal to
end “express bussing” at its
schools.
“Express bussing” appeals
to some working families that
have children in elementary
and middle schools. In those
cases, parents drive their
elementary school student
to school and also drop-off
their middle school student
at the elementary school. An
“express bus” then takes the
middle school student from
the elementary school to the
middle school.
“I think we express out a lot
in the Braselton area,” Evans
said.
District officials expressed
concerns that stopping
“express bussing” would be
a hardship for some county
school system teachers, who
depend on the system to get
their children to school.
An estimated several hun
dred students use the “express
bus” system. The committee
remained undecided about
“express bussing” at its meet
ing last week.
Of the school system’s
7,100 students, it is estimated
that 6,300 students ride buses.
Everyday, there are 85 full
time bus drivers transport
ing students across Jackson
County.
City of Jefferson
PUBLIC NOTICE
In accordance with the Georgia Environmental
Protection Division, the City of Jefferson is required
to notify the public of a minor sewer spill (less than
10,000 gallons). The spill occurred along the main
sanitary sewer located beneath State Route 11, Lee
Street, in the vicinity of Mitchell’s Hardware.
The broken sanitary sewer was repaired on Sunday,
November 16, 2008. Warning notices have been posted
at the Curry Creek tributary that crosses under
Gordon Street. Water quality samples have been
taken and analyzed. No harmful contaminants were
detected.
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