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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2009
THE JACKSON HERALD
PAGE 3A
HWIU IW.KI1II
706-36 7-075!
312 VICTORIA
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TORCH RUN PASSES THROUGH JEFFERSON
The Georgia Special Olympics torch passed through Jefferson last week. Shown with the torch are: (L-R)
Brian Mitsdarffer, Arcade police chief Randy Williams, Dwight Allen and J.D. Gilley with the Braselton Police
Department. Photo by Angela Gary
Nicholson City Council approves six-month budget
BY SHARON HOGAN
A PROPOSED 2009 tran
sitional budget was approved
by the Nicholson City Council
Monday night.
The proposed transitional
budget totals $343,500, with
the general fund budget at
$300,000 and the capital proj
ects fund at $43,500.
The six-month budget rep
resents a one-time period
and is necessary because the
city, as of January 1, 2010,
has changed its budget cycle
to January through December.
This change was part of the
newly adopted city charter.
The council held a budget
hearing on Thursday, May
28, prior to the monthly work
session meeting to hear pub
lic input on the proposed six-
month budget.
Nicholson resident Daniel
Sailors said, “Have you reduced
your budget any?” The county
is down 12 percent in tax rev
enue.
Mayor Ronnie Maxwell said,
“Not this six-month budget. We
will look at reductions in the
next budget.” Maxwell said the
city has some capital projects
to get finished during the next
six months.
Nicholson City Attorney Rob
Russell said, “In Nicholson,
in a $700,000 budget only
$150,000 is Local Option Sales
Tax (LOST) revenue.” A large
portion of the city’s revenue is
franchise fees, Russell added.
Nicholson resident Mike
Stowers said there is franchise
money out there that Nicholson
is not getting. Russell said the
Georgia Municipal Association
can come in and do a franchise
audit.
“We are definitely going to
look at a franchise audit as soon
as we can,” Russell said.
The final public hearing on
the budget was held prior to
the regular council meeting.
No citizens came out to speak
on the budget this week. The
budget will become effective
July 1.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business:
•the council approved a reso
lution that gives Maxwell the
authority to sign the Jackson
County Service Delivery
Agreement. Russell said the
county has asked to extend the
current service delivery agree
ment. All municipalities in
the county are being asked to
approve a resolution that allows
the mayors to sign the agree
ment on behalf of their cities.
•the council set a meeting
for 6 p.m. on Thursday, June
18, to discuss the Nicholson
July 4th celebration. The event
will be held from 4-11 p.m. on
Saturday, July 4, at the city’s
amphitheater. Maxwell said the
entertainment and fireworks
display are already lined up.
“This year should be better than
last year,” Maxwell added. Bar-
b-que, hot dogs, funnel cakes
and other food items will be
available.
The next regularly scheduled
council meeting will be held
at 7 p.m. on Monday, July 6,
at the Nicholson Community
Center. A work session meet
ing will be held at 6:30 p.m. on
Thursday, July 2, at the com
munity center.
Also at last week’s work ses
sion:
•Annette Raymond,
Piedmont Court Appointed
Special Advocates (C.A.S.A.),
asked the council for a $1,000
donation to help fund this pro
gram. “Grant funding is not
enough. We are going out and
asking the cities and counties
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for donations,” Raymond said.
•Steve Nichols, Nicholson
Fire Department Assistant
Chief, and a large group of
firemen and emergency medi
cal technicians addressed the
council about the city’s ISO
rating. The city’s ISO rating of
five will become effective July
1, Nichols said. An ISO rating
of five in a rural area like this
is almost unheard of, he added.
Nichols also addressed a let
ter containing negative com
ments that had been written
by Maxwell and sent to the
state concerning the ISO rat
ing. Nichols said one thing was
a comment about the money
that was spent. Fifty-percent
was fire department, 40 per
cent was water department and
10 percent was communication
system, Nichols said. “There
seems to be the feeling that
the city was left out,” Nichols
said. The city is the driving
force behind the whole situ
ation, he said. Maxwell said,
“I apologize for writing about
this. Just know that we sup
port you 100 percent.” Tully
Westmoreland, Nicholson
Water Authority Chairman,
said “Everybody in this room
helped pay.” If a person paid a
water bill, spent a dollar or paid
state taxes, they helped pay
for this, Westmoreland added.
The water authority spent
$100,000, 50 percent was a
grant, Westmoreland said.
•Maxwell told the council
that the city’s cost to provide
garbage service to the dis
abled/handicapped is $10.62
per month. The city currently
charges the disabled/handicap
customers $10 per month.
Maxwell said, “We need to
go up $1 to $1.50 per can to
break even.” Maxwell said the
city currently has 300 garbage
customers, 150 are disabled/
handicapped customers. “We
are losing $1.62 per can per
month on these,” Maxwell
said. Maxwell said the city
is losing $1.20 per month on
each business. No action was
taken on this issue.
•Maxwell said the city
received two requests during
the past week concerning spon
sorships for baseball teams.
“One is up to $1,200,” said
Maxwell. Russell said, “That is
taxpayer money. Georgia law
says you can’t do it.” No action
was taken on this issue.
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• The Jackson Herald
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• The Braselton News
• The Banks County News
• The Madison County Journal
JESUS CHRIST
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4859 Mt. Olive Road, Commerce
Meeting Time: Sunday, 9:00 am
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For Missionaries Call: 706-380-9927
The Church Of Jesus Christ
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HI VETERANS OF
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Post 4872, Hurricane Shoals Convention Ctr.
Each 4th Tuesdasy, 7:00 p.m.
Lamar Langston, Commander
Phone 706-652-2627 263
JEFFERSON EIONS CEUB
Meets 2nd & 4th Monday
Jefferson City Clubhouse
6:30 p.m.-(706) 387-1156
Mack Cates, President
542
A UNITY LODGE
F & A.M.
No. 36, Jefferson, GA
1st Tuesday of each month, 7:30 p.m.
Dwayne Potts • 706-367-4449
Borders St. behind Tabo’s 260
JEFFERSON ROTARY CLUB
Meets Tuesdays
Jefferson City Clubhouse
12:30 p.m.-(706) 367-7696
Gina Mitsdarffer, President
547
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^jjAMERICAN LEGION
" Riders Post 215
Meets each 2nd Thursday, 7 p.m.
In Homer, GA at the
American Legion Building on
Historic Highway 441 pd,o2/io
J* Georgia Real Estate Investors
Association, Inc. - Athens
Meets the third Thursday each month
6:30 pm at the UGA Conferen ce Center
1197 South Lumpkin Street,
Athens, GA 30601
Tom Hewlett - Chapter President
thewlettl@charter.net pj 12/09
BANKS COUNTY
HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC.
meets first Monday each month
7:00 p.m. in the Banks Co. Historial
Courthouse at 105 U.S. Hwy. 441
North in Homer pd,-07/09
St. Catherine Laboure
Catholic Mission
Mass Schedule: Sat. 4:00 p.m.,
Sun. 11:00 a.m., Wed. 12:10 p.m.
Parish Council meetings:
2nd Sunday of the month after 11:00 mass
First Friday Adoration 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Website: www.stcatherinelabourega.org
706-335-2622 pd.05/09
JEFFERSON
HI AMERICAN LEGION
Albert Gordon Post 56
Each 3rd Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
Harvie Lance, Commander
Phone (706) 654-1274 tio
BANKS COUNTY
fg| AMERICAN LEGION
Post 215
Meets each 3rd Thursday, 7 p.m.
In Homer, GA at the
American Legion Building on
Historic Highway 441 Pd.06/09
Computer upgrades
approved by BOC
Cost: $146,112
BY ANGELA GARY
AN UPGRADE to the
computer system at a cost
of $146,112 was approved
by the Jackson County
Board of Commissioners
Monday night.
The BOC agreed to
fund the construction of a
fiber link from the court
house, located at 5000
Jackson Parkway, to the
Administrative Building,
located at 67 Athens Street.
Technology director
Justin King said this will
increase the bandwidth
between the data centers to
support existing services to
EMS, the sheriffs office,
the finance department, the
purchasing department and
other county offices.
Some of the services that
will be possible due to the
upgrade include:
•establishing a reliable
fiber pathway for connect
ing radio towers and car
rying additional data for
public service agencies.
•additional remote com
puter operations for the
patrol cars and EMS.
•additional remote EMS
and sheriffs office sites, as
well as VOIP phone system
sites.
•enhanced data recovery
in case of a fire.
•elimination of duplicat
ed services in each data
center.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at the
almost three-hour meeting
Monday night:
•Charlotte Mealor, chair
man of the Jackson County
Historic Courthouse
Restoration Committee,
asked the BOC to allow Burt
Walker of the Northeast
Georgia Commission to do
preliminary research on the
historic courthouse renova
tion project at no cost.
•John Buchanan was
appointed to serve on the
Northeast Georgia Regional
Commission Council
(formerly know as the
Northeast Georgia Regional
Development Center).
•state track winners
from the county recreation
department were recog
nized by recreation director
Rickey Sanders and vol
unteer coach Bob Roller.
This is the first time in
12 years that the recreation
department has offered
track. There were 78 kids
and Sanders said it was
“a great start for the pro
gram.” Roller added: “It’s
not often when you start a
new program that you can
have people reach this level
(state winners).”
•Randall Pugh was reap
pointed to serve another
three-year term on the
Jackson County Water and
Sewerage Authority. The
seat held by Rob Jordan
is also up for renewal, but
action on this was post
poned until the next BOC
meeting.
•Kenneth Bridges was
reappointed to the coun
ty board of assessors and
Jimmy Mock was named
to serve on one of the new
seats added to the board.
•Pat Ellis was reappoint
ed to another three-year
term on the Community
Service Board of Advantage
Behavioral Health
Systems.
•a resolution to allow vol
unteer fireman and rescue
workers to be added to the
ACCG-Group Self-Insured
Workers’ Compensation
fund was approved.
•the BOC agreed to pay
its portion, $12,500, on the
construction of restrooms
and a guard house at the
boat ramp at Bear Creek
Reservoir. The money will
come from the Special
Purpose Local Option Sales
Tax recreation fund. The
total cost of the project is
$50,000.
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