Newspaper Page Text
THE
ACKSON
M
H Wednesday, January 13, 2010
ERALD
www.JacksonHeraldTODAY.com
VOL. 135 NO. 30 42 PACES 4 SECTIONS PLUS INSERTS A PUBLICATION OF MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549 75« COPY
— Inside —
Area news:
•Work continues at
historic courthouse
page 2A
•Museum holds
grand re-opening
page 8B
Op/Ed:
•'Subdivisions: What
to do now?'
page 4A
Sports:
•Lady Panthers in
region play
page 1B
No action on defunct subdivisions
BY KATIE HUSTON
A PROPOSAL to issue build
ing permits on a case-by-case basis
in county subdivisions that are out of
code compliance was tabled Monday
night by the Jackson County Board of
Commissioners.
The issue will be up again for dis
cussion at the Feb. 1 meeting of the
BOC at 6 p.m. at the Jackson County
Courthouse.
County planning manager Gina
Mitsdarffer briefed the BOC on what
happens when property owners in
defunct subdivisions apply for build
ing permits and proposed that they be
handled individually.
“When people come for permits now,
it’s denied unless they can work out all
the issues on their own,” she said. “But
with the resolution, (staff) could say,
‘either work with some of the other own
ers, or work on your lots.’”
But after opening the meeting up for
citizen comments, the BOC decided to
table action until later.
There are some 69 subdivisions in
unincorporated Jackson County that were
not fully finished when the recession hit,
leaving developers to walk away from the
incomplete projects. Since those are not
in full code compliance, the county can’t
issue building permits for lots unless the
county changes its current policy.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at Monday night’s
meeting of the BOC:
•staff was authorized to proceed with
the East Jackson Park walking trail in
Nicholson. The trails will be funded with
special purpose local option sales tax and
will cost $273,775.
•a request was approved from Bobby
continued on page 2A
Defunct subdivisions
Subdivision name and percent complete
Aspen Falls 35%
Bear Creek Estates 59%
Bear Creek Plantation 60%
Braselton Farms 50%
BriarRose 0%
Bryceland Manor 0%
Caden Cove 0%
Cambridge Farms (Phase 2) 4%
Cardinal Lake 18%
Charlotte Estates 6%
Clara's Garden 25%
Clarksboro 57%
Fields of Walnut Creek 0%
Finch Landing (Phase 4) 17%
GrandView 41%
Flabersham Oaks 56%
Fleaven’s Acres 4%
Heritage Point 23%
Holly Ridge 20%
Hope Meadows (FKA McCain Farms) 62%
Jefferson Downs 0%
Lake Vista Estates 22%
Laurel Cove 0%
Laurel Trails 0%
Master Oaks 30%
Oconee Station 0%
Olde Trail (Phase 1) 42%
RACO 18%
Redstone II 54%
Ridge Mill Manor (Phase 2) 12%
River Glen 7%
River Meadows 6%
Riverbend 9%
Saddle Shoals 23%
Sandy Creek Golf Course
Subdivision 2%
Scenic Falls of Braselton 8%
St. Thomas Commons 45%
Storey Meadows 14%
Summit Chase East 44%
Falls of Stockton Farm 0%
(Under Development)
The Falls of Stockton Farm (Unit 7a) 20%
The Meadows 22%
Traditions (Phase 1, Pod C) 23%
continued on page 2A
Court*. GA
S3 Out of Compliance
20 Are Pods of Traditions
Legend
Features:
•New jail now open
page 1C
Other News:
•Public Safety
pages 6-7A
•Legals
pages 5-21C
•Church News
page 7B
•Obituaries
page 9A
TWO PROPLE INJURED IN MON. WRECK
Two people, including the wife of Jackson County Tax Commissioner Don
Elrod, were injured Monday afternoon in a head-on crash on Highway 15, the
Commerce-Jefferson Road. The wreck happened around 2 p.m. near the offices
of Jackson Electric Membership Corporation. Injured were Jan Elrod, Jefferson,
and Nicole Dumas. Elrod reportedly underwent surgery Monday night at Athens
Regional Medical Center for leg and hip injuries. The Jefferson Fire Department
and rescue squad and Jackson County EMS responded to the crash.
Photo by Sharon Hogan
•School News
pages 8-10A
MLK Jr. Celebration set Sun.
THE 26TH Annual Martin
Luther King Jr. Birthday
Celebration will be held
on Sunday, Jan. 17, at the
Jackson Electric Membership
Corporation auditorium, locat
ed on Commerce Highway in
Jefferson.
At 3:30 p.m„ the Summer
Hill Baptist Church Male
Chorus, Jefferson, will present
a mini-gospel concert.
The Ecumenical Service
starts at 4 p.m.
The featured speaker will
be Dr. Kenneth O’Neal, M.D.,
along with his wife, Dr. Lome
Richardson-O’Neal, M.D., who
will introduce him.
They are the first African-
Americans to practice medicine
in Jackson County.
University of Georgia
graduate Kathleen Yapp, 71,
Gainesville, who followed her
dream will also be honored dur
ing the M.L.K. Jr. Celebration
on Sunday.
In December, she received
DR. KENNETH DR. LORRIE
O’NEAL RICHARDSON-
O’NEAL
her bachelor’s degree in English
from UGA. She attends the First
Baptist Church of the Nazarene,
Gainesville, where she teaches
Sunday School. She tells her
class, “You Can Do It.”
Also, Odell Collins, Jefferson,
will be honored at the Jackson
County M.L.K. Jr. Celebration
on Sunday.
Collins graduated from
Jackson County Comprehensive
High School. He played foot
ball at UGA.
Collins will be inducted into
the California Community
College’s Football Hall of Fame
on March 6, joining the ranks
of numerous legendary athletes,
like Jackie Robinson, Frank
Gifford, O.J. Simpson, Warren
Moon and Gino Marchetti.
Collins played with the
New York Jets and Baltimore
Ravens before spending half
a year in the C.F.L. with the
Montreal Alouettes. He is the
first Jackson Countian to reach
this plateau.
State Court solicitor Don
Moore will bring greetings
from the city and county gov
ernments.
Awards will be presented to
citizens and business owners
throughout Northeast Georgia.
Several Jackson County min
isters will also be appearing.
The “I Have A Dream”
speech will be given by Mrs.
Elizabeth Easley, Athens, along
with several state-of-the-art per
formers.
The celebration is spon
sored by the Jackson County
Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday
Council.
County tax revenue
boosts school budget
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
THANKS TO a big check
from taxpayers, the Jackson
County School System is wel
coming better financial news
— for now.
Jackson County property
taxes were due on Dec. 20
— and the school district later
received $18.9 million by the
end of the month. Overall, the
school system has received 56
percent of anticipated local tax
revenue half way through the
budget year.
That’s almost $785,000 more
than the local tax collection in
December 2008.
Jeff Sanchez, assistant super
intendent for finance and infor
mation services, said last month
that he expected an estimated
$12 million check from the tax
office. At the time, the school
system budget included a $12.3
million shortfall.
The payout from county
taxes in December helped boost
the Jackson County School
System’s budget into the black
by $2.4 million.
Through the end of December,
income totaled $37.8 million
— or 42 percent of the bud
geted amount for the fiscal
year — while expenses topped
$34.8 million — or 39 per
cent of amount allocated for the
year. The district also shifted
$332,200 to its fund balance for
prior year refunds and invoices.
The school system started the
2010 fiscal year in July $908,580
in the red and anticipates a total
shortfall of $142,900 by the end
of the budget cycle.
The board of education
was required to approve a
deficit elimination plan with
the Georgia Department of
Education.
In May, the board approved a
short-term loan of $14.5 million
until it received its tax collection
revenue in December.
The district ultimately only
borrowed $9.6 million for the
Tax Anticipation Note (TAN)
and repaid it on Dec. 17. The
school system also paid $44,700
in interest for the loan, but had
budgeted $90,000 for interest.
But, this month’s brighter
news for the district’s budget
may be short-lived.
The Georgia General
Assembly started its 2010 leg
islative session on Monday and
declining state revenue remains
a top concern. One of the most
discussed possibilities for school
systems are additional budget
cuts leading to more teacher
furlough days.
“I’m anxious, as everyone
else is, to see (what happens),”
Sanchez said.
Meanwhile, the school sys
tem’s budget committee will
continue to review additional
cuts for the current and next
budgets.
Those cuts could affect local
teacher supplements, personnel,
salary schedules, software, text
books and supplies.
The district will distribute let
ters of intent to teachers on
Friday, while central office
administrators continue to talk
to principals about a points sys
tem to trim personnel costs.
The Jackson County Board of
Education is expected to discuss
its proposed 2011 budget in-
depth during its annual retreat
tentatively set for Thursday and
Friday, March 4-5. The two-day
retreat will be held at the dis
trict’s central office.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the Jackson
County Board of Education:
•learned that Special
Purpose Local Option Sales
Tax (SPLOST) collections for
continued on page 2A