Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2A
THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 2010
Arcade gets reprimand from
state for election error
BYANGELA GARY
A COMPLAINT FILED against the City of Arcade over
alleged misconduct during an election led to the town receiv
ing a letter of reprimand from the state. However, most of the
allegations against the town were dismissed.
The only allegation that the state found to be a violation
was that the city didn't have three poll workers, as is required
by state law.
During the state investigation, an Arcade official said the
city only had two poll workers because of budget constraints.
The city official reported that a city employee was present
at all times and could have assisted with the election, if
needed.
Other allegations, including that an elderly woman was not
given privacy while voting and four people were told to put
their names on their ballots and were instructed to return the
ballots to the clerk instead of putting them in the ballot box,
were reported by the state as being unfounded.
Pedestrian struck by SUV dies
LONGTIME Maysville resident Hazel Strickland died
Thursday, March 4, from injuries she sustained after being
struck by a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV).
A 42-year-old Maysville woman was traveling west on
Highway 98 in a 2006 Ford Explorer when Strickland reported
ly crossed the roadway in front of her, according to the incident
report filed with the Georgia State Patrol. Strickland was struck
by the front bumper of the SUV.
Strickland was transported to Athens Regional Medical
Center where she later died.
The accident was investigated by the Georgia State Patrol.
No charges were fded.
Jefferson mayor wants SPLOST
to go toward existing debt
BYANGELA GARY
JEFFERSON MAYOR Jim Joiner wants to see revenue from
a proposed special purpose local option sales tax go toward pay
ing off existing debt.
A proposed SPLOST vote in July was discussed briefly
Monday night at a meeting of the Jefferson City Council. City
officials attended a recent meeting with county and town lead
ers to discuss the proposed SPLOST vote. Each town is now
discussing how to allocate their portion of the revenue.
The five-year sales tax would bring in approximately $3.4
million for Jefferson, which breaks down to $690,000 per year.
Mayor Joiner said Monday he wants to use this money for the
town’s existing debts. The town's debts include the recreation
complex.
No decision was made but the council was asked to provide
input on the issue in the coming weeks. Several more meetings
will be held with county and city leaders attending.
City to pay for demolition projects
THE JEFFERSON City Council will use $20,000 for
demolition projects on Jimmy Reynolds Road and Cobb
Street.
The two properties have been cited through the city’s nui
sance abatement procedure involving Municipal Court. The
money will be used for demolition and then a tax lien will be
placed on the property.
The owner will have two options: Pay the cost of clean
ing up the property or the property will be sold to cover the
associated costs in the same manner as a tax sale.
Benton speaks on proposed state budget cuts
BY MARK BEARDSLEY
GIVEN THE state's budget crisis, Rep.
Tommy Benton is a marked man.
When the speaker for last Wednesday's
chamber breakfast couldn't attend
because of icy roads, Benton was hastily
drafted to fill in — and explain those pro
posed cuts from the Board of Regents that
would eliminate the Extension Service
and the 4-H programs.
The District 31 Republican took it in
good humor, joking about a need to keep
moving so as to be a less viable target.
But he fired a shot of his own as well.
Benton’s presentation came just days
after the Board of Regents released its
“plan” for cutting $300 million from its
budget as requested by the joint appro
priations committee trying to balance the
2011 budget with a $1 billion revenue
shortfall.
“The appropriations committee asked
the University System to come up with
$300 million in cuts without raising
tuition,” Benton pointed out. “And
the hubbub has been the cuts that the
University System came up with — 4-H,
the nursing programs, all of those things
that are going to get folks riled up and fill
my email box completely.”
Noting that he tries to answer all emails,
Benton said he welcomed the response.
“But if you would like to have your
voice heard by the University System of
Georgia, you need to write the chancel
lor’s office,” he added.
That address is chancellor@usg.edu.
“That's where the situation is with the
University System,” Benton concluded.
“We tell them how much they’ve got to
cut, but they will be the ones to determine
what programs to cut.”
The Jefferson Republican also
addressed the unspoken matter of raising
taxes to cover the deficit.
“Most economists tell us right now
that this is not the time to raise taxes,”
he said. “A lot of people are hurting, and
they can’t afford the taxes they’re already
paying.”
The pain is likely to extend into the
next legislative session as well. Benton
pointed out that federal stimulus funds
that have softened the blow of cutting
funds will be gone.
“When those dry up, that’s $2 billion
we're going to have to find,” he said.
Benton conceded that there has been
talk of creating new revenue through
increasing the sales tax, but he said “its
just not a good climate” for increasing
taxes.
That led Jefferson mayor Jim Joiner to
comment.
“But by cutting education funds, you're
forcing local boards to eventually raise
their taxes, so you are raising taxes one
way or another,” Joiner said. “You're
forcing other people to do it, is what
you're doing.”
Benton replied by pointing out that
there has been talk of increasing the taxes
on cigarettes.
“I have no problem with that; I don’t
smoke,” he said, drawing laughter.
He said some people have also pro
posed removing all exemptions from
sales taxes, but added that such a move
could hurt Georgia retailers, citing the
purchase of farm equipment from out of
state as a repercussion.
Since 2006, the state budget has fallen
from $21 million to about $15 billion.
Asked what the priorities would be once
revenues begin to rebound, Benton said
he expected education would be “first
on the list, since it’s the largest thing
(expense) to begin with.”
“Whether or not we'll ever get back to
2005, 2006 levels, I really doubt it,” he
added. “Not for a good while.”
On other legislative matters, Benton
pointed out that the House is looking at
a water bill and a transportation bill, both
of which are in subcommittees. Asked by
Commissioner Bruce Yates about legisla
tion proposing to “reform” property tax
assessments, Benton said he has not yet
read the legislation.
The General Assembly reconvened this
week after two weeks off, an attempt,
said Benton, to cut the cost of the legisla
tive session.
Only three committees were autho
rized to be in Atlanta during that time,
Benton explained, the joint Appropriation
Committee and the transportation and
natural resources subcommittees.
Benton also repeated his speculation
that once the 2011 budget is finalized, the
General Assembly may be adjourned.
“That keeps us from doing any more
damage than what we would have done if
we stayed the whole 40 days,” he said.
Report Cards continued from page JA
college tuition.
“We certainly didn't want
students to go blindly into high
school having these standards
that you ‘meet' or ‘exceed,’”
Miller said of the upcoming
changes.
Next week, students and
teachers in randomly-selected
classes will be given a survey
about standards-based report
cards. That’ll follow with a par
ent survey on March 22-24.
In addition, the district
will meet with educators and
administrators through the
school year and the summer
to finalize a report card in June
before an academic teachers
assessment summit.
Meetings about standards-
based report cards with parents
will be held at each middle
school in August.
Jackson County is one of
a several school systems in
the state using standards-based
reports cards.
The Northeast Georgia
RESA (Regional Educational
Service Agency ) asked the dis
trict in November to host a
seminar on the program with
25-30 representatives from
school systems throughout the
state, Miller said.
Rise Hawley, assistant
superintendent for teaching
and learning, said the biggest
challenge for the new grad
ing system has been the actual
report card.
“There's not a lot of com
plainants about the process,”
she said. “Parents generally
say, ‘Yes, I know more about
what my kid knows.’ The
teachers are saying, ‘Yes, 1
know those standards inside
and out, and I know what this
kid knows, and I know whal
this kid doesn’t know.”
State Tax Proposals continued from page JA
Perdue's budget back to the governor
“and tell him we want a realistic budget
that's balanced instead of the fees - the
bed tax and the other things he was going
to do to have a four-percent increase in
revenue.”
Benton chided the governor for call
ing the legislature “fear mongers” over
spending cuts.
TRANSPORTATION
Meanwhile, the governor’s transporta
tion bill - House Bill 1218 - was sched
uled to go before the full Transportation
Committee, of which Benton is a mem
ber, Tuesday afternoon. While Perdue
does not like the idea that individual
counties could “opt out” of regional
sales tax plans, Benton said he likes that
provision.
“Say Jackson County gets put in
the same district as Athens,” he said.
“Because of its population, Athens could
carry every vote and leave Jackson
County or any of the other counties out
(of receiving proceeds of the tax). Other
than that, I don’t know why anybody
would want to opt out.”
Visit www.JacksonHeraldToday.com
Plan The Future Of OUR
Community Together!
Comprehensive Plan
Town Hall Meeting
East Jackson Comprehensive
High School
Tuesday, March 23 • 7:00 p.m.
Come and have your voice heard!
Jackson fcounty ^ or i i mtwns ca ^ 706.367.5908 or
^ visit JacksonCountyGov.com
JEFFERSON TIRE
& BATTERY
367-9210
Has Complete Car Ct
• Oil Change • Tune-ups
• Brake Work • A/C Service Repair
• Complete Tire Service
• Replace CV Joints
• Front-end Alignment
HOURS:
Mon.-Fri. 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sat. & Sun. Closed
*Oon't Layaway, Gel ii Today *90 Days Same As Cash *No 4 Month Minimum:* *Money Back Guarantee
* Lowest Prices Gun ran teed *Frec Same Day Delivery *New Brand Name Products *Try It Before You Buy It
*Rcturn Anytime Credit Check *Pay Weekly, Bi-Weekly or Monthly *2 Year Extended Warranty
Call Today! 1-888-694-3330
Crusader
TJrta rt i {'Mtutner Kenul-FUrchMe Agreement V<u ulll noc own tik i mercharhlite enul uru have paid eta raid of afl
required naynenn atccedinj U> the Ccauumcr ftental-Purctrae Agreement. The lotil number of weekly payments. fcr NEW
cay hr any nimhinaliiwi oT ih; futlowing ■xrckly raJnJImrnli: iWHftlHIi'MH wvrth pay .miifli n iI.-Ut-
rtiMd by die Constatier Refits) Purchase Apranere 'you txtChit. Initial paymeei will Include penobc paytwot, 4 applies
bk prceeuinj; fees It Uaes. LosL-'daniace waiver A tiin cun. Cannot be eomtaned ■ilh any ether -yflw. Seme mine-
iHrn apply Kpr Shut Mnupr ft* uinnplb'lr dctaili Putum damn arc Cut il!-nlnJri:ii 7*1171 no icPy. Mixldi an1 i£i>ln
may vary by Ioci&oa. Merchandise may oe new or previously renal WhOe supply Iwsu, Not resporn-fcLe Tor primer eror.
tbyi Mmc'jw-ul! available ou up* ifreemost 1mm gnralcr dm 41 ueekv Fn*r and tim nr -rain. We
wilt hr*I uvi Rent Qj Own ei*ii|ir1ilijr , i prior un cumpai-shL Mom ■■■r wr wili pvc yuu S !('■> Cmltimrr rail pment preuf
erf lower price aa the lime of the rental-purchase, inr f-rr-jrsm ccmpturce or qieniaB. pie Be call mir irfl-tinre Customer
Scoke EfollUv (-466-8JT-1JJ2 for PMoiriaoce. * , Qpett up a no* mflal agrrcmcrL pay firs! weet - * rettl p&w tuani.
pfiaftYiirif hr Bid rplimul AJ-utiiUfr Plus [‘rudutl pi *C-liim fimn aid y.Xu Zrtfl wtrk h five
RENT TO OWN
Experience the Dijftmce.