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THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2010
Benton highlights budget at town hall meeting
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BENTON SPEAKS
District 31 State Representative Tommy Benton (L) speaks to citizens at the town
hall meeting held on Tuesday, June 22, in Jefferson. Benton discussed some of the
2010 General Assembly Legislative highlights and answered questions from the
audience. Photo by Sharon Hogan
BY SHARON HOGAN
AROUND 20 people turned
out on Tuesday, June 22, in
Jefferson for the town hall meet
ing hosted by District 31 State
Representative Tommy Benton.
Benton, who has served
District 31 for six years, said, “It
(serving as state representative)
is a job you really care about
serving ... there is no self in it.”
District 31 represents parts
of Jackson, Barrow and Hall
counties with six school sys
tems located in this district.
Benton currently serves on
the transportation, retirement,
education and rules commit
tees.
Benton said, “The general
assembly enacts legislation for
the betterment of the state. We
are charged with passing a bud
get.”
In regard to the $38 billion
2011 budget just passed, Benton
highlighted some key points.
Of the $38 billion, $17 billion
comes from the state and the
rest comes from federal funds
and grants, Benton added.
Benton reported that even in
this time of economic down
turn Georgia's population has
increased by close to one mil
lion people in the last five years.
The population is now around
10 million people.
Benton said the state elimi
nated over 7,000 positions from
the payroll over the past 18
months. “This has been an 8
percent reduction in the work-
fore,” he said. Some of this was
people retiring and not being
replaced, Benton added.
“Since fiscal year 2008 state
spending has been cut almost $4
billion, over 20 percent,” Benton
said. Benton added, Georgia
remains the lowest per capita
spending state in the nation.
“Georgia maintains the high
est bond rating, AAA, which
is currently held by only six
states,” Benton said.
Bentonsaideducationremains
the number one priority. Fifty-
nine percent of the 2011 state
budget is going to education.
This is the highest percentage
going to education in state his
tory. Of the 59 percent going
to education, 25 percent will
go to programs, Benton added.
Eighteen percent of the budget
goes to health care, 9 percent
to public safety, 4 percent to
transportation and 10 percent to
all others.
Benton said, “Education cuts
have been significantly less than
every other agency.”
Benton said one important
thing to remember is the 2011
budget includes almost $2 bil
lion in stimulus money that will
be gone next year.
There are no earmarks in the
2011 budget, Benton added.
Benton said 24 months out
of the last 26 months the state’s
revenue has been down from the
previous month.
Benton added, “Furloughing
state employees and teachers
on the same day saves $45 mil
lion.”
A citizen said, “We spend a
lot on education, why are our
kids coming out of colleges not
being able to write a coherent
sentence or spell three words in
a row correctly?” Benton didn’t
have a precise answer on this.
He said, “We are continuing to
raise the graduation rate in the
state ... One issue is people
don’t see the importance of an
education.”
Benton highlighted education
bills passed in this legislative
session:
•Bridge Act - encourages dual
enrollment and technical educa
tion for Georgia high school
students.
•School Board Governance
Act - allows the removal of a
failing school board to protect
the integrity of the local public
education system to avoid the
loss of accreditation when the
system is placed on probation.
•Local School System
Expenditure Flexibility - allows
local school systems to tempo
rarily waive the individual class
room size mandates to fit into a
grade-level average classroom
size, in order to save money and
staff positions.
•HB 977 - states that if a
local school board of education
furloughs teachers, the local
board cannot use state funds to
increase the salary of the super
intendent or other administra
tive staff.
TRANSPORTATION
Benton reported a transpor
tation bill passes that gives
voters the opportunity to vote
on their areas transportation
needs. The bill creates 12 spe
cial tax districts for transporta
tion along Georgia's Regional
Commission's existing bound
aries.
Each of the 12 districts
will assemble a Regional
Transportation Roundtable,
which will be comprised of local
government officials, such as
county commissioners and city
mayors. During the roundtable
meetings, local officials from
throughout the district will cre
ate and approve their districts'
transportation investment list.
The project list, approved by
the roundtable, will be put on
a referendum that Georgians
within the district will be able
to vote on.
Twenty-five percent of the
money generated in the region
will go back to the local gov
ernments to be spent on their
local transportation needs. The
money will be divided up by
population and lane miles. The
first vote is state-wide at the
general primary in 2012. The
votes will be tallied by district.
A citizen review panel will
also be created in each district
to monitor the optional sales
tax by checking progress on the
project list.
WATER CONSERVATION
Benton said SB 370 recog
nizes the need to create a cul
ture of conservatism. The bill
requires state agencies to iden
tify incentives and programs to
promote water conservation and
it encourages efficient plumbing
devices in new construction, as
well as sub-metering for multi
unit complexes.
The Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) requires a
“Best Practices” program to
improve public water systems.
This bill combined with 2008
legislation expedites develop
ment of new reservoirs.
ETHICS REFORM
Benton advised SB 17 pro
vides fuller and more immedi
ate access to all reports required
to be filed by legislators and
lobbyists. Lobbyists now have
to file every two weeks during
the session and monthly during
off session.
Fines and penalties were
raised dramatically for non-
compliance.
The billnow requires all local
elected officials to file with the
State Ethics Commission.
“We added a sexual harass
ment clause and an abuse of
power clause, due to the pre
vious issues with the former
Speaker,"Benton said.
The bill creates greater
transparency for the public, he
added.
PROPERTY TAX
REFORM
A requirement was put in
place that every property owner
receive an annual notice of
assessment, which guarantees
the right to appeal. Every notice
of assessment must contain
estimated property tax and the
appeal time period was expand
ed from 30 to 45 days, Benton
reported.
For more on the 2010 legis
lative highlights visit Benton's
website at www.tommybenton.
com.
“What would you have per
sonally done different in the
ethics legislation?,” one citizen
asked. Benton said, “A limita
tion on gifts might have been
something to look at.”
Another citizen asked Benton
if the state retirement will get
a Cost Of Living Adjustment
(COLA). Benton said, “They
did not last year, the fund
dropped below the designated
amount.”
A citizen asked Benton, “Did
you vote for the zero based bud
get?” “Yes,” Benton said. “The
governor vetoes it,” Benton
added, “His reasoning was, we
are already doing this.”
Another citizen asked, “What
would you say about the fan-
tax?” Benton said, “In theory
that sounds good ... we would
really be suffering right now.
I would like to see the fair tax
tried somewhere.”
Another citizen questioned
Benton about an internet tax.
Benton advised this is one
thing the legislature is con
sidering.
Celebrate Braselton festival
ahead Sunday afternoon
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
THOSE familiar with
Braselton's Fourth of July
parade should take note of a
change for this year's event.
Instead of being held in
the morning, the parade will
start at 4 p.m. in downtown
Braselton along Ga. Hwy.
53.
That's because the Fourth
of July falls on a Sunday
— and town officials didn’t
want to schedule a road-clos
ing parade during the morn
ing, when people are heading
to church.
The Celebrate Braselton
festival — now entering its
eighth year — will welcome
Johnny O'Connell as its
grand marshal for the Sunday
parade.
O’Connell is an American
Le Mans Series champion
and Corvette racing driver.
The American Le Mans
Series is based in Braselton.
“We are thrilled with
Johnny O’Connell being
our grand marshal,” said
Braselton Mayor Bill Orr in a
statement. “This town is well
connected to world-wide rac
ing, so fans get an up close,
extra treat on July 4.”
O’Connell is the three-time
American Le Mans Series
champion with 38 wins, eight
victories at Sebring including
the 2009 race and has started
a record 100 races in AMLS-
sanctioned competitions.
A resident of Flowery
Branch, O’Connell is
described as “funny and fear
less.” Of his 102 career rac
ing starts, he has 80 podium
finishes, 93 top-five finishes
and 100 top-ten finishes. The
father of two, he holds a
black belt in karate and
hosts an annual charity auc
tion at Road Atlanta to ben
efit seniors and research on
Alzheimer’s disease.
The Mill Creek High
School band is also slated
to be featured in this year’s
parade through downtown
Braselton.
The Celebrate Braselton
festival will officially start
on Sunday, at 9 a.m. at the
Braselton Park, where at least
20 different vendors will be
available. The park is located
in downtown, behind West
Jackson Primary School and
near Countryside Antiques.
Vendors will be offer
ing arts and crafts, food, an
inflatable bounce house and
children’s games, according
to Danielle Austin, who is
coordinating the festival for
the town. The booths close
at 7 p.m.
Live music will be provid
ed by the Daniel Lee Band, at
11 a.m.; the Big Don Band,
at 2 p.m.; and the Sons of
O’CONNELL
Celebrate Braselton
festival schedule
Sunday, July 4
•9 a.m.: Booths open in Braselton
Park
•10 a.m.: Miss Lollipop the Clown
will be in the park for free face
painting and balloon animals
•11a.m.: Live music by the Daniel
Lee Band
•1 p.m.: “Fatty’s Competition” hot
dog eating contest, at the park
•2 p.m.: Live music by the Big
Don Band
•4 p.m.: Parade through down
town Braselton
•5 p.m.: Live music by the Sons
of Sailors
•7 p.m.: Booths close
•Dusk: Fireworks show on Ga.
Hwy. 211, behind Publix.
Sailors, at 5 p.m.
Miss Lollipop the Clown
will be in the Braselton Park,
at 10 a.m., for free face paint
ing and balloon animals.
Also, a “Fatty’s
Competition” will be held
at 1 p.m., at the Braselton
Park. Fatty's of Atlanta is
sponsoring the hot dog eat
ing contest, which has a $10
entry fee.
The winner of the hot dog
eating competition will get
their entry fee back, and will
get a T-shirt and their photo
published on the Fatty’s of
Atlanta website.
And to finish the Fourth
of July event, the town will
hold a fireworks show at
dusk behind the Publix on
Ga. Hwy. 211, across from
Chateau Elan.
An estimated 35,000 peo
ple watch the annual fire
works show, which is also
sponsored by Chateau Elan,
Austin said.
This year will mark the
last time that the fireworks
are launched behind Publix,
as construction for a new
mixed-use development on
that property is slated to start
soon, she added. A location
for next year's fireworks show
hasn't been determined.
For more information, visit
www.braseltonfestivals.com.
Water restrictions loosened in Georgia; updates given on limits, uses
BY SHARON DOWDY
NEW WATERING rules give
Georgians more flexibility in
their watering habits. Effective
June 1, they can now run auto
mated irrigation systems, lawn
sprinklers or water by hand daily
as long as they do so from 4 p.m.
until 10 a.m.
Under the Georgia Water
Stewardship Act (SB370), the
new rules state that outdoor water
can be applied daily during the
specified hours for the purposes
of planting, growing, managing
or maintaining ground cover,
trees, shrubs or other plants.
What is called gray water or
reclaimed wastewater can be
used any time for irrigation.
Water from private wells or sur
face water used by the owner or
operator of such wells or surface
water is also allowed any time.
Water can also be applied with
no time or day limits for the fol
lowing outdoor uses:
•Agricultural operations.
•Personal food gardens.
•New or replanted plant, seed
or turf in landscapes, golf cours
es, or sports turf fields during
installation and for a period of
30 days immediately following
installation.
•Drip irrigation or soaker
hoses.
•Hand-watering with a hose
with automatic cutoff or hand
held container (including chemi
cal applications).
•Horticultural crops held for
sale, resale or installation.
•Athletic fields, golf courses or
public recreational areas.
•Installation, maintenance or
calibration of irrigation systems.
•Hydroseeding.
The odd-even day schedule
remains in effect for nonland
scape outdoor water use like
pressure washing by homeown
ers, car washing at home or for
charity, hosing driveways, out
door cleaning or topping-off
pools.
Even addresses may water
on Monday, Wednesday and
Saturday. Odd addresses water on
Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.
Even though Georgia's
drought is in the past and the
water restrictions have been
loosened, University of Georgia
Cooperative Extension experts
encourage homeowners to keep
a water-saving mindset.
“During the summer months,
outdoor municipal water use
increases between 30 to 50 per
cent,” said UGA Cooperative
Extension turfgrass specialist
Clint Waltz. “Most of this is from
outdoor uses like filling swim
ming pools, washing cars and
watering lawns and landscapes.”
To conserve water, Waltz offers
homeowners the following tips:
•Select plants that match
light conditions and require less
water.
•Match surface and soil drain
age conditions to plant moisture
requirements.
•Choose plants that grow
well in your area.
•Preserve established plants.
They have an extensive root
system and require less water
than newly planted ones.
•Space plants with their
mature size in mind to reduce
competition.
•Concentrate seasonal color
in small, high-impact areas to
reduce overall water require
ments.
•Avoid constructing raised
beds under trees due to root
competition for water.
•Develop a landscape plan
before designing an irrigation
system.
•Incorporate shade trees in
the landscape to reduce evapo
rative water loss.
•Select and group plants
according to their water needs.
•Divide the landscape into
water-use zones. Avoid small,
irregular-shaped island plant
ings in turfgrass areas. They are
difficult to irrigate.
•Consider irrigation sprin
klers when designing turfgrass
areas or planting beds.
•Move or eliminate plants
not suited to existing site.
For more information, con
tact your local UGA Extension
office at 1-800-ASK-UGA1.
Sharon Dowdy is a
news editor with the
University of Georgia
College of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences.
Doggie Days
Pet Daycare and Boarding
1195 Airport Rd. • Jefferson, GA
706-367-1259
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Sat. & Sun.: By appointment
www.mydoggiedays.com
Jefferson Fire Department
Fire Safety Event
At the Pendergrass Flea Market
Fire Truck, Safety Bus, Ladder Truck, Lights
and Smoke Machine Demos
Free Fire Helmets and Stickers for Children
July 3rd 10 AM - 2 PM
605 Athens Street
Jefferson, GA 30549
706-367-9412
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