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THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2010
Chamber continues to promote Yes’ SPLOST vote
Short speaks at Jefferson meeting
BYANGELA GARY
THE JACKSON County
Chamber of Commerce is con
tinuing its effort to push passage
of a one-cent special purpose
local option sales tax.
Chamber president Shane
Short spoke last week at the
Main Street Jefferson meeting
to encourage a “yes” vote in the
Nov. 2 election for the sales tax.
Short will speak at other meet
ings across the county during the
two months prior to the election.
Short said a large portion of the
proposed revenue from SPLOST.
some $23 million, would go
toward the debt
for the new jail.
He pointed out
that this has to
be paid regard
less of whether
the sales tax
passes.
“Let’s not
put the burden
back on the taxpayers,” he said.
“That would be a tremendous
burden on homeowners. Let's
let the people share in the cost.
If it fails, it is going to have a
devastating impact on property
taxes. Say no to a potential prop-
SHORT
erty tax increase.”
He said a one-cent sales tax is a
“user tax” and it brings in money
from outside of the county.
The SPLOST is projected to
bring in $47.5 million over six
years if the referendum passes.
Short went into some detail as
to how each of the governments
plans to spend its portion of
SPLOST 5. Jackson County, in
addition to spending 70 percent
of its $33.7 million share to pay
off the debt on the jail, would also
build two satellite EMS buildings
(in Commerce and Braselton).
finance road improvements and
pay for land for a new county
park.
Each of the cities also has a list
of projects on which they’d like
to spend SPLOST dollars.
Short’s presentation touched
on what the current SPLOST 4
tax accomplished. So far, 86.4
percent of the projected revenue
has been collected, Short said. He
pointed out that the county’s por
tion helped pay off the jail, build
a health clinic in Commerce, pay
for road and recreation projects,
build the new fire training facil
ity, support local libraries and lay
miles of county water lines.
That tax will expire June 30.
If voters pass the Nov. 2 refer
endum, SPLOST 5 will begin
July 1.
Mobile home relocation to be on agenda for BOC
BYANGELA GARY
THE JACKSON County
Board of Commissioners will
take action on several items,
including a request to move a
mobile home, when it meets at
6 p.m. on Monday at the court
house. The BOC reviewed the
action items at a work session
this past Monday night.
Bobby Wilkins is asking
for approval to move an exist
ing mobile home at 2638 Hog
Mountain Road to 701 Lebanon
Church Road.
Commissioner Dwain Smith
said he looked at where they
are asking to move the mobile
home and didn’t see a problem
with approving the request.
“We need to work with people
who are doing the best they can
in this day and time,” he said.
“There has been no opposition
in the immediate area.”
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the BOC
discussed the following items
that will be on the agenda for
action at the Monday night
meeting:
•a resolution approving the
Northeast Georgia Solid Waste
Management Plan.
•designating Lavender Road
as a “no buck thru” road. The
road does not have a base and is
reportedly deteriorating due to
heavy traffic.
•an agreement with the
Northeast Georgia Regional
Commission for the transporta
tion program used at the senior
citizen’s center.
•extending the contract with
Jerry Weitz and Associates to
bring the county’s unified devel
opment code into conformity
with the new land use policies
set forth in the comprehensive
plan.
•a proposed contract with
Computer Software Design to
provide for business licenses to
be applied for and paid online.
•an easement agreement with
Timothy and Tina Brooks for
access to their farm at Stone
Creek Subdivision.
•a request to contribute
$3,000 toward the development
of a greenway master plan. The
Northeast Georgia Regional
Commission is providing
$30,000 for this project.
•a request to abandon a por
tion of the public right of way of
Stillwood Place in the Westcott
Place Subdivision.
•accepting a $12,000 grant
for a mass notification system
with a weather alert program.
•approval of an intergovern
mental agreement with the City
of Hoschton to allow the county
road department to assist the
city in preparing Industrial
Blvd., beginning at State Route
53 and ending at White Street,
for resurfacing.
•renaming the county tax
assessor’s department as the
Property Appraisal Department.
•changing the hotel-motel tax
from six percent to five per
cent.
•seven charge orders related
to the senior citizen’s center
renovation project.
•two change orders related to
the historic courthouse project.
•an agreement with E.R.
Snell Contract for $5,218 for
items needed for a precast cul
vert design in the Zion Church
Road improvement project.
BOC signs off on application from area business for grant to rebuild
BYANGELA GARY
THE JACKSON County
Board of Commissioners
approved a resolution Monday
night in support of a Jefferson
business that was heavily
damaged in a fire seeking a
grant to rebuild and reopen.
H. W. Wilson Manufacturing
is applying for up to $300,000
through the Community
Development Block Grant
Employment Incentive
Program. The funds are
allocated to cities and counties
as a grant and are then loaned
to qualifying businesses at a
reduced interest rate to be
repaid.
The Jefferson City Council
approved a similar resolution
related to the project when it
met Monday night.
In other business at the
BOC meeting Monday night:
•Earl Brantley was
appointed to fill the seat held
by the late Henry Edward
Braselton on the Oconee
River RC&D.
•a letter of conditions
for a $150,000 grant from
the Appalachian Regional
Commission for the Jackson
County Archives and Welcome
Center and renovation of
the interior of the historic
courthouse was approved.
Woman fined in kennel raid
BY ANGELA GARY
AMY RION-WILSON
was fined $975 for several
citations she received in con
nection with operating an
unlicensed kennel on Apple
Valley Road.
Rion-Wilson received cita
tions for cruelty to animals,
failure to maintain sanitary
conditions, failure to have
all animals receive a rabies
shot, no business license and
zoning code violations. She
was scheduled to appear in
Jackson County Magistrate
Court on Sept. 7 but paid the
fines before the court date.
The kennel was shut
down in July after officials
from Jackson County ani
mal control and the Georgia
Department of Agriculture
followed up on a tip and
raided the site.
Rion-Wilson did not have
a state kennel license and
regulations for operating
such a business had report
edly not been followed. No
dead animals or signs of
abuse were found, officials
reported at the time.
Rion-Wilson voluntarily
turned over all but seven
of the 74 dogs taken from
the property to the county.
The dogs, all of which are
miniatures, were taken to
the Commerce Veterinary
Hospital where they were
examined and given vac
cines. The animals went to
animal shelters and non
profit groups who offer
adoptions.
BOE approves personnel list
THE JACKSON County
Board of Education approved
the following personnel
changes during its meeting on
Monday.
NEW HIRES
Ingrid Baughman, kinder
garten teacher. SJES; Linda
Cofield, custodian, JCCHS;
Katherine Cook, kinder
garten teacher, GSES; Ann
Duck, custodian, GSC: Karyn
Gunter, third grade teacher,
EJES; Kristal Hollis, kinder
garten paraprofessional, SJES:
Tiffany Hudson, childcare
paraprofessional, GSC; Terena
Huffman, special education
paraprofessional, EJMS; and
Sharon Presley, special educa
tion paraprofessional, BES.
Also, Courtney Reed, kin
dergarten teacher, EJES;
Karen Reilly, receptionist,
WJMS; Robin Roberts, spe
cial education paraprofes
sional, WJIS; Kelly Rutledge,
custodian, JCCHS; Lorna
Samples, kindergarten para
professional, MES; Sloane
Thompson, special education
paraprofessional, GSC; Robert
Vivenzio, bus driver, WJPS;
Cynthia Williams, kindergar
ten teacher. WJPS; and Jayson
Williams, special education
paraprofessional, EJCHS.
TRANSFERS
Kim Goforth, custodian,
MES to JCCHS; LydiaMedlin,
third grade teacher, MES to
WJIS; and Jennifer Wade,
third grade teacher, NJES to
GSES.
RESIGNATIONS/
TERMINATIONS
Diane Ariail, resource coor
dinator. system-wide; Elaine
Bridges, school nutrition assis
tant, EJMS; Sharon Gooch,
special education paraprofes
sional, JCCHS; Laura Mayo,
bus driver, GSES; Donna
Sosebee. resource coordi
nator, system-wide; Linda
Steinbauer. school nutrition
assistant. WJPS; and Sharon
Synan, gifted teacher, KBMS.
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