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THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2010
Short optimistic about SPLOST ‘yes’ vote
Ariail: SPLOST not a new tax
BY MARK BEARDSLEY
THE MAN riding point on the
effort to get the special purpose
local option sales tax (SPLOST)
renewed for six more years in
Jackson County says he's opti
mistic about the referendum
passing on Tuesday, Nov. 2.
Shane Short, president of the
Jackson County Area Chamber
of Commerce, is in the midst
of a lengthy speaking schedu
le taking him all over Jackson
County in promotion of a “yes”
vote. The response, he said, has
been very favorable.
“In the groups I’ve talked to,
there have been questions, but
no outright opposition,” he said.
“I just think it’s the right thing
to do. Obviously, you do, too,”
Short added, a reference to the
chamber board’s unanimous
vote to support passage of the
referendum.
Approval of the Nov. 2 refe
rendum would extend the cur
rent one-cent tax for six years,
bringing in an estimated $47.5
million to be split among
Jackson County and its muni
cipalities. Most of the county’s
share would go to pay down the
debt on the new jail, although
building three new EMS faci
lities is also proposed. The cities
would use most of theirs for
capital projects.
Short encouraged his direc
tors to erect signs in support of
a “yes” vote, and he responded
to complaints about how a small
portion of money from the cur
rent SPLOST (which expires
next June 30) was misspent.
“It may not be perfect, but
you can’t throw the baby out
with the bath water,” he said.
“It’s good for Jackson County
and all the cities need it. We’ve
got to make it happen.”
BOARD APPROVES
NEW DUES STRUCTURE
The chamber board appro
ved a new dues structure that,
for most members, increases
the cost of annual membership
by $25. The net result, should
all members renew, would be
an increase of $9,500 per year,
according to Short.
The new structure is based
strictly on the number of
employees, and membership
fees ran from $100 for indivi
duals (unchanged) to $275 for
businesses with five or fewer
employees in the county, up
to $1,000 for companies who
have 301 or more employees.
Members who renew within 30
days of being invoiced will get a
$25 discount.
Larger businesses and finan
cial institutions will actually pay
less under the new structure.
The chamber now has three
members paying more than the
new $1,000 top fee. Currently,
banks have been charged accor
ding to their assets. Under the
new schedule, their dues will be
based on the number of employ
ees.
“It’s a much fairer way for
our businesses, and a lot less
complicated,” Short said.
MEMBERSHIP
NEARS 600 MARK
Linda Poster, vice president of
member services, said the cham
ber currently has 597 members.
During September, she said, it
gained 18 and lost 16.
“Membership is staying stea
dy, growing a little,” she repor
ted.
OTHER MATTERS
In other business:
•HowardLedfordreportedthat
the Work Ready effort he chairs
will begin trying to educate
local businesses on the benefits
of the program. He also noted
that Work Ready exams are still
offered every other Thursday at
Lanier Technical College, and
that the state continues to offer
a $100 gift card for unemployed
people who become certified.
•Cindy Phillips reported that
Braselton’s new Downtown
Development Authority will
host its first wine tasting Nov.
16, at 7 p.m., at the Braselton-
Stover House. The $25 admis
sion fee includes a dinner. A
number of items will also be
auctioned off, she said.
•Treasurer Emily Howell
reported that the chamber had
a net income of $4,848 through
September, a figure she expects
to increase over the last three
months of the year.
•The board voted to give the
chamber’s Executive Committee
the right to select a company to
replace one or both heating and
cooling units at its Athens Street,
Jefferson, office. One of the
units has quit completely: both
are about 20 years old. The cost
is expected to be about $6,500
for one unit and $14,000 if the
board opts to replace both.
THE SPLOST proposal on
which Jackson Countians will
vote Nov. 2 is not a new tax.
It would only continue the one-
cent SPLOST sales tax which is
now a part of the 7-cent sales tax
county citizens pay, said Keith
Ariail, speaking recently on
behalf of the SPLOST effort.
“The earmarks would change,”
added Ariail. Instead of going
for the items currently in place,
the monies raised would go for
such things as jail debt reduction,
satellite EMS facilities, roads,
streets, bridges, parks, recreation,
water, sewer and libraries.
The tax would be expected
to bring in $47.5 million over
the next six years and would be
shared by the county and its nine
municipalities. The towns would
get just under 30 percent of the
total.
“There’s no fluff in here,”
Ariail said, going over the list of
proposed allocations. The money
cannot be spent for salaries. He
also said there will be “account
ability” because two committees
of citizens will be established
to see that the funds are spent
properly. There had been ques
tions about whether some of the
towns were using the monies as
approved by voters in the earlier
SPLOST.
Ariail, a Commerce business
man who was speaking on behalf
of the Jackson County Area
Chamber of Commerce, said
the fairest tax is one in which
everyone participates, as in the
sales tax.
The county tax digest is declin
ing and may continue to do so, he
said. And this can affect prop
erty taxes. “Impact fees” also are
dropping as building declines,
he added.
If the county should have to
increase property taxes 1.72 mills
to pay off the $23,747,657 jail
debt, it would cost the owner of
a $150,000 home an additional
$101.87 a year in property taxes,
said the speaker. He added, how
ever, that this is merely informa
tion and is not being used as a
“threat.”
Addressing the Jefferson
Woman’s Club Oct. 11, Ariail
also mentioned the economic
advantages of the SPLOST and
stated that the facilities involved
will give Jackson bounty “a
competitive edge” in soliciting
new industries.
Fuel needed for Nov. 13
fly-in at county airport
BYBENMUNRO
THE JACKSON County
Aviation Association is host
ing its annual fly-in Nov. 13 but
needs fuel donations to bolster
the event.
All proceeds after expenses
benefit the Boys and Girls Club
of Jackson County.
Doug Legg, speaking at
Monday’s Jackson County
Airport Authority meeting, said
fuel costs are keeping some
pilots from donating their planes
and their time. Legg, who said
he met with the director of the
Boys and Girls Club of Jackson
County, asked the JCAA for help
in securing fuel.
“They can’t get any planes
donated because people can’t
afford to buy the fuel,” Legg said.
“I’m pleading with you, this air
port authority, to donate some
fuel so they can get some pilots
to come in here and fly some of
these people around.”
Jackson County Airport
Authority member Ken Botts
said free fuel was supplied last
year.
Botts and fellow airport author
ity member John Buchanan said
they’d approach the county gov
ernment about assistance with the
fly-in.
The association is hosting the
fly-in to help the Boys and Girls
Club (see below) and publicize
the Jackson County Airport.
Botts said this year’s event is
creating a buzz.
“The word is out,” Botts said.
“It’s great for Jackson County.
It’s all over the southeast. I’ve
been getting calls from upstate
New York and all kind of places
about this.”
Fly-in to benefit Boys and Girls Club
THE JACKSON County
Aviation Association announces
that its Fly-in and Aviation Day
on Nov. 13 at the county air
port will benefit the Boys and
Girls Club of Jackson County.
The association’s board, after a
meeting with Michael Williams
and Jim Shaw, approved an
agreement that all revenues, in
excess of the fly-in’s expenses,
will go to the Boys and Girls
Club. The annual event is a com
bination fly-in and community
appreciation/open house day.
“Children and young people
are a joy to us and we love hav
ing them visit the airport,” said
Kenneth Botts, president of the
aviation association. “Hopefully,
some of them will be our future
aviators.”
The airport is located on
Lyle Field Road, just off Hwy.
At the flv-in
SOME OF the highlights planned
for this year’s Fly-In and Aviation
Day will include a Lockheed Junior
(1936) used in the movie Amelia,
a newly restored P40 (remember
the Flying Tigers), and possibly the
Liberty Belle, a 4 engine WWII B17
bomber.
A Ronald Regan Air Force One
replica of the first 50 feet of the fuse
lage will be displayed. This replica,
one of three built, is laid out exactly
like the real Air Force One.
There will be many other aircraft,
over 100 antique/classic cars and
food vendors. Another attraction for
children will be several inflatables
(Froggy Jumps).
82 between Jefferson and
Maysville.
Public Service Commission?
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Qualified.
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Vote Nov. 2nd!
Tim Echols
706-340-0773 ■ tim@timechols.com
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BOC postpones change to land use map designations
To be on meeting agenda Nov. 15
BYANGELA GARY
ACTION ON requests to
change the land use map desig
nation of property in Hoschton
and Jefferson were postponed
until Nov. 15 Monday night by
the Jackson County Board of
Commissioners.
The Nov. 15 meeting will
be held at 6 p.m. at the court
house.
In the meeting this week,
the BOC postponed a request
from Gary Harvin for a land
use map amendment to change
three acres at 50 Ward Road,
Hoschton, from residential
growth to industrial workplace.
Planner Toni Smith said the
applicant asked that the request
be tabled in order to give him
time to meet with neighbors to
discuss the project.
The BOC also postponed
action on a request from Rusty
David for a land use map
amendment to change .80 acres
at 3115 Hwy. 15, Jefferson,
from residential growth to gate
way corridor. Smith said the
planning staff and planning
commission recommended
denial of the request because
the use is not consistent with
the definition of gateway cor
ridor in the county’s compre
hensive plan.
Commissioner Dwain Smith
said businesses have been
located at the site for a long
time and that he doesn’t have a
problem with the request.
“There has been everything
there from a service station to a
pool hall,” he said.
Smith also said he talked
to several neighbors and none
have any problem with the
request.
BOC ACTION
In other action at the meet
ing Monday night, the BOC
approved:
•a request to reduce the fees
for the demolition of 14 mobile
homes near Talmo. The appli
cant, Robert Burnett, plans to
demolish 14 mobile homes on
the site and use the property
for agriculture uses. The fee
is $100 per mobile home but
the recommendation to reduce
his total fee to $700 instead of
$1,400 was approved.
•a wellness policy for coun
ty employees that promotes
healthier lifestyle choices. This
program will be funded through
a $2,500 grant and will include
flu shots and a health fair.
•a resolution in support of
applying for a GATEway Grant
from the Georgia Department
of Transportation. These funds
are used to beautify the road
sides along state highways.
•an ethics policy recommend
ed by the Georgia Municpal
Association that outlines how
complaints are handled.
•a change order to the con
tract for the senior citizen’s
center renovation project to
include the demolition of and
disposal of a walk-in cooler.
There will be no additional
charges for doing this.
•a change order to the con
tract for the senior citizen’s
center to use 22 gauge roof
metal instead of 24 gauge. This
will cost $13,501 less than had
been allocated.
•a supplemental agreement
with E.R. Snelling Contractors
Inc. to construct a new drive
way at the cul-de-sac on Cherry
Drive at a cost of $63,672 as
part of the Zion Church Road
extension project. This is a con
dition of a property settlement
and was agreed upon by the
county so that condemnation
would not be necessary. The
property owner is losing some
access because of the road proj
ect.
•a request to abandon a por
tion of Stillwood Place Road
in Westcott Place Subdivision
at the request of White Plains
Baptist Church.
Jackson County Airport tapped for economic study
BYBENMUNRO
THE JACKSON County Airport is one
of five airports chosen for an in-depth,
state-wide economic impact study through
the Georgia Department of Transportation
(DOT).
Airport authority chairman Shannon
Sell, who passed along the news at the
board’s Monday night meeting, said the
study should be complete by the end of
next summer.
Sell said this is certainly a good sign
from the DOT, which supplies funding for
airport projects.
“I tell you, it’s a big deal ... What I see
out of it is, if they’re exposing us as one of
the top five airports, as far as wanting to do
a study, that tells me they want to keep the
ball rolling,” Sell said.
Sell said Carol Comer of the Georgia
DOT is “very high” on the potential of
Jackson County’s airport.
“Carol said, ‘y’all are just on the verge, if
we can get this economy turned around,”’
Sell said.
That said, DOT assistance for projects is
currently running very low. In fact, for the
first time, there’s no department of trans
portation funding for state aviation projects
for fiscal year 2011. Georgia DOT will only
disperse money set aside for matching-
funds grants.
RUNWAY CLOSED NEXT WEEK
Continued work to close out the airport’s
runway project will close the runway from
Monday through Friday next week. But
interim airport manager Glen Boyd hopes
the work can be done in three to four
days.
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