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PAGE 2A
THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2011
More parking spaces, batting
cages planned at WJ Park
Benton: State changes in grocery tax possible
BENTON
BY MARK BEARDSLEY
WATCH FOR spending cuts
and tax changes when the Georgia
General Assembly begins its 2011
session next Tuesday.
That's the advice from Rep.
Tommy Benton (R-Jefferson),
whose 31st District covers most of
Jackson County.
As has been the case for the
past two sessions, the legislative
elephant in the room in 2011 will be the
budget where, according to Benton, budget
writers have a $1.5 billion revenue gap to
close in order to produce the balanced bud
get required by the Georgia constitution.
Education and healthcare will likely bear
the brunt of those cuts, said Benton.
“They (voters) might not like the cuts,
but I think they will like the cuts better than
having their taxes raised,” said Benton.
But even Benton concedes that Georgians
could well be paying more taxes once
this legislative session ends. The General
Assembly will consider recommendations
of a Special Council on Tax Reform and
Fairness that many expect to change the
laws regarding Georgia’s sales tax.
“I have not been to a single one of
the meetings of the tax committee,” said
Benton. “I felt like they were going to
come back with the best possible recom
mendations they could. I really don't know
what to expect.
“They may do away with a lot of the
exemptions. It will come to us as a package
bill and we'll vote it up or down. I think it
will have to be in the form of a constitu
tional amendment.”
One possibility, said Benton, is to restore
the sales tax on groceries. If that happens,
he says, he expects the increase to be
phased in one percent a year.
“The General Assembly took it off one
cent a year.” he recalled. “I would think
the logical way would be to put it back a
little at a time.”
However it's done, Benton noted
that it won't happen without con
troversy.
“People will raise cain about it if
that’s what’s done,” he predicted.
“But if they look at their grocery
bill, half of what they have in
the grocery cart is not groceries.
They’re already paying seven per
cent on those items.”
Benton cautions that legisla
tors will have to be careful about remov
ing some exemptions. He used sales tax
exemptions on new farm equipment as
an example. Should that exemption be
removed, he said, equipment dealers near
bordering states — all of which have simi
lar exemptions — could go out of business
as their customers cross state lines to avoid
paying the sales tax.
Benton said he's heard no discussion of
expanding the sales tax to cover services
— one of the provisions former House
speaker Glenn Richardson trumpeted for
his GREAT tax plan for Georgia that never
got off the ground.
The good news, on the budget front, is
that because state revenues are up close to
eight percent over last year, Benton said
the supplemental budget will require little
more than “tweaking.”
“We were anticipating a four-percent
increase in state revenue. Right now we’re
pretty close to eight percent.” Benton said.
Aside from wrestling with the budget
and any attending tax changes. Benton said
he expects bills to deal with immigration.
“We were told there will be some more
legislation,” he said.
In addition, Benton noted that the dead
line is nearing by which Georgia, Florida
and Alabama are supposed to settle their
longstanding debate over how to appor
tion water from Lake Lanier and the
Chattahoochee River. Benton reiterated his
own opinion, that Georgia should ignore
the order of a federal judge.
“I think they ought to tell the federal
judge what he can do with that decision,”
he said, proposing that the state wait and
see if the executive branch of the federal
government would enforce the ruling.
“They say Alabama is using the
Chattahoochee as a negotiating point,”
Benton said. “They’re (Alabama) more
concerned with the Etowah River and
Coosa Rivers where the building of more
reservoirs on that system could hurt
them.”
Benton is vice chairman of the Retirement
Committee, secretary of the Education
Committee and is a member of the trans
portation and rules committees.
There will be a lot of new faces in
Georgia government, including 35 new
House members, about a dozen new state
senators, a new governor, lieutenant gover
nor and new faces in virtually every consti
tutional office elected statewide.
“There’s going to be a learning curve
for all of them,” said Benton. “I’m looking
forward to it. I think we’ll look after state
business the best we can.”
LOCAL LEGISLATION
So far, said Benton, he’s heard of two
possible pieces of local legislation he may
be asked to introduce.
One is a slight modification to
Maysville’s new city charter. The other is
legislation to give Jackson County Board
of Commissioners the ability to create
community improvement districts (CIDs)
- special tax districts created with the
approval of those to be taxed — for special
localized purposes or improvements.
District 31 Rep. Tommy Benton can be
reached by phone at 706-367-5891 (home)
or 404-656-0177 (office); or by email at
tommy.benton@house.ga.gov.
For faily updates on legislative action
and links to Georgia representatives, U.S.
Congressmen, Senators and other officials,
visit Benton’s Website at www.tommyben-
ton.com.
Braselton-Hoschton Relay to hold kickoff event on Tues.
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
THOSE WHO want to
get involved in the inaugural
Braselton-Hoschton Relay for
Life will have an opportunity
to learn more about the event
next week.
The American Cancer
Society will hold a kickoff
event for the new Relay for
Life on Tuesday, Jan. 11. at the
Braselton Community Room
— located in the lower level
of the Braselton Police and
Municipal Court Building on
Ga. Hwy. 53.
Refreshments will be served
at 5:30 p.m., and a program
starts at 6 p.m.
The kickoff event will feature
Tony Funari, a Braselton coun
cil member who has survived
non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma: and
Georgia Saunders, wife of Ernie
Saunders — a five-time cancer
survivor. Funari will represent
Braselton and Saunders will
represent Hoschton.
Braselton Mayor Bill Orr and
Hoschton Mayor Erma Denney
are also slated to attend the free
event.
At the kickoff event, par
ticipants will be told how to
get involved in Relay for Life
— including establishing a
team, walking in the survivor
lap or sponsoring the event. It
also will include information
about fundraising and event
logistics, and will introduce the
leadership and honorary chair
persons.
While the Braselton-
Hoschton Relay for Life will
be the second Relay event in
Jackson County, anyone from
the Braselton-Hoschton area
in Barrow, Hall and Gwinnett
counties is welcomed to par
ticipate, according to Victoria
Patrick, senior community
manager for the American
Cancer Society.
The inaugural Braselton-
Hoschton Relay for Life will
begin at 7 p.m. on Friday, May
6, at the new Hoschton Park,
located next to West Jackson
Primary School on Ga. Hwy.
53.
Anyone wishing to regis
ter a team, join a team, sign
up for the survivor activities
or with other questions may
view the event information
at www.RelayForLife.org/
BraseltonHoschtonGA.
Team meeting dates will be
Feb. 8, March 8, and April
12, each in the Braselton
Community Room, at 7 p.m.
For answers to other ques
tions, contact Patrick at 770-
307-7956 or Victoria.Patrick@
cancer.org.
BYANGELA GARY
A PLAN to add 216 parking
spaces and batting cages at the
West Jackson Park will be voted
on when the Jackson County
Board of Commissioners
meets at 6 p.m. on Monday at
the courthouse.
At a work session meet
ing this past Monday night,
the BOC heard from recre
ation director Ricky Sanders
and special projects consultant
Don Clerici. Sanders said 40 to
50 teams use the park during
spring and fall and the addi
tional parking spaces are need
ed. At the present, there are
78 paved parking spots at the
park. Sanders also said a Dizzy
Dean tournament will be held
at the park in the summer with
38 teams participating.
Sanders said the project will
bring the West Jackson Park
“up to standards with other
county parks.”
“This will solve several
problems for us,” he added.
Commissioner Dwain Smith
asked that local contractors be
allowed to bid on the project.
“We could give local con
tractors a chance to bid on
some of this paving,” he said.
“Give them a shot at it anyway.
We need to trade with our local
people as much as possible.”
County manager Darrell
Hampton responded, “We will
make sure we do. We will cer
tainly afford them the opportu
nity to do so.”
OTHER BUSINESS
The BOC also discussed the
following items which will
be on the agenda for a vote
Monday night:
•a request to create a special
tax district for street lights in
Magnolia Point Subdivision,
located in West Jackson.
•a request from Judge
David Motes to create a law
library circuit for the Piedmont
Judicial Circuit, which includes
Jackson. Banks and Barrow
counties. The position will be
paid for through law library
funds and will not cost the
counties anything.
•a request from EMS direc
tor Steve Nichols to extend
the contract for the emergency
notification system for two
years at no additional cost to
the county.
•approval of the annual
agreement with the University
of Georgia Cooperative
Extension Service to provide
for a county agent and staff in
the county.
•an agreement with the City
of Hoschton to allow the coun
ty building and grounds depart
ment to provide assistance for
the removal and replacement
of deteriorated flooring in two
storage rooms at the rear of
city hall.
•a request to participate in
a statewide effort to increase
the effective reporting and col
lection of sales tax revenue.
“This will be great for the
county,” commissioner Bruce
Yates said. “There are too
many dollars out there that are
not being taxed. We constantly
need to keep a close eye on
this and make sure it is being
followed.”
•approval for the county
attorney to file condemna
tion for .87 acres where the
Randolph voting precinct is
located.
•a request to designate
finance director John Hulsey
as the county's representative
to the SPLOST V joint techni
cal committee. This commit
tee will review the SPLOST
programs to ensure allocation
of proceeds and compliance to
the resolution are met.
•a request to move forward
with seeking local legislation
to allow the county to create
community improvement dis
tricts. These districts would be
formed to foster the economic
development or revitalization
of a defined area.
•four change orders for the
senior citizens center project.
These included: reducing the
budget by $4,678 to use VCT
instead of resilient sheet vinyl;
adding $6,914 for carpentry
changes; adding $5,317 for
electrical changes: and adding
$1,127 to extend the kitchen
exhaust hood. Senior center
director Shirley Smith was
present and spoke on plans
to move into the center next
week.
•approval of a supplemen
tal agreement with additional
contract time and $88,768
for Pittman Construction
Company for the signal instal
lation and extra work at the
Hog Mountain Road project.
Maysville reaches lease agreement with doctor
BY KATIE HUSTON
Tom Crow named BOC vice chairman
BYANGELA GARY
THE CITY of Maysville
and Maysville Family Practice
have reached a settlement in the
year-long dispute resulting in
a new lease agreement for the
local business.
With the resolve, the old
lease is now null and void and
any claims and cross claims
- such as attorney fees - are
settled.
The new lease is in effect
until Dec. 31. Dr. Gary Kinsey,
the business owner, will pay
$61.25 per month, which serves
as reimbursement to the city for
insurance premiums and lawn
maintenance the city will incur.
In addition, he will be respon
sible for paying utilities at the
practice, which is located at 14
Homer Street.
Dr. Kinsey must use the
building as a medical practice
and must continue accepting
Medicare and Medicaid. The
lease also requires that Dr.
Kinsey do normal repair and
maintenance, except on the
roof of the building and the
surrounding outside premises,
which is the city’s responsibil
ity.
The lease states that Dr.
Kinsey must have city approval
before making repairs or sub
letting the building. He has the
right to cancel the lease with
six months notice, or cancel the
lease if he chooses not to make
a repair that is needed.
City attorney Joseph D.
Cooley III earlier presented
Dr. Kinsey with the new lease,
which Dr. Kinsey signed. After
unanimous approval of the
lease at Monday night’s meet
ing, the litigation is now over.
“I don’t want to use the word
hopefully, but perhaps there
may be negotiations during (the
next year) where the city would
discuss with Dr. Kinsey his
continuation there at terms that
are - reflect the market rate or
some other terms that the city
chooses,” Cooley said. “But as
it is, the city is under no duty to
negotiate.”
As of Jan. 1,2012, Maysville
may opt to sell the building if it
so chooses.
The dispute began last year,
when Kinsey approached the
city displeased with the lease
agreement, so the city decided
to negotiate.
Previously, the business was
operating on a year-to-year
lease, which proved problematic
from a business standpoint. The
practice had expressed interest
in buying the city-owned build
ing, however Maysville never
considered selling it.
“The mayor and council, we
had no ambition of telling the
doctor to get out to start with,”
mayor Jerry Baker said. “We
knew this was coming up on its
20-year lease, so it was time to
do something.”
When litigation began last
year, many citizens were upset
and felt the city was trying
to end the presence of a local
doctor. The city contended all
along that, it too, felt the busi
ness was an asset.
Dr. Kinsey was not present at
the council meeting.
PUBLIC HEARING
ON BUDGET
Prior to the council’s regular
meeting Monday night, a pub
lic hearing was held to discuss
the city’s budget, during which
no citizens were present.
Overall, the city is comfort
able with its budget and plans
to approve it at a later meeting,
hopefully without amending it.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at the
Maysville City Council meet
ing Monday night:
•police chief Clarence
Sullens, judge Hammond Law
and city attorney Hulsey. Oliver
& Maher, LLP, were all re
appointed unanimously.
•the council met in a 15-min-
ute closed door meeting to dis
cuss the library manager posi
tion. No action was taken when
the meeting opened back up to
the public.
TOM CROW will serve
as vice chairman of the
Jackson County Board of
Commissioners this year. Crow
was appointed by the BOC
when it met Monday night.
The BOC also set the 2011
meeting calendar. Meetings will
be held on the first and third
Monday of each month at 6
p.m. at the courthouse. The only
exception will be in January,
May, July and September when
the meeting dates have been
changed due to conflicts. The
meetings for those months will
be as follows: Jan. 3 and 10;
May 9 and 16; July 11 and 18;
and Sept. 12 and 19.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at the meet
ing Monday night:
•commissioner Bruce Yates
announced that he will hold a
town hall meeting on Jan. 25 at
West Jackson Primary School
in Braselton.
•commissioner Dwain Smith
spoke on the county’s herbi
cide road program and asked
staff to look into a similar
effort in Clarke County that
was stopped. Smith said he
has received calls from several
South Jackson area residents
who are concerned about this
program.
•Jim Scott was appointed to
serve another term on the board
of adjustment.
•Henry Slocum was named
to replace Betty Waller on
the department of family and
children services board. Mrs.
Waller no longer lives in the
county.
•Josh Huskins was reappoint
ed to serve another term on the
parks and recreation advisory
board.
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