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THE JACKSON HERALD
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2011
County seeks $400,000 in back taxes
THE JACKSON County government is
attempting to collect nearly $400,000 in
back taxes with a tax sale slated for March
1 and March 2.
Most of the money owed is divided
among five individual or firms. The largest
amount owed is $208,200 by Commerce
Land Holdings, LLC.
The advertisements for delinquent prop
erty tax sale appears in this week’s public
notice section.
The firms involved are:
•CJS.LLC (Tom Hardy)
Clarksboro Subdivision $21,968
•BHR Development Group LLC —
Eagle Heights subdivision
$60,483
•Buckeye Land & Timber Co. $2,483
•Buckeye Land & Timbr Co.
Laurel Cove Subdivision
•Jean (Hales) Beck
•Commerce Land Holdings, LLC$208,232 Total
$55,873
$42,324
$391,364
SPLOST revenue to cover extra cost
Sewer project came in over budget in Maysville
BY ANGELA GARY
THE SEWER system
improvement project in
Maysville came in $55,000
over the original contract
but this can be covered with
special purpose local option
sales tax revenue, according
to a report given to the city
council at a work session
Thursday night.
Project manager Chip
McGaughey gave an update
on the project, which was
funded through federal
stimulus money. The final
cost for the project was
$616,000.
McGaughey said the pipe
line cost is where the costs
were more than budgeted
due to unforeseen issues
that arose. The project also
uncovered some water leaks
that the city leaders didn’t
know about.
In other business,
McGaughey reported that
the city’s proposed water
conservation is complete
and ready for action.
“I think we ought to adopt
it.” council member Lynn
Villyard said.
McGaughey reported that
the city has a 32 percent
water rate. The state goal
for municipalities is 10 per
cent. City leaders hope this
rate improves after the water
leaks were found during the
street project.
‘‘We’ve come a long way
but we’ve got a ways to go,”
Mayor Jerry Baker said.
McGaughey pointed out to
the council that water used
in fighting fires can be taken
out of the unaccounted for
water rate.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at the
work session:
•city attorney Jane Range
reported on the effort to
update the charter to change
the town’s boundaries. This
change will allow ward
voting. Legislation on the
change will be introduced
by Rep. Tommy Benton.
Range said the boundaries
could change after the new
Census figures are released.
She added that the council
could amend the charter to
address these changes.
•Becky and Chuck Simon
spoke on their plans to
open a barber shop at 9131
Maysville Road. It will be
open within the next two
months.
•the $23,000 fire protec
tion agreement with the
Maysville Volunteer Fire
Department was presented.
•councilman Stephan
Lewis recommended that a
job description for a dis
tribution/equipment opera
tor be created with a salary
range of $10-$ 12 an hour.
The voting session of the
Maysville City Council will
be held at 7 p.m. on Monday,
Feb. 7, at the public library.
Prior to the regular meeting,
the council will meet at 6:30
p.m. to set the millage rate.
County recognized for Ethics Ordinance
JACKSON COUNTY
has received the “County
of Ethics” designation,
becoming the third county
in Georgia to earn the desig
nation. The announcement
was made at the Georgia
Municipal Association’s
Mayors’ Day Conference in
Atlanta Jan. 23.
The City of Ethics pro
gram began in 1999 and
was developed by a panel
of business and government
leaders to encourage cities
to adopt and adhere to a
set of key ethical principles
and adopt a local ethics
ordinance. The ordinance
must contain definitions,
prohibited conduct and due
process for officials accused
of violations in areas such
as financial disclosures,
conflicts of interests and
outside employment. The
ordinance must also contain
penalties for city officials
who violate the ordinance.
In 2009, at the request
of Paulding County, GMA
began recognizing counties
that voluntarily pass a reso
lution endorsing seven key
ethical principles of ethical
behavior and adopt a local
ethics ordinance. Since
then Paulding and Cobb
counties have both been
named “Certified Counties
of Ethics.”
“While the general public
places more trust in local
government than any other
level of government, this
program strengthens that
trust,” said GMA execu
tive director Jim Higdon.
COUNTY RECOGNIZED
Jackson County has received the “County of Ethics”
designation, becoming the third county in Georgia
to earn the designation. The announcement was
made at the Georgia Municipal Association’s Mayors’
Day Conference in Atlanta Jan. 23. Shown are: (L-R)
Eatonton Mayor John Reid, GMA 2nd Vice President;
Jackson County manager Darrell Hampton; and
Fayetteville Mayor Ken Steele, GMA President.
“We’re pleased that Jackson
County officials have cho
sen to take this step in
earning and maintaining
the public’s trust in gov
ernment. Their leadership
sets an example to other
counties and organizations
interested in ensuring and
promoting ethical govern
ment.”
A panel of attorneys
reviewed Cobb County’s
resolution and ordinance to
determine if they complied
with the criteria set by the
GMA Board of Directors.
The county was recog
nized at the GMA Annual
Convention in Savannah
and is now authorized by
GMA to use a “Certified
County of Ethics” logo
on stationery, road signs,
county vehicles and for
other uses.
Based in Atlanta, GMA
is a voluntary, non-profit
organization that provides
legislative advocacy, edu
cational, employee benefit
and consulting services to
its 511 member cities.
HONORED AT CHAMBER BANQUET
The Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce honored its top members, work
ers and volunteers last Thursday night at its annual banquet. Left to right are
Marshall Acree, volunteer of the year; Tom Murphy, ambassador of the year; Martha
Martin, William H. Booth Award; Shane Short, chairman’s award; Roxanne Rose,
citizen of the year; Bo Braswell of Georgia Power, large business of the year; and
John Buchanan of Hometown Community Bank, small business of the year.
LEADERSHIP
CHANGE
Sam McDuffie, out
going chairman, left,
hands over the cere
monial gaveltoShade
Storey, right, repre
senting the change
of leadership at the
Jackson County
Area Chamber of
Commerce. Storey
accepted the gavel
Thursday night at
the chamber’s annu
al awards banquet.
County prescription discount program in place
DURING THE first six weeks
since the introduction of the
Jackson County free prescrip
tion discount program, county
residents filled 73 prescriptions
with the cards at discounts aver
aging 27.38 percent and $11.10
per prescription, human resourc
es director Melanie Thomas
announced.
Jackson County launched
the program to help consumers
cope with the high price of pre
scriptions. The county is making
the free prescription discount
cards available under a pro
gram sponsored by the National
Association of Counties (NACo)
that offers average savings of 24
percent off the retail price of
commonly prescribed drugs.
There is no cost to county tax
payers for NACo and Jackson
County to make these money
saving cards available.
The cards may be used by all
county residents, regardless of
age, income or existing health
coverage, and are accepted at 12
county pharmacies. A national
network of more than 60,000
participating retail pharmacies
also honors the Jackson County
Discount Prescription card.
Residents can print an ID card
at www.caremark.com/naco.
Cards are also available at: BJC
Medical Center, Boys & Girls
Club inJeffersonand Commerce,
Commerce Drug (U-Save-It
Pharmacy), Commerce Public
Library, Department of Family
& Children Services, Jackson
County Head Start, Jackson
County Health Department
in Jefferson, Jackson County
Mental Health Department.
Jackson County Water &
Sewerage Authority, Jefferson
Drugs, Jefferson Public
Library, Maysville City Hall,
Maysville Public Library,
Maysville Pharmacy, Tiger
Town Pharmacy in Commerce
and Jackson County govern
ment offices (board of commis
sioners, clerk of courts, human
resources, parks and recreation,
probate court, senior center,
tax appraisal and tax commis
sioner).
County residents can call toll
free 1-877-321-2652 or visit
www.caremark.com/naco for
assistance with the program.
“Using the NACo prescrip
tion discount card is easy.” said
Thomas. “Simply present it at a
participating pharmacy. There is
no enrollment form, no mem
bership fee and no restrictions
or limits on frequency of use.
Cardholders and their family
members may use the card any
time their prescriptions are not
covered by insurance.”
The program is administered
by CVS Caremark.
Kerosene sold at area stores possibly volatile
GARY W. BLACK, agricul
ture commissioner for Georgia,
is warning consumers who pur
chased kerosene on or after Jan.
18 from several Kangaroo loca
tions throughout north Georgia
not to use the products in their
kerosene heaters or lamps.
On Jan. 25, inspectors from
the Georgia Department of
Agriculture’s Fuel & Measures
Division discovered contami
nated kerosene at Kangaroo
#3315 located at 615 East
Spring St., Monroe, during a
routine inspection.
The pump was locked at the
Monroe location and. as an
immediate precaution, pumps
were locked at all other stores
who received fuel from the
same carrier. After sampling
from those other pumps was
completed on Jan. 27, seven
additional Kangaroo locations,
including one in Alto, have
been found with contaminat
ed kerosene. Kerosene sold at
these stores is possibly volatile
and should not be used:
•2640 Dawsonville Hwy.,
Gainesville
•3951 State Hwy. 365, Alto.
•North Main St., Cleveland.
•78 South Main St.,
Cleveland.
•634 Christmas Ave.,
Bethlehem.
•1334 Atlanta Hwy. NW,
Auburn.
•18 Hwy. 72 East, Comer.
Contaminated kerosene has
the potential to cause an explo
sion or fire if used in home
heaters or lamps. Anyone who
purchased kerosene at any of
these locations on or after Jan.
18 should not use the kerosene
and should return it for reim
bursement.
The pumps will remain
locked at all eight locations until
the tank and lines have been
cleaned and new shipments
have been tested and approved
by the Georgia Department of
Agriculture.
Spring Is Just
Around The Corner!
r
City of Nicholson
DAISY FESTIVAL MEETING
The City of Nicholson will hold a Daisy
Festival meeting on February 8 at 7:00 p.m. in
the Nicholson community center. If you are
interested in being a volunteer or helping with
the festival please come to the meeting.
For more information call city hall
at 706-757-3408
You may also email us at:
nicholson06@windstream.net.
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1248 Washington St. • Jefferson, GA
706-367-4960
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Red Rose and Candlelight
Monday, February 14
2 for $50*
Choice of 1 each person
(meat, potato, salad, dessert, beverage,
wine or champagne)
Wine/Champagne list available upon request with valid ID
OPEN 6 P.M. - 9 P.M.
Reservations recommended
but not required.
'Gratuity not included.
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Stihl MM55 Tiller
$ 349
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Spring Tune Ups
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