Newspaper Page Text
THE
ACKSON
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VOL. 143 NO. 20
36 PACES 3 SECTIONS PLUS INSERTS
Merged in 2017 with
The Commerce News
H Wednesday, October 18, 201 i
ERALD
A PUBLICATION OF MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549 75« COPY
Early voting open through Nov. 3
Early voting opened Monday for the
Nov. 7 election.
Those wishing to cast advance, in-per-
son votes may do so at 441 Gordon Street,
Jefferson, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on
Mondays through Fridays until Nov. 3.
Several Jackson County races are con
tested. including one mayor’s seat, one
mayor pro tem seat and four city council
seats.
In Commerce, incumbent mayor pro
tem Keith Burchett is facing challeng
er Terry Minish. Incumbent city council
members Archie Chaney (Ward I) and
Donald Wilson (Ward II) are facing Eric
Gatheright and Darren Owensby, respec
tively. (See the candidates’ responses to
The Jackson Herald questionnaire on page
6A.)
In Jefferson, incumbent mayor Roy
Plott faces challenger Steve Quinn, a
former city council member. Incumbent
city council member Mark Mobley (Dis
trict 4) faces challenger David Wortham.
(Read Jefferson candidate questionnaire
responses on pages 13A and 14A.)
And in Braselton, Robert Clark and
Hardy Johnson are both vying for the
District 4 council seat vacated by Rhonda
Stites. (Clark’s and Johnson’s question
naire responses can be read in the Oct. 18
issue of The Braselton News.)
Woman
charged
for murder,
elder neglect
A Commerce woman faces
serious charges following the
death of her mother earlier this
year.
Tina Marie Booth, 50. 938
South Broad Street, Com
merce, was charged last week
with murder and neglect to
an elderly person. Booth was
the daughter and caretaker of
Linda Cowart, 74, of the same
address, who died in March.
Booth reportedly called
9-1-1 on March 15 and Cowart
was transported to Piedmont
Athens Regional Medical Cen
ter. She ultimately died.
Hospital and EMS crews
were concerned about Cow
art’s condition and reported the
incident to Commerce Police
Department officers, suspect
ing Cowart’s condition may
have involved elder abuse or
neglect. CPD investigators said
Cowart appeared “very frail.”
Officers interviewed person
nel at the hospital and investi
gated the South Broad Street
residence.
The Georgia Bureau of
Investigation also assisted in
the investigation.
Cowart’s body was sent to
the crime lab, which deter
mined her cause of death to be
“homicide by neglect.”
SR 11
reopens
Winder Highway/SR 11
reopened this week in Jackson
County.
A portion of the road con
necting Jackson and Barrow
counties has been closed for
months as Georgia Depart
ment of Transportation crews
worked to replace a culvert.
Solving a murder mystery
ACCUSES JUNE AS THE SUSPECT IN MURDER MYSTERY
The Jackson County Historic Courthouse heritage celebration dinner was held Saturday at the Historic Braselton Gym.
During dinner, guests were introduced to several suspicious and charming characters and asked to solve the “Flapper
Murder-Mystery of the Half Moon Club.” Martha Martin (right) had her eyes on “June” as the Murder mystery suspect.
Wendy Oesterle portrayed June. See more photos on page 1C. Photo by Wesleigh Sagon
Commerce tops combined tax rates this year
Congratulations Commerce property own
ers, you are number one.
Sort of.
Property owners in the City of Commerce
have the highest overall tax rate in Jackson
County this year at 37.107 total mills. That
is the sum of school district, county, fire dis
trict and city taxes levied for 2017.
Residents in the City of Jefferson were
second this year with a combined millage
rate of 36.572 mills.
The area with the county’s lowest com
bined tax rate this year is unincorporated
North Jackson in the North Jackson Fire
District at 31.985 mills.
Jackson County has one of the most com
plicated property tax scenarios in the state.
The county has three school systems, nine
towns and a slew of independent fire dis
tricts, each which sets its own tax rate.
Tax bills are slated to go out this week and
are due Dec. 20.
Bills are also available online at jackson-
countygatax.com.
2017 Millage Rates Combined Amount
City of Commerce 37.107
City of Jefferson 36.572
City of Pendergrass 36.494
City of Braselton 36.394
City of Hoschton 36.394
City of Maysville (Jackson Co. only) 34.924
Unincorporated West Jackson Fire District 34.885
City of Arcade 34.404
City of Nicholson 34.264
Unincorporated Central Jackson Fire District 33.286
Unincorporated South Jackson Fire District 33.205
Unincorporated Jackson Trail Fire District 33.205
Unincorporated Maysville Fire District 33.055
Unincorporated Arcade Fire District 32.895
Unincorporated East Jackson Fire District 32.855
Unincorporated Plainview Fire District 32.765
Unincorporated Harrisburg Fire District 32.725
Unincorporated North Jackson Fire District 31.985
mills
mills
mills
mills
mills
mills
mills
mills
mills
mills
mills
mills
mills
mills
mills
mills
mills
mills
Breakdown:
COUNTY TAX RATES:
•Incorporated = 10.933 mills
•Unincorporated = 9.416 mills
SCHOOL TAX RATES:
•County = 19.139 for M&O; 2.7
for bonds Total = 21.839 mills
•Jefferson = 15.609 for M&O;
3.845 for bonds Total = 19.454
mills
•Commerce = 19.139 for M&O;
3.0 for bonds Total = 22.139 mills
CITY TAX RATES:
•Jefferson = 6.185 mills
•Commerce = 4.035 mills
•Pendergrass = 3.0 mills
•Maysville = .36 mills
(Jackson County only)
(Other towns levy no millage)
FIRE DISTRICT
TAX RATES
•Nicholson =1.5 mills
•West Jackson = 3.63 mills
•Harrisburg = 1.47 mills
•South Jackson = 1.95 mills
•Jackson Trail = 1.95 mills
•North Jackson = .73 mills
•Plainview =1.51 mills
•Maysville =1.8 mills
•Arcade = 1.64 mills
•East Jackson =1.6 mills
•Central Jackson = 2.031 mills
Water authority to hike rates
BY CINDY EDGE
The Jackson County Water and Sewerage Authority reviewed a
proposed budget for FY2018 at a meeting held October 12. The bud
get reflects a 13 percent increase over last year’s budget and includes
a one percent hike in water rates for residential customers.
According to Finance Director Judy Smith, the average residential
customer will realize approximately 27 cents per month increase
while industrial customers will see an approximate $55 per month
increase.
A major part of the $12 million budget includes the authority’s
plans to take over 65 percent of the Bear Creek debt payment in
2018. Originally, Jackson County had agreed to assist with paying
the debt until the authority was in a position to take it over. In the
past two years, the authority has paid fifty percent of the debt. With
expansion of the system and addition of customers, the authority is
now in a position to increase the amount of debt service payments
to 65 percent.
“We are bound by contract to pay what we can pay and do the best
we can with it,” said authority manager Eric Klerk when asked if it is
necessary to increase the payment at this time.
Operating expenses will see an increase of 32 percent, due in part
to the authority taking on maintenance of additional system assets,
such as pumping stations. Two GDOT projects, widening of Hwy.
129 and reconstruction of a bridge on Hwy. 334, which require
realignment of water lines also account for increases in operating
expenses.