Newspaper Page Text
THE
ACKSON
H Wednesday, May 10, 2023
ERALD
VOL. 148 NO. 48
24 PACES 2 SECTIONS PLUS INSERTS
Merged in 2017 with
The Commerce News
A PUBLICATION OF MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA S0549 $1.00 COPY
Tax assessments
Angry crowd packs town hall meeting
By Mike Buffington
mike@mainstreetnews. com
A large and angry crowd
packed into the Jackson
County Agricultural Cen
ter May 8 for a town hall
meeting about why there
are significantly higher
property assessments in
the county this year.
When it was over, many
in attendance didn't seem
mollified by what they
heard from county offi
cials.
Organized by commis
sioner Marty Clark, the
town hall session was
scheduled following a
public outcry over a large
jump in property assess
ments across the county.
Notices of those reassess
ments were mailed out two
weeks ago.
A second town hall meet
ing is slated for Thursday,
May 11 at the Braselton
Civic Center starting at
6 p.m.
Around 1,000 people at
tended Monday's meeting
with many carrying their
white assessment notices
in their hands as they en
tered the building. Inside,
See Meeting, page 2A
Like most of those who attended Monday night’s
town hall meeting about higher property assess
ments, this woman had brought her assessment
paperwork with her.
How assessments and
the tax system work
The property tax system in Georgia is complex and
Jackson County has some unique issues that make the
system even more complex locally.
Essentially, property taxes are the function of three
main components: Property value (assessment), ex
emptions and millage rates.
Here's a basic primer on how that system works
and the unique issues in Jackson County:
ASSESSMENTS
• Property assessments are essentially a function
of what a piece of property is worth at a given time.
Broadly, assessments are broken down into four cat
egories: Residential, commercial, industrial and ag
ricultural.
• Counties arrive at assessment values by comparing
See Taxes, page 2A
Plane crash
Photo from Meadows
Surgical Arts website
DR. LIONEL
MEADOWS
Commerce
doctor killed
in Tennessee
plane crash
A well-known local doc
tor was killed in a small air
plane crash in Tennessee on
Sunday evening.
A spokesperson with the
Federal Aviation Adminis
tration reports a single-en
gine Cessna 182 crashed
near Reliance, Tenn.. on
Sunday, May 7, around
7:30 p.m.
Dr. Lionel D. Meadows,
who runs Meadows Surgi
cal Arts in Commerce and
Buford, was killed in the
crash, which reportedly
occurred during a storm.
Meadows was the only per
son aboard the aircraft.
The flight took off from
South Bend, Ind.. around
See Meadows, page 2A
MAILING LABEL
Daisy Festival
Photos by Wesleigh Sagon
The City of Nichol
son hosted its 44th
annual Daisy Festival
on Friday, May 5,
through Saturday,
May 6. The event
brought a crowd of
2,000 throughout
the two days. The
festival featured a
parade, live music,
skits from local dance
schools, a cake walk,
raffles, handcraft
ed items, bounce
houses, food and
fun. (ABOVE) Sky-
lar Lee, 5, is shown
at Nicholson’s 44th
annual Daisy Festival
on Saturday, May
6. Pictured (RIGHT)
Juanita Broom picked
out some flowers at
Leticia Diaz’s flower
sale booth. See more
on page 9A.
Index
News 1A-3A, 5A, 8A
Opinion 4A
rumic saieiy.
School news
0A-/A
3B-4B
Social news
10B-12B
Sports
1B-2B
Classifieds
5B
Obituaries
I0A
Legals
6B-9B
Inside
A large crowd was
on hand Sunday,
May 7, for a reunion
of Jefferson Troop
158 Boy Scouts and
current and past
leaders. See photos
on page 10B.
Hoschton
Annexations,
rezonings
sought for major
developments
Hoschton leaders will hear annexation and zoning
requests for a pair of proposed large-scale develop
ments that would add a combined 1,400 residences
to the city and a shopping center if approved. Both
annexation requests received formal objections
from Jackson County’s commissioners.
Public hearings for the two developments are
scheduled for Thursday, May 11, at 6 p.m., at
Hoschton City Hall, located at 79 City Square.
Rocklyn Homes and the Providence Group of
Georgia seek the annexation and zoning changes
for their respective projects.
Rocklyn Homes requests annexation and rezon
ing of 287.14 acres owned by Mary Ann Kenerly
and New Hope AME Church along Hwy. 53 from
agricultural-rural farm district to a planned unit de
velopment (PUD) for a major mixed-use develop
ment of 651 single-family lots, 404 townhome units
and 200,000 square feet of commercial space with
6.6 acres of outparcels.
See Developments, page 5A
County BOE
County BOE
approves new school
price at $36.6 million
By Mike Buffington
mike@mainstreetnews. com
A price tag of $36.6 million was approved by
the Jackson County Board of Education on May 8
for the system's newest elementary school facility
being constructed in West Jackson.
The BOE approved the guaranteed maximum
price bid for Heroes Elementary School at its meet
ing Monday night. Carroll Daniel Construction is
the construction manager at risk for the project.
The school is slated to be open in the fall of 2024.
OTHER BUSINESS
The board also approved its 2024 salary and
See BOE, page 5A
piggly wiggly
Bota Box (3 Liter) $ 18.99
Sutter Home (1.5 Liter) $ 10.99
Yellow Tail (1.5 Liter) $ 10.99
Beringer (1.5 Liter) $ 10.99
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