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24 PAGES 2 SECTIONS PLUS INSERTS
The Commerce News
JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549 $1.00 COPY
County BOC
County BOC sets tax rates, budget
By Mike Buffington
mike@mainstreetnews. com
A major expansion of the
Jackson County govern
ment’s financial footprint is
on tap next year following
action by the Jackson Coun
ty Board of Commissioners.
The BOC set its millage
rate and 2024 budget on
Sept. 18. The budget shows
some key growth in reve
nues and expenses.
The board set a millage
rate of 7.748 mills in incor
porated areas of the county
and 6.171 mills for unin
corporated areas. Both rates
are lower than last year and
are the full “rollback rates”
to offset last year’s higher
property assessments.
The incorporated rate
fell by 1.39 mills and un
incorporated dropped by
1.629 mills (the difference
in incorporated and unin
corporated is due to how in
surance premium taxes are
handled differently in the
two areas.)
In theory, property own
ers should pay about the
same county-levied proper
ty taxes this year as they did
last year if their assessment
went up around 25% or less.
Property values that went up
over 30% will pay more this
year since the rollback rate
is an average of all property
values.
INCOME
Despite the millage roll
backs, the county will see a
jump in its overall property
tax income for FY2024.
The county’s general fund
will see a $3.2 million in
crease in property tax rev
enues over last year, a 9%
increase.
On the other hand, the
county is budgeting a de
crease in sales tax revenues
next year, a projected drop
of $1.5 million from 2023,
down 12%.
See BOC, page 2A
Art in the Park
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Photos by Wesleigh Sagon
The Tumbling Waters Society partnered with Jackson County Parks and Recreation to host its 32nd
anniversary Art in the Park festival at Hurricane Shoals Park. The festival, which was held Saturday,
Sept. 16 - Sunday, Sept. 17, drew in a crowd of over 3,000 visitors over the course of the two-day
affair. The festival featured handmade crafts, homemade goodies, food vendors, a 5K Mill Race,
duck dash, kids’ zone, miniature golf, Grist Mill, living history demonstrations in the Heritage Village,
an area school artwork contest for next year’s festival T-shirt design, Civil War re-enactments and
encampment in the Heritage Village, the annual Tony and Ann lanuario Blue Grass Festival and in
strument giveaway and more. Here a cannon blasts during the Battle of Kings Tanyard, which was
held on Saturday, Sept. 16. The Battle of Narrows took place on Sunday, Sept. 17. Both battles were
local and Confederate victories.
Jeff Reno, Commerce native and re-enactor, is shown with a
bag of corn meal at the annual Art in the Park festival at Hurri
cane Shoals.
Diane Baird gave demonstrations
on making homemade lye soap in
the heritage village during the an
nual Art in the Park festival. See
more on page 12A.
MAILING LABEL
Commerce
Commerce BOE candidate challenge
withdrawn, hearing cancelled
A candidate challenge was withdrawn Board of Education District 5 seat,
last week against Cory Griffith. Griffith Ahearing on the challenge that had been
was the lone qualifier for the Commerce set for Thursday, Sept. 14, was cancelled.
County BOE
County BOE sets
millage rate, budget
The Jackson County
Board of Education formal
ly approved its tax rate and
FY2024 budget in a called
meeting last Friday.
The board set a millage
rate of 15.495 mills, down
from 16.576 mills last year.
The millage rate doesn’t af
fect those living inside the
city limits of Jefferson or
Commerce which have their
own independent school
systems which set their own
tax rates.
The Jackson County sys
tem expects to net a total of
$60.5 million in revenues
from property taxes, which
is about 44% of its total
budget.
The system’s general
fund budget for FY2024 is
set at $136 million. In addi
tion to the local tax funds,
school systems also receive
state funding and a smaller
amount of federal funds.
Some of the FY2024 bud
get are funds for the acquisi
tion of land for new school
facilities.
Commerce council
Commerce awarded
$33 million grant for
new wastewater facility
By Alex Buffington
alex@mainstreetnews. com
Commerce plans to fast-
track the construction of a
new wastewater treatment
facility. Mayor Clark Hill
announced this week that
the city has been awarded
a $33 million state grant for
the new plant, which is esti
mated to total $40 million.
“We may have some addi
tional funding opportunities
as well,” Hill said dining
the Commerce City Council
meeting on Monday.
Hill noted the city has to
spend the $33 million grant
in 3 years and that the city
hopes to have the second
wastewater treatment facil
ity open at that time.
“We’ve got a lot of heavy
hitting to do the next couple
See Commerce, page 2A
Large Hoschton
development on Hwy. 53
approved unanimously
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews. com
A 1,000-plus home de
velopment that was large
ly opposed by residents at
public hearings and prompt
ed an arbitration hearing
with Jackson County re
ceived the green light from
Hoschton leaders.
The Hoschton City Coun
cil voted 4-0 Monday (Sept.
18) to approve an annex
ation and planned unit de
velopment rezoning for
Rocklyn Homes for 287
acres zoned agricultural on
Hwy. 53 on the south side
of town near the large Twin
Lakes subdivision.
The project will include
651 single-family homes,
404 townhomes and 24
acres of civic space.
Groans were heard from
those attending Monday’s
meeting after the council
See Hoschton, page 2A
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HOME OF THE SLUSHEES
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