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The Commerce News
JEFFERSON, JACKSON COUNTY GEORGIA 30549 $1.00 COPY
Election results
Commerce rec bond passes
Nicholson,
Hoschton elect
new mayors
Jackson County will have
two new mayors following this
week’s balloting.
Steve Nichols ousted incum
bent Jan Webster in Nicholson
and Debbie Martin won in a
landslide in Hoschton over
two other candidates for that
town’s open mayor’s seat.
But perhaps the biggest
news of the night came in
Commerce where voters nar
rowly approved a bond refer
endum to pay for new athletic
facilities for the town’s recre
ation department. The move
will lead to a hike in the city’s
millage rate.
County-wide, 2,932 people
voted in municipal elections, a
13.5% turnout.
There were no elections held
in the towns of Talmo and Ar
cade.
The following is a break
down of election results for
each town that had contested
seats:
COMMERCE
The approval of Com
merce’s recreation bond refer
endum was a narrow win, 484-
468, and came after months of
controversy about the future
of the city’s recreation depart
ment.
Faced with the high cost of
building new facilities and the
cost of an expanded program,
Commerce leaders had dis
cussed turning the city’s rec
reation department over to the
county to operate.
But that was met with oppo
sition by some in the town who
wanted to keep the department
as a city-operated service. Af
ter weeks of discussions and
public meetings, the city coun
cil decided to punt on making
a decision and put the issue on
the ballot in the form of a bond
referendum.
Many observers didn’t ex
pect the referendum to pass
since it requires a major hike
in the town’s millage rate, per
haps as much as doubling the
millage rate.
But a group organized to
support the referendum, post
ing signs all around town.
There was no organized oppo
sition to the referendum.
In other Commerce elec
tion results, incumbent Ward
3 councilman Mark Fitzpatrick
handily defeated Alicia Vargas
147-67 for another term in of
fice.
In Ward 5, Roshuanda Mer
ritt won over two other can
didates with 72 votes. Ronald
Silver had 51 votes and Marty
Vitug had 68 votes.
No school board seats were
contested, but two new mem
bers of the city board of ed
ucation will soon take their
seats. In District 3, Matthew
Dean ran unopposed while in
Ward 5, Cory Griffith will be
the new member.
NICHOLSON
Challenger Steve Nichols
defeated incumbent Mayor Jan
Webster with 63% of the vote
(121-67).
Nicholson voters also re
turned Mike Barfield and La
mar' Watkins to the city council
as they ran unopposed.
MAYSVILLE
In the Maysville Mayor’s
race, Incumbent Richard Pres
ley narrowly held onto his seat
with 50.5% of the vote, defeat
ing challenger Bill McLeish
171-167.
See Election,page 2A
Inside
The fall issue
of the Commerce
Today Magazine
can be found inside
this week’s paper
for Commerce-area
residents.
Veterans Day
Herald
again to
honor
veterans,
submit
photos by
Nov. 13
The Jackson Herald
will again be recognizing
local veterans in the No
vember 15 issue of the pa
per. To have your veteran
recognized, please send
their photo, name, military
branch and years of service
to alex@mainstreetnews.
com. Also include their
hometown or what town
they’re connected to in
Jackson County.
If you do not have a pho
to, but want your veteran
honored, email the veteran’s
name, military branch and
years of service to alex@
mainstreetnews.com. Also
include their hometown or
what town they’re connect
ed to in Jackson County.
The deadline is noon on
Monday, Nov. 13.
MAILING LABEL
Nicholson
Nicholson celebrates veterans
Photos by Cheyenne Tolleson
Army Veterans Bobby Russell and Tom Graham, who also served in the Ma
rine Corps, conversed over refreshments after the Nicholson Veterans Day
ceremony on Nov.5.
All present veterans were honored at the City of Nicholson Veterans Day event
on Nov. 5 at Benton Hall.
Retired Chief Warrant
Officer 3 Stephen P. Se-
niuk was the keynote
speaker for the Nichol
son Veteran’s Day event
on Nov. 5.
Mayor Jan Webster presented registered veterans
with their certificates of recognition at the Nichol
son Veterans Day event on Nov. 5.
Jackson BOC
County
garbage tipping
fees set to go up
Garbage disposal fees at the Jackson County Trans
fer Station are slated to go up soon.
The Jackson County Board of Commissioners re
viewed a proposal at its Nov. 6 meeting to hike garbage
fees 8%. The basic rate would go from $65 per ton for
under 500 tons to $70 per ton.
The move comes as the BOC is also looking to ap
prove a guaranteed maximum price contract to expand
the transfer station. The board is looking at awarding
a $5.6 million GMP contract to Reeves Young for the
expansion project. The hike in fees would go in part to
help pay for that project.
Once started, the expansion would take about 12
See BOC, page 2A
Commerce
Commerce council talks
safety improvements at
Hwy. 441 intersection
By Alex Buffington
alex@mainstreetnews. com
Commerce council members spoke this week about
needed safety improvements at a busy intersection in
town.
The subject was broached by Commerce City Coun
cil member Darren Owensby, who spoke about the
need for safety upgrades at the intersection of Hwy.
441 and State Street/Hwy. 326 during the council’s
Monday meeting.
“There’s no lines on the road. There’s no arrows on
the road. It’s just a bad accident waiting to happen,”
Owensby said. “.. .We need to do something.”
The intersection is often busy with traffic coming
from multiple directions and a hill that obstructs the
view of oncoming vehicles.
City Manager James Wascher said the Georgia De
partment of Transportation has said they can put an
R-cut at the intersection. If an R-cut is installed, trav
elers would need to take a right turn off State Street or
Hwy. 326 onto Hwy. 441. (Drivers would not be able
to cross the median to make a left turn onto Hwy. 441.)
Wascher noted R-cuts have been successful in other
jurisdictions. Jefferson has an R-cut on Hwy. 129 at
Old Swimming Pool Road. Arcade also has an R-cut
See Commerce, page 2A
415 Lee Street • Jefferson, GA
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