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HERE’S THE
SCOOP
Memorial Day
observance
Monday
The local VFW Post
will be conducting Memo
rial Day services Monday,
May 31 at the Veterans
memorial in Milner City
Park. All veterans and
those who appreciate
them are invited to at
tend.
The proceedings will
begin at 11 a.m.
For more informa
tion, contact post com
mander Richard Wright
at 770.584.4608.
Tax appeals
due by July 1
Property tax assess
ments were mailed out
May 17 by chief ap
praiser Jeannie Haddock
and her staff. Many saw
increased valuations due
to the booming housing
market.
Many homes are sell
ing quickly at values at
or above asking price.
Those prices impact
property valuations.
Those wishing to ap
peal may do so via letter
or by e-mailing taxasses-
sor@lamarcountyga.com.
Correspondence must
include the reason for
the appeal, a value and
the property owner’s ap
peal option.
Appeals can be based
on denial of homestead
exemption or a special
use exemption, unifor
mity or value. The appeal
options are an appeal to
the board of equalization
which can lead to superi
or court, arbitration over
value or an appearance
before a county hearing
officer.
For more information,
call the tax assessors of
fice at 770.358.5161.
Legal notice of the
valuation/appeal process
is published on page 3A.
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Seda: Library, old debts 'killing'
Milner, city should be dissolved;
Christopher challenges his theory
KAV S. PEDROTTI
kayspedrotti@gmail.com
In a surprise speech on an
issue not on last week’s meeting
agenda, the Milner City Council
heard councilman Skip Seda
say that the Milner Commu
nity Library’s costs to the city
“would, if operated as it is now,
bankrupt the city.”
“The library sounds like it’s
making money, but it’s not,”
Seda said.
He proceeded to offer figures
based on financial reports given
by Cheryl Idol, library board
treasurer. The figures, he said,
“are unaudited and are just my
math.” He said he polled several
businesses about how much
increase a business should
expect every year, and the reply
was “about 10 percent.” Based
on his math, he said, “Milner
could be paying $422,608 and
change” annually to the
library functions and build
ing needs in 10 years, five
times the existing property
tax base. Taken to 20 years,
costs could be $3.9 million,
he said.
He continued with not
ing the actual revenue to
the library for its services
during 2020 was $1,600;
Friends of the Library
gave $37,000, creating an
l n ’ 000 ™ Sh r ; c J onYi a 7 CHRISTOPHER
through March of 2021 li
brary income was down to
$3,508; he said he had been
told FOLM could give only
$4,000 a year now; Lamar
Gives 365 grants could not
be automatically expected,
but could be $3-5,000. GROSE
“No way should the city
take ownership of the library.
The damage could be mitigated
by closing the library, taking
out a $780,000 loan,
buying the building and
using it for other revenue
sources. The library is
going to bankrupt the
town if it continues as a
library,” he said.
“We need to alert the
citizens so people will
know what is coming.
1 know these are unau
dited and just my figures,
but 1 would love for
somebody to prove me
wrong,” he said.
Bill Christopher,
library board member,
challenged Seda’s out
look by saying, “You fig
ured all this as a business
- we are a service, not a
business. The regional
library board and state require
ments are mandatory for the
library.”
Seda said also that the
library’s dilemma is only part of
the reasons why Milner should
no longer be a city. There are
debts on the non-functioning
water tower, designed never to
have functioned according to
the city’s engineer, and other
water and sewer obligations
that will run into the millions in
another decade, he said.
Seda made a motion that the
council “dissolve the charter”
and stop operating as a city. It
died for lack of a second.
City administrator Tausha
Grose said, “Technically, this
was not on the agenda - you
could vote to put it on the
agenda and then discuss it.”
It was then agreed that
whether to have further dis
cussion of Seda’s findings and
motion will be done at the coun
cil’s next workshop.
THE HERALD GAZETTE/WALTER GEIGER
Last on grad list, first in dance contest
Ju’Corie Zellner was the very last graduate to cross the stage during commencement exercises for the LC
Class of 2021 Saturday morning. When his time finally came, he brought down the house with his celebratory
dance moves. Among those grinning at the outstanding Trojan athlete’s abilities was school superintendent Dr.
Jute Wilson (left).
VFW to host events to
assist couple injured in crash
Andrew and Deanna Davis,
who are from this area, got
dream jobs in the Augusta area
earlier this year and moved
there. They were dropping
their 20-month-old daughter
Kimbrie off at a babysitter’s
home when their car was T-
boned by another. The impact
was on Deanna’s side.
Kimbrie was only slightly in
jured but Andrew and Deanna
suffered catastrophic injures
and were in ICU on ventilators
for some time. Deanna had
multiple broken bones and in
ternal injuries but is
slowly recuperating.
Andrew had a trau
matic brain injury
and does not know
his family.
The local VFW
Post has multiple fun
draisers set for Sat
urday, May 29 to help
the couple. A benefit
ride will begin at the Interna
tional Horse Park in Conyers at
2 p.m. with the destination the
VFW. There will be food plates
and music by Lady Creech and
the Main Street
Band beginning at
4 p.m.
Also on the
schedule are a corn
hole tournament.
Registration is set
for 4 p.m. with the
competition begin
ning at 5 p.m. There
will be bouncy
houses for kids, a bake sale
and several raffles.
For more information, call
678-416-7182.
ANDREW AND DEANNA
DAVIS
Citizen asks
Milner mayor
for update on
investigation
KAY S. PEDROTTI
kayspedrotti@gmail.com
Citing a news article from
March 21 at last week’s council
meeting, Milner resident Bobby
Brantly read
aloud a letter
to mayor Andy
Marlowe, calling
for disclosure of
results on the GB1
and law enforce
ment investiga
tion into possible
corruption in the city of Milner.
Brantly said the article “led
readers and citizens to believe
that a lengthy investigation
into allegations of corruption
within our city government by
elected officials,
both past and
present, has
concluded.” It
also called for
arranged discus
sion among the
mayor, Lamar
County Sheriff
Brad White and investigators
from the Georgia Bureau of
Investigation. The meeting
was reportedly cancelled, said
Brantly.
His letter also stated that
“results from the investiga
tion would be withheld from
the public for unannounced
reasons ... and
would not be
presented to the
Grand Jury this
term or possibly
even future ses
sions.” Brantly
asked that the
mayor find out
the status of any proposed
meetings and any information
that could be released publicly.
Marlowe said he would call the
officials and pass on the ques
tions.
“We need to give the citizens
answers - we owe them that,”
said councilwoman Regina
Stephens.
Council approved a resolu
tion to call a special election
the first Tuesday in Novem
ber, coinciding with national
elections, to replace council
member Vickie Smith, who
resigned, and to notify the
superintendent of elections
accordingly. Qualifying will be
Aug. 16 through 18, 8:30 a.m. to
4 p.m. each day.
Formation of the Civic Com
mittee to handle local events
and promote Milner was ap
proved. City administrator Tau
sha Grose asked the council’s
wishes on uses for the Ameri
can Rescue Plan Act
SEE MILNER INVESTIGATION 3A
STEPHENS
MARLOWE
BRANTLY
©2021 THE HERALD GAZETTE, BARNESVILLE, LAMAR COUNTY, GA 30204, 770.358.NEWS