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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. Subscribe. Your name goes on the label in this box 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