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WAYNESBORO, GEORGIA
Vol. 143, No. 46 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830 Established in 1882 Wednesday, January 3, 2024 - $1.00
Waynesboro disregards rollback millage rate
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetuecitizen.shelliel@gmail.com
A small group of citizens showed
up during a December 21 public
hearing to protest the way the City of
Waynesboro advertised a proposed
11 mills millage rate.
Mayor Bill Tinley said prices on
properties that have sold in the city
indicate an increase in the fair market
value. Although the Department of
Revenue recommended a rollback
rate of 10.247, Tinley was adamant
the city could not afford the lesser
millage rate. He also advocated
strongly for sticking to the tradition
of setting it at 11 mills.
“The City of Waynesboro has been
at 11 mills for at least 30 years,”
Tinley emphasized multiple times.
A small group of citizens showed
up with signs protesting what they
understood from an advertisement
was the city implementing a 7.35
percent increase in property taxes.
Talking over each other, Tinley
blamed the wording in the ad on
state law, as resident Rex Gerlinger
questioned Tinley about why the city
didn’t clarify what they were doing
in another advertisement.
“Maybe the new mayor will make
sure that we do that next year,”
Tinley stated.
Rolling the millage rate back
to 10.247 would provide the city
with the same budget they received
last year. Tinley argued that due to
inflation the city needed the extra
revenue to operate.
However, it is
unclear whether
the city calculated MILLAGE RATE,
the amount of 3
A small group of citizens showed up to protest during a public hearing
December 21 that addressed Waynesboro’s proposed 11 mills millage
rate.
r Sydney Coble, 17, of
Burke County dries her
Black and White Holstein
calf, Hazel, with a cow
sized blow dryer Friday,
December 29 in prepara
tion for Saturday’s 9th
Annual Burke County Bird
Dog Classic Commercial
Dairy Heifer Show.
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2023 - A Year In Review - Part One
Compiled by
Roy F. Chalker Jr.
JAN. 4
District Attorney Jared Williams
issued a press release announcing
his decision to prosecute local swim
instructor Lexie Tenhuisen in the
swimming-related death of 4-year-
old Izzy Scott June 14.
Superior Court Judge Jesse Stone
was administered the oath of office
for his first full term.
Obituaries included: Jerry
Norman, Geneva Roberson-Ellison,
Matthew Bynes, Betty Allen Cobb,
Freddie Lee Jones, Sr., Paulette Ward
Hensley, Sandra Mae Collins, Robert
Grimsley and Joanne Catherine
Sharpe Swan.
JAN.11
After 16 seasons as the Bears’ head
coach, Eric Parker has decided it is
time to step away from the sidelines.
Parker leaves behind an impressive
resume that includes a trip to the
playoffs in each of his 16 seasons, 7
region championships and a Georgia
High School Association (GHSA)
AAA state title that Burke County
won in 2011.
After 30 years of operating the
Magnolia Gift Shop inside the
hospital, the Pink Ladies will
transition to new roles after the gift
shop closes its doors.
Obituaries included Phyllis
Marie Drew, John Willis Rucker,
Sr., Freddie Lee Jones, Sr., Elmer
Bontrager and Henrietta T. Marks.
JAN. 18
The Burke County Sheriff’s Office
has made no arrests in the Keysville
incident Sunday, January 15 that left
bullet holes in Mayor Linda Wilkes’
home.
According to the BCSO incident
report, Wilkes initially heard one
shot, but shortly thereafter a car
returned and someone fired three
to four more shots. Two projectiles
and three shell casings were found
during a search of the immediate
area. The incident took place around
10: 45 p.m.
Obituaries included Don Byron
King, Patrick
Woods Hendrix,
Steffi Gottschalk
B ailie, Wooldridge
SEE
REVIEW,
6
Deputy fired for stealing time
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Sheriff Alfonzo Williams
terminated the employment of Sgt.
Daniel Rodriquez December 19 for
theft of time.
According to a termination letter,
Williams learned that Rodriquez
submitted a timesheet in December
claiming 63 hours of overtime that
included an adjustment for providing
out-of-town security escort to the
Edmund Burke Academy Spartans
during the championship game in
Macon. An investigation found
Rodriquez was entitled to a 10-hour
adjustment for the EBA football
game, but instead, he claimed 13
hours.
The letter
states that
a review
of GPS
and CAD
activity
found
Rodriquez
worked six
hours of
city detail
but claimed
36 hours.
The Sheriff also stated Rodriquez
claimed eight hours of overtime,
when in fact he was off-duty and on
vacation. According to
Williams, Rodriquez
was only entitled to 16
hours of overtime out
Sgt. Daniel Rodriquez
FIRED,
8
Governor Brian Kemp, left, with State Rep. Barry Fleming, right, in Janu
ary 2020.
Fleming named to
Superior Court post
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
The Board of Commissioners will
need to hire another attorney as Barry
Fleming moves into his new role as
Superior Court judge.
Governor Brian Kemp appointed
Fleming, a State Representative, to
the position of Superior Court judge
in the Columbia Judicial Circuit. He
will replace retiring Judge James
Blanchard Jr.
Fleming was first elected to the
Georgia House in 2002 after serving
as chairman of the Columbia County
Board of Commissioners. He stepped
down from his position in the House
in 2008, but returned to the General
Assembly in 2013. In February 2009,
the Burke County BOC unanimously
chose Fleming to fill the spot which
was left vacant upon the resignation
of longtime county Attorney Preston
B. Lewis Jr. In nearly 15 years of
representing the county, Fleming has
experienced ups and downs.
ACCG, Georgia’s county
association, honored Fleming with
a 2016 Legislative Service Award at
the historic courthouse. However,
approximately two years ago,
Fleming headed a committee that
maneuvered controversial election
reform legislation through the House
process. The new election laws
impacted public opinion surrounding
his legal representation of Burke
County.
Before the April 2021 BOC
meeting, a crowd of approximately
80 protesters gathered on the corner
of Liberty and Sixth Streets to voice
their opinion that Fleming should
be fired as county attorney after
sponsoring the bill that some believed
restricted voting. Commissioner
Terri Lodge Kelly said the lack of
diversity included in the group of
committee members who wrote the
new law was “appalling” and the
implications of the new legislation
should be alarming to everyone.
Commissioner
Lucious Abrams said SEE
a lot of his constituents FLEMING
had lost confidence g
in Fleming. He made