Newspaper Page Text
VOL. 106 NO. 27
School System Fee
County Boards In
R ift Over Taxes
The Houston County
Commission has taken
issue with the Board of
Education and will oppose
the ending of a two and a
half percent collection fee
paid by the school system
to collect its property tax
funds. Last week county
attorney Walker Burke
drafted a letter to Tax
Joyce
Griffin, to the com
missioners, and to the
school board disagreeing
I with a conclusion drawn by
school board attorney Tom
f Daniel that holds the
Farm Bureau
Buys Quarters
The Board of Directors
of the Houston County
Farm Bureau met
Tuesday morning for a
"kickoff” breakfast at the
New Perry Hotel, to tally
results of a drive to sell
chough debentures to buy a
builJlng on Main Street.
The building, the former
Tenneco service station
next to Watson-Hunt
Funeral Home, will be
remodeled to serve as
Farm Bureau
headquarters.
* For many years the local
Farm Bureau has
dreamed of a building of its
own, in order to serve its
customers more ef
ficiently. It became a
reality when twenty-one
members of the Board, and
the County Agent, met to
tally results ofa week long
drive to sell the debentures
on the property.
Watson Fisher won a
free breakfast, given by
president Arthur White
Jr., for selling the most
debentures. Second
was Jimmy Willis.
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Concert Goer
Little Lorie Sutton was the youngest person in
attendance last Saturday at the Marine Corps
band concert downtown but that didn’t seem to
bother her. Here she is decked out in a Bicen
tennial dress and bonnet and enjoying the music.
See more photos of the day’s activities inside this
j week’s edition.
The Houston Home Journoi
collection of the fee is
unlawful.
Possibly standing in the
balance is the tax millage
rates for both the county
government and county
school system, because the
fee amounts to about
$125,000, or a half mill in
taxes. The commissioners
say they will have little
choice but to hike their 10
mill rate if the fee is not
collected, and the school
board has not taken any
steps to cut its rate by one
half mill in such an event.
For more than a decade,
White praised all the
members and their work,
who made the purchase
possible.
The former Tenneco
building, on Main Street,
will be remodeled to in
clude offices for the in
surance agents, local
Farm Bureau office, a
conference room, and
storage for tires, batteries,
harrow discs, twine and
other farm implements.
Local Farm Bureau
president White stated, "I
want to thank all the Board
members who worked so
hard and the members and
friends who bought
debentures. We have an
ideal location and feel that
our services will benefit
with this change. Members
are urged to continue to
support all the programs
offered. An announcement
will be made prior to the
opening of the new office."
Presently the Farm
Bureau offices are at 733
Carroll Street. Local in
surance agent is Monroe
Webb.
Published Every Thursday At Perry, Georgia— A Certified Georgia City
the county government has
assessed the 2.50 percent
fee for collecting the sch
ool system's taxes. But in
April of this year, the
Georgia Supreme Court
told Chatham County's
Tax Commissioner that he
could not continue the
practice there.
The case, better known
as Coleman versus Kiley,
was supposedly applicable
to all other counties, as
well as Chatham
(Savannah's county).
Thereupon last month Tom
Daniel, attorney for the
Houston County school
board, sent the Tax
Commissioner and the
county commissioners a
notice advising to cease
the fee's collection.
After several weeks of
research, Burke filed an
answer, and admits tha.
the case may wind up back
in court, with taxpayers
paying for both sides.
Burke said, in a letter
mailed Thursday of last
week, that "the case of
Coleman vs Kiley does not
affect Houston County and
its collection of a fee from
school taxes."
He cites two reasons he
says applies. First of all,
"the Georgia Supreme
Court did not find the
general law contained in
Code section 32-1106 un
constitutional", and
secondly, "the difference
between the laws of the two
counties".
Georgia Law of 1964,
pages 2813 through 2816
provide that "all fees,
fines, forfeitures, costs,
commissions, emoluments
and prerequisites"
provided for services done
by the Tax Com
missioner..."shall be
charged and collected by
said officer and shall be
held by him as county
funds."
Burke's letter said the
Chatham County laws
specifically said that "the
Commissioners of
Chatham County shall
make no charge against
the Board of Public
Education for the City of
Savannah and County of
Chatham for the collection
of school taxes in said
county."
On the other hand,
Houston County has not
such law, so Burke says
the Supreme Court ruling
does not apply here. He
says since the Georgia law
"Code section is con
stitutional, the Tax
Commissioner of Houston
County if REQUIRED by
the Houston County act
(Ga. Laws, 1964, P. 2813-6)
tocollectthe 2.50 percent"
fee.
Os course, Mrs. Griffin
has never received the 2.50
percent fee as a part of her
Special Edition
Set This Week
Included in this week’s edition of The Home
Journal is a special Bicentennial section. The
special edition is 38 pages in two sections inserted
in the back of your HHJ.
The special edition was edited and written by
Mrs. John L. (Miss Ruby) Hodges and covers
state, national and local history and progress.
Mrs. Hodges touches on many facets of the
nation’s birth and growth and ties these historical
facts into local history and progress of Perry and
Houston County.
PERRY, HOUSTON COUNTY, GEORGIA 31069 THURSDAY, JULY 1, 1976
wages, and it is placed into
county general funds. But
her personal salary has
always included per
centages ot several dif
ferent items, and is in
excess of the Tax Com
missioner "base” salary.
According to attorney
Burke's letter, Mrs. Griffin
receives "a two percent
commission of the net tax
digest collected in excess
of 90 percent up to a
maximum of $2,000. Such
net tax digest is composed
of all taxes due including
the 2.50 percent com
mission allowed to be
levied on school taxes..."
So finally Burke
recommended that the Tax
Commissioner continue to
operate as in the past
"until the law is amended
to allow her to do other
wise."
G.M.A.
Honors
Walker
Rep. Larry Walker
Perry City Attorney
Larry Walker received an
award for professional
service last week at the
annual Georgia Municipal
Association Convention,
held in Jekyll Island.
Walker's recognition was
for his leadership as 1975-
76 president ot the Georgia
City Attorneys of the
G.M.A.
Walker, who also serves
as State Representative
for Perry and south
Houston County, as well as
Schley and Macon
Counties, for two years
consecutively was honored
by the G.M.A. with the
"Georgia Legislative
Service" award, given
annually to one member of
the Georgia General
Assembly who has aided
the G.M.A.
Rep. Walker said the
City Attorneys section
consists of "probably more
than 200 members", one
for each city represented
in the Georgia Municipal
Association.
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100 Years From Now i:
This is a small part of what Sunday evening will
be included in Perry’s “time capsule” to be buried
in front of City Hall and opened on July 4, 2076.
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Perry "time capsule” chairman Draper Watson (L), Jerry Ingram, and
Mayor James McKinley (R) take another look at the capsule itself, which is in
reality a burial vault. Ingram’s Eagle Triplex Burial Vault company donated
the container. The capsule is painted red, white, and blue, with thirteen stars
emblazoned on the lid. A granite map of the state of Georgia also is found on
the top of the vault. Sunday evening it will be interred, to be opened 100 years
from now.
Community Service
This Sunday At 6:30
This Sunday, July 4, as
Americans throughout the
nation celebrate the 200th
anniversary of the
Declaration of In
dependence, Perryans will
gather at 6:30 p.m. for a
Community-wide Worship
Service and Time Capsule
burial. Speaker for the
occasion, according to
Mayor Jumes McKinley,
will be Dr. Jim Dorriety,
who will speak at City Hall.
The Mayor said that
most Perry area churches
are cancelling their
Sunday evening services to
take part in the community
service. The community
service will also include
special music, the Pledge
of Allegiance, and
congregational singing
Opening the service will
be special music by the
Childrens and Youth Choir
from Perry United
Methodist Church, under
direction of Jim Mcllrath,
Following will be patriotic
and inspirational songs by
the "I Love America
Choir" directed by First
Baptist Minister of Music
Bob Brewer.
The Pledge of Allegiance
will be given by all
present, then will follow
congregational singing of
"America the Beautiful".
The invocation will be
given by Rev. Walter L.
Glover, Jr. pastor of the
Greater Union Baptist
Church.
Welcome and in
troduction of guests will be
made by Mayor McKinley.
The introduction of the
speaker will be given by
Rev. Dan Ariail, president
of the Perry Ministerial
Association and Dr.
Dorriety's address will
follow.
Items of all binds have been gathered together, in
an effort to show those people who open the vault
what life is like in Perry today. Shown with the
items is Perry Mayor James McKinley.
The benediction will be
given by Dr. Leonard
Cochran.
Immediately following
the services will be burial
of the Time Capsule,
scheduled for opening on
July 4, 2076.
Dr. Dorriety has already
conducted 28 revivals this
year, including one in
Newnan, Georgia last July
More Photos
Set Next Week
Due '
tenniai Parade pnoiu£iupa» uau iu ue ieu out ol
this week’s Home Journal. They will appear in
next week’s issue.
4 SECTIONS 68 PAGES
Burial
Sunday
4. He has also held
crusades in Hawaii, Israel,
Europe, and throughout
the nation.
Mayor McKinley stated,
"We hope everyone In
Perry will come and share
this worship service with
us as we express our love
of God and Country on
America's 200th bir
thday."