Newspaper Page Text
MIDWEEK
EDITION
25 1
Perry & Houston County’s
official Legal Organ
WEDNESDAY, September 30,1992
Despite budget cut, county js
By BRIAN LAWSON
Staff Writer
After cutting $208,945 from this
year's budget, the Houston County
Commissioners adopted a millage
rate of 9.59 at a special meeting
Monday night.
The motion to adopt the millage
rate carried on a three to one vote
with Commissioner Charlie Stew
art casting the only dissent.
The new millage rate is an in
crease over last year's 9.14 mills,
$M wm \ * 4M WSk ‘»#^/^^^Ht*<N|uafe^^
't|r ■&*££;, P»i $
KL9
■CpF ' MmSF ' S ;^k^^
►■ wT jL' * fe^ l*®*®* l *®*®*
|B&. m■l■ H> jB .&& k. -;yjf" ,-'- _IIOTI-1 ’ ' *
jii jr «w* K - fl
- aB», ... .^H
'•*“* «**;■•«
(HHJ photo by Eric Zellars)
Fa/r preparations continue
Lora Arledge, director of the Georgia Living Center at the Agricenter, prepares a
display for the Best of Show In the Youth Food Preservation competition. Be sure
and look for The Houston Home Journal's special fair edition next Wednesday
containing all the Information available about this year’s Georgia National Fair.
P&Z Commission re-zones
property for new subdivision
By BRIAN LAWSON
Staff Writer
The Perry Planning and Zoning
Commission addressed questions
ranging from re-zoning develop
ment property to portable sign use
at their Monday meeting.
The commission approved a re
quest from Northside Perry Limited
to re-zone an area from the North
Perry Bypass to Houston Lake
Road and near Houston Lake Coun
try Club from R-l to R-3, and
land near Lake Joy Road and the
Bypass from C-2 to R-3.
Ed Faircloth of Northside Perry
Limited explained why the com
PERRY, GEORGIA'S HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1870-FQR COVERAGE OF YOUR EVENTS, CALL 987-1823
ff The Houston Home*
Journal
but it is below the maximum rate
allowable under the tax cap of 9.69
mills.
The increase translates into a
roughly $9 increase in taxes on a
$50,000 property over last year.
On a SIOO,OOO property, the in
crease is about s2l
Since the adoption of the tax cap
in 1982, this is the first time Hous
ton County has set a millage rate
lower than the maximum allowed
pany was seeking the re-zoning.
"We are looking at a planned de
velopment of over 600 acres. If
you look at economic conditions
not everyone can afford a 1,800-
2,000 square foot home, as is re
quired under the R-l zoning. This
zoning allows us to build 15,000
square foot lots, 12,000 square foot
lots and 9,000 square foot lots.
You can't sell a Cadillac to every
body and we are trying to structure
the development to a wider market,"
he said.
Citizens opposing the re-zoning
in the area behind Cherokee Court
2 SECTIONS—IB PAGES, PLUS SALES CIRCULARsI
under the cap.
The commissioners were prepared
to vote last Tuesday on setting a
millagc rate of 9.69, but following
citizen complaints. Chairman Sher
rill Stafford agreed to go back and
review the 516.8 million budget to
determine if additional cuts were
possible.
Stafford opened the meeting by
indicating $208,945 had been cut
out of the fiscal year 1993 budget
Subdivision said the re-zoning
would result in smaller residences
and smaller lots which would reduce
the value of their property. Those
concerns included the contrast be
tween smaller homes or mobile
home parks and a 2,000 square foot
home.
The residents of Cherokee Court
who opposed the re-zoning included
Jerry McGurkin, John Newton and
Bill and Joyce Clifton.
Faircloth told the group the
homes built in the re-zoned area
would be high quality, smaller
Please see PROPERTY, page 12A
which had been adopted in July.
Commissioner Larry Sncllgrove,
who had said last week he was op
posed to the proposed 9.69 millage
rate, expressed appreciation for
Stafford's efforts and indicated he
would support the new millage rate.
"This is not a battleground or a
total victory for either side, with
the additional cuts we have a work
able budget. We arc three months
into the year and we have already
Deaths
Gene Weems, Perry; Freddie
Williams, Perry. For details,
please see page 3A.
INDEX
AGRICENTER EVENTS 5A
PEGGY BLEDSOE 2B
CALENDAR 5A
CLASSIFIED 6B
JACKIE COOPER 3B
EDITORIALS 4 A
HOME & GARDEN 2B
BRIGETTE HAMILTON 4A
TIM LEWIS IB
LEGAL NOTICES 3B
LIFESTYLE IB
BRIAN LAWSON 4 A
POLICE REPORT 2A
REMEMBER WHEN . 4A
SPORTS ~7A
COSBY WOODRUFF 7A
MISS YOUR PAPER?
We hope not, but if your carrier
should err, please call early.
987-1823
Our circulation department is
open to help.
TO SUBSCRIBE, CALL;
987-1823, OR 987-5203
READ IT, THEN RECYCLE!
The ribbon cutting at the Houston County Detention Facility held Tuesday morning signals
the official opening the of the jail's chapel. Among those on hand were Sheriff Cullen Talton,
left, Reverend Norm Wilson, center, County Commission Chairman Sherrill Stafford, behind
Wilson, and Russell Hinson, front right, who started the prison ministry in 1984.
Leaders celebrate opening of chapel
By BRIAN LAWSON
Staff Writer
The Houston County Prison
Chapel was officially opened in a
ribbon cutting ceremony held Tues
day morning at the Houston
County Detention Facility.
The ceremony was attended by
county officials, the sheriffs office,
local builders and ministers.
Houston County Commission
Chairman Sherrill Stafford opened
the program.
"This is an exciting day for me.
PERRY, GA.
Your hometown
newspaper since 1870
ordered a lot of capital expense
items. We need to begin looking
into the future and working on
changing the dates of the budget
year so that we know exactly what
we're taking in," Sncllgrove said.
Sncllgrove was referring to a
lower than expected growth in the
tax digest for die year. The county
encountered two new laws exempt
ing property from taxation, a lim
ber tax law which does not allow
Authority expenses
for Rowland visits
paid by chairman
By BRIAN LAWSON
Staff Writer
Houston County Industrial Devel
opment Authority Chairman Walter
Whiting has paid the bill for ex
penses incurred by the authority
during two recent visits to Houston
County by Congressman J. Roy
Rowland it was disclosed Tuesday.
Responding to a formal request
sent by The Houston Home Jour
nal, Whiling issued a letter explain
ing the steps he has Liken to clear
up any questions surrounding the
authority's role in Rowland's cam
paign.
Perry police continue
search for Teresa Baker
By BRIAN LAWSON
Staff Writer
Perry Police arc continuing to
search for Teresa L. Baker who is
reported missing and was last seen
in Perry Sept. 23.
Baker, 34, a resident of Warner
Robins, is employed by Gabby's
Diner on Sam Nunn Boulevard in
Perry.
Baker is described as a female,
5'6-5'7 tall, 135 pounds, dark
brown hair and has fair skin with
freckles
According to Perry Police Investi
gator Bill Phelps, Baker left
Gabby's last Wednesday at approx
imately 9:30 a.m. to run some er
rands before returning to work. She
Please see SEARCH, page 12A
There was a lot of work and cooper
ation that went into this facility.
This shows what can be done when
people work together," Stafford
said.
Houston County Commissioner
Larry Snellgrove, who coordinated
the efforts of local builders to do
nate their materials and labor,
thanked everyone who contributed
to the chapel's completion.
"I am amazed by the community
response. 1 want to thank the
the value of timber to be assessed
until it is harvested and a lOyear
land conservation set aside law
which changes the way land value
is assessed. They county also saw
the number of exemptions increase
as well.
Commissioners Archie Thomp
son, who had opposed the 9.69
mills proposal last week, and
Houston Porter voted to approve
Please see COUNTY, page 12A
Rowland's two visits to Houston
County, Aug. 10 and Sept. 2,
raised questions about public funds
being used to sponsor a political
event during an election campaign.
Rowland is running in the newly
drawn Eighth Congressional Dis
trict against Republican Bob Cun
ningham.
"The real issue is that a mistake
in judgement was made in that die
authority sponsored a luncheon for
a seated Congressman at a time
when he was engaged in an election
Please see PAID, page 11A
JfcaSaMQK
' sH /^dß
Teresa L. Baker
homebuilders association, Roddy
Busbee who spearheaded the efforts
out here and all the people who do
nated their time, money and materi
als to seeing this building com
pleted. This shows the community
and government can work together
as a unit, not just against each
other," Sncllgrove said.
Snell grove went on to thank over
20 individuals and groups who par
ticipated in the project.
Please see OPENING, page 12A
HzD