Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2A
VENTl
Let me get this straight.
James Green is with the
Southern CHRISTIAN Lead
ership Conference yet he was
one of three who stood in fa
vor of the liquor license issue
that would have been near a
church and many residences?
Why is this guy involved in
public life? rank: 20
Amanda and Scott McDonald
are now heading to Washing
ton, DC to visit the White
House, rank: 18
Amanda and Scott for Presi
dent! rank: 15
The citizens of Fosyth de
mand an article in the next
edition of the MCR dedicated
to Amanda and Scott, whoev
er they are! rank: 14 (Editor’s
note: We only know what we
read in the paper.)
The school system has noth
ing to do with the "Holiday" pa
rade. Also, the official school
system calendar on its web
site lists the break in Decem
ber as "Christmas Holidays."
rank: 14
CHRIST is the reason for the
season and let’s not forget
that rank: 13
We moved here from Atlanta.
The Macon television has to
be the worst around the plan
et. Does anyone actually
watch the Macon news? rank:
12
Anyone wanting to see Mary
Persons' new region (starting
2010) should check out
ghsa.net. It's going to be a
tough row to hoe (Or page 1B
of this week’s Reporter) rank:
11
FUNNY, the day after dad
bought an expensive Tiger
Woods watch, all eyes were
glued to the news. Men... stay
away from those apples. They
look good, but can turn sour in
a moments notice. Temptation
is hard to see with your eyes...
until a 3-iron is heading to
wards your face! rank: 11
I think Amanda and Scott are
in the Navy. One post said
they were at sea. rank: 10
The SCLC was started after
the Montgomery Bus Boycott
and Dr. King was the 1 st Pres.
Its purpose is to combat
racism, poverty, and violence,
and is open to people of all
races and religions. From all
that I have seen, I think Dr.
King would be ashamed of
this organization today, rank:
10
Where is Georgia ranked?
Where are they in the BCS?
Where are they playing this
weekend? rank: 10
Why is the school calling the
parade a holiday parade why
not a Christmas parade why
does the school say winter
holiday instead of Christmas
break have we forgot what the
reason for the season it has
been known as Christmas
break for a lot of years what
changed. (See Vent No. 5)
rank: 10
ACORN (Actual Criminals
Obama Recruited in Neigh
borhoods) government is al
ways here to help, rank: 9
If the clock chimes two min
utes till the hour then that
would make us ahead of the
times, rank: 8
It's not a Charile Brown
Christmas tree, it's more like a
Linus tree. He was the one
with the blanket. Lucy must
have been too cheap to pay
for any decorations this year.
They must have spent the
money on the Administrator,
rank: 1
Freedom to speak. The MCR
Vent. Only in America. Thank
you! rank: 1
I have a big decision to make.
I ask myself: What would
Amanda and Scott do? rank:
109 D. Patrol Road • Forsyth, GA. 31029 • 478-994-9911
Behind Big Chic & Car Wash
County admits history of
overcharging tax penalties
Interest w as often assessed on paid amounts
^Reporter
December 9, 2009
We carry a large selection of fashion-forward
frames for prescription lenses and sunglasses
Southern Waters wants paving
Homeowners in Southern Waters subdivision off
Hwy. 74 in Monroe County asked county commission
ers to live up to their promise and re-pave their road
at last month's meeting.
Bill Kerr, who developed the 28-lot subdivision, said
county public works director Sid Banks had told him
the county had $74,000 in the budget to re-pave the
county road but it hasn't been done. Commissioner
Jim Ham, whose district includes the area, said the
county will resurface it but said he can't set a date. He
joked that the county would welcome donations for the
project, but Kerr said they’d already done that in
taxes. For the second year in a row, Southern Waters is
set to host a state-wide ski competition on its lake in
2010. Ham asked Southern Waters' residents if they'd
teach commissioner Larry Evans to ski. "He's always
wanted to ski but he can't swim," said Ham.
BY WILL DAVIS
Some Monroe County
commissioners say they're
worried they may be
flooded with even more
property tax appeals
soon. That after acknowl
edging last Tuesday that
the county wrongly over
charged interest on at
least one prop
erty owner
earlier this
year - and
probably more
in years past.
Commissioners voted to
refund David Bailey $500
after the county appar
ently overcharged him
interest accumulated on
overdue property taxes on
his River Forest home.
For 2008, Bailey had a
tax bill of $10,470 on his
6,000-square-foot home,
which was assessed at
$1.2 million.
In January 2009, Bailey
worked out a payment
plan with tax commis
sioner Lori Andrews to
make regular $2,500 pay
ments starting after their
Jan. 14 due date. The
plan had Bailey paying
them in full by June 15,
2009. By April, Bailey
had already paid $5,000
but still owed $5,470. Yet
when the county levied a
state-mandated 10 per
cent late charge that
month, the penalty was
$1,047. That's 10 percent
of his original tax bill,
even though half of it had
already been paid.
A business owner,
Bailey discovered the
mistake and wrote com
mission chairman James
Vaughn seeking relief.
Meanwhile, he paid off
the entire tax bill and
penalties by June 15.
County attorney
Michael Dillon told com
missioners that the coun
ty overcharged Bailey
interest on amounts he
had already paid. And at
Tuesday's meeting,
Vaughn agreed, saying
the county was obligated
to refund the overcharged
many are we going to get?
- Commissioner Jim Peters
interest. Commissioners
approved the refund
unanimously.
But commissioner Jim
Peters added that it could
set an expensive prece
dent for the county.
"How many are we
going to get?" asked
Peters. "Patsy (former tax
commissioner Patsy
Miller) has done that (cal
culated interest in that
manner) for years and
years."
Commissioner Larry
Evans said the county
isn't liable for any over
charged interest that’s
more than three years
old.
But Vaughn said Peters
raises a good question.
"How much (over
charged penalty) is
penned up behind the
dam?" he wondered, set
ting off a prolonged
silence.
For Bailey's part, he
said he appreciated the
county's willingness to
work with him. Of eight
property owners seeking
a refund of penalties and
interest from the 2008
bills, he was the only to
get it on Tuesday. He said
Andrews had been a big
help.
"I want to commend
Mrs. Andrews for working
with taxpayers in an
unusual economic envi
ronment and the board,"
said Bailey, who only
moved to the area recent
ly. "It worked for every
one."
Commissioner Jim Ham
joked that Bailey's the
first person
with a
$12,000
property tax
bill that he's
seen smiling. Bailey
replied that the tax bill
was better than his first
city water bill, which was
$37,000.
"My wife said, 'do you
think it's going to be this
much every month?"'
joked Bailey.
Bailey told the Reporter
that if he hadn't caught
the error and gone to the
commission meeting, he
probably would not have
gotten a refund.
"It was an evening well-
spent," said Bailey.
Anyone who thinks they
may have been over
charged interest on a
property tax bill that had
been partially paid in the
past three years may
want to call the tax com
missioners' office at 994-
7020.
Need Holiday
Cash?
Come see
Santa’s
Best Helper!
Apply Online
www.lffc.com
J-1
W Franklin
^Financial
timing Onr Stighbtrs Since 1941
* All loans subject to our liberal credit policy and limitations, if any.
I s ' Franklin Financial Corporation, Georgia Residential Mortgage
License #5656NMLSR #141654.
Dr. Tom Perry
OPTOMETRIST
For Complete Eye Examinations
9-5 Mon-Thurs/9-4Wed
9-12 Friday (Closed Friday Afternoon)
105 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. • Forsyth
994-2988
Dr. W. Stephen Taunton, Sr.
is proud to announce the addition
of a new physician, his son,
Dr. Wiliam S. Taunton, Jr.,
to The Doctors Office.
Dr. Taunton, Jr. will begin ^
practicing on January 4,2010.
1982
Welcome Home!
THE DOCTOR S OFFICE
90-A MLKJr.Dr.
Forsyth, GA 31029
478.994.0437
WWW.TDO-GA.COM
A graduate of The University of Georgia,
Dr. Taunton, Jr. earned his medical degree
from Mercer University in 2006 and completed
his Family Practice Residency at DCH Hospital
in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in June 2009.
Dr. Taunton, Jr. is now accepting new patients.
To schedule an appointment, please call
478.994.0437.