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!r~ N r ? egion Roundup
Senate Passes
Bill To Freeze
Tax Assessments
The Georgia Senate passed
two Constitutional Amendments
Tuesday that, if ultimately ap
proved, will freeze property
taxes at the 2008 rates until the
property is sold.
The Senate voted to send the
Constitutional Amendments to
the House for consideration. If
approved by two-thirds of the
Senate and House, the measures
may appear on the November
ballot in 2008 as “Yes/No" ques
tions for the voters. The amend
ments will give Georgia citizens
the opportunity to voice their
opinion on how their property
values are determined.
Essentially, each piece of legis
lation proposes an amendment
to the Constitution to require the
freezing of existing real property
values at the time the owner ac
quires the property. Any valua
tion increases thereafter would
be subject to limitations. Once
a property is transferred or sold
to another person, that property
will be appraised at its fair market
value on the date of the new own
er’s acquisition. Any increase in
the assessment could not exceed
an inflation percentage set by the
Department of Revenue for the
current tax year.
Under Senate Resolution 796,
authored by Sen. Chip Rogers (R-
Woodstock), the assessed value
of residential and non-residential
property for all ad valorem tax
purposes can be increased only
by two percent each year from
its 2009 valuation for residential
property and three percent for
non-residential.
“We need a break on property
taxes," Sen. Rogers said today.
“Georgians work hard to pur
chase a home or business and
then the property tax shoots
up for no other reason than the
neighbor next door sold their
land. This legislation offers a bet
ter, more predictable, method for
property taxes. No longer will we
have to fear the unknown of our
yearly property tax bill.”
Senate Resolution 686, au
thored by Senate President Pro
Tempore Eric Johnson (R-Savan-
nah), provides a sliding home
stead exemption for residential
property which, in essence,
freezes property taxes until the
home is sold.
“More than three dozen com
munities already have this useful
tool that prevents backdoor tax
hikes on our homes," Sen. John
son said. “This will provide a tax
freeze on residential property if
affirmed by the voters this fall."
Animal Control
Proves To Be
Difficult Topic
DANIELSVILLE -- If a cat strays
off its owner’s property, should
a neighbor be able to call the
county’s animal control service
to come get it?
Hull residents Danny and Glo
ria Andrews say “no" and they
want county commissioners to
relax the county’s animal con
trol ordinance to allow cats and
small, non-threatening dogs to be
allowed off their owner’s proper
ty. They say the intent of animal
control guidelines is to keep citi
zens safe from dangerous dogs.
The BOC discussed the matter
Monday but took no action.
Danny Andrews said a neigh
bor recently lured his cat off
its property with sardines, then
called animal control to come
pick up his cat.
“I’d like you to modify this (the
animal control ordinance) to
give small animals a pass," said
Andrews. “The intent of the or
dinance was to address bad dog
problems."
He said cats and small “yapping
dogs" that don’t pose a threat
shouldn’t be hauled off by animal
control.
“How do you determine what’s
a yapper? How about a crapper?"
asked commissioner Wesley Jor
dan, drawing laughs.
But Jordan said he feels citi
zens should have a right not to
have a cat or small dog on their
property, just as pet owners have
a right to keep an animal on their
property.
Commissioner John Pethel
agreed.
“I don’t like cats," said Pethel.
“Is it fair for your (Andrews’) cats
to walk over your neighbors’ cars
or use their flowerpots?"
After Gloria Andrews suggest
ed that cats be exempted from
animal control regulations, Pethel
suggested the county abolish ani
mal control and let “everybody
take care of their own."
Commissioner Mike Young
blood said the county doesn’t
have the manpower to keep cats
from roaming on other people’s
properties. He said he favored
(s
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exempting cats from the regula
tions.
Commissioner Bruce Scogin
agreed, saying cats are “not a real
terrible danger to humans."
Jordan said he felt animal con
trol should deal with animal cases
on a priority basis, only answer
ing cat calls if there are not more
pressing matters.
According to the county animal
control department, about 10 to
15 percent of all animal control
calls involve cats.
Republicans To
Hold Mass
Precinct Meetings
The Madison County Republi
can Party will convene at 9 a.m.
March 15 for precinct mass meet
ings to elect delegates and alter
nate delegates to the Madison
County Republican Party Con
vention.
The county convention will con
vene at 10 a.m. March 15 at the
same location for the purpose of
electing delegates and alternate
delegates to the Congressional
District Convention to be held
April 19 at 10 a.m. at the Athens
Classic Center and for the state
convention to be held May 16 in
Columbus.
The purpose of the Congres
sional District Convention is to
elect three delegates and three al
ternates to the 2008 Republican
National Convention to be held
in St. Paul, MN, beginning Sept.
1.
Both the precinct mass meet
ings and county convention will
be held in the commissioners
room of the Madison County
Government Complex located
at 91 Albany Avenue in Daniels-
ville.
For further information, con
tact Bruce Azevedo, Madison
County Republican Party Chair
man, at 706-296-3834.
Rep. Benton Reports
On Activities
Of Georgia House
Rep. Tommy Benton has re
leased a list of key legislation
passed recently in the Georgia
House of Representatives.
It includes the following:
•HB 422 establishes $2,000
as the minimum amount for a
lien at issue in a lawsuit seek
ing the judicial foreclosure of
a condominium association or
homeowners’ association as
sessment lien. The bill leaves
the current provisions in these
two statutes intact, and merely
adds a sentence providing that
a lien foreclosure cannot occur
unless the lien is at least $2,000.
Debts below $2,000 could still
be collected by way of a lien or
judgment, but not through a lien
foreclosure.
• HB 975 makes it unlawful for
any county municipal corpora
tion, or other issuing authority
to issue any backdated license,
permit, or other authorizing doc
ument, including but not limited
to any building permit, sign per
mit, occupation tax certificate,
zoning action, subdivision of
land, final plat, or other similar
authorization, in any territorial
or geographic area which, due
to the formation of a county
incorporation of a municipality
annexation or deannexation of
territory or other action, is no
longer within the regulatory ju
risdiction of said issuing author
ity
•HB 387 amends Chapter 4
of Title 1 of the O.C.G.A. relat
ing to holidays and observances
by adding a new Code section
(1-4-17) designating the twelfth
day of February each year as
“Georgia Day" the anniversary
of the landing of the first colo
nists in Georgia.
•HB 157 allows members of
the Teachers Retirement System
who are retired on a normal ser
vice retirement for at least 12
months to continue receiving
benefits if they return to work as
a full-time teacher, principal, or
superintendent upon an invita
tion by a public school system.
As a result such a retired teacher
will not receive any further cred
itable service of such employ
ment and will be considered by
the retirement system solely as
a beneficiary. A public school
system employing such a retired
teacher will have to pay all em
ployer and employee contribu
tions to the retirement system.
•HB 158 amends O.C.G.A.
19-7-21.1 so as to create a pro
cedure for voluntary legitima
tion of a child. The bill also goes
throughout the rest of the code
and references the newly ere-
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NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC
The City of Commerce Planning Commission will
hold a public hearing on Monday, February 25,
2008 at 7:00 P.M. in the Commerce Civic Center
Peach Room, 110 State Street.
The purpose of the hearing is for 1) Donald
Wilson, 92 Rice Street, rezoning for annexation of
155 and 171 Westview Drive, Map Number C20
Parcel 034, .497 acres. He requests to go from
A-2 in the county to R-1 in the city. 2) Amendment
to the Commerce Zoning Ordinance Chapter
4.13.001 D. size of accessory buildings.
The public is invited to attend.
David Zellner
City Planner
ated procedure for legitimation
of a child. The bill limits the
timeframe in which voluntary
legitimation can occur down to
one year.
Benton can be reached at
404-656-0177 (office in Atlanta),
706-367-5891 (home in Jeffer
son) or by e-mail at tommy.ben-
ton@house.ga.gov. His website
is www.tommybenton.com.
Jefferson Offers
Radio Station
For $100,000
Jefferson hopes to sell its un
successful city-operated radio
station for $100,000.
Recreation director Ben Dillard
reported at Monday night’s city
council meeting that he had met
with two interested buyers and
would meet with two more this
week. Several other people have
asked about buying some of the
equipment, but Dillard said the
first priority would be selling ev
erything for one price.
Jefferson leaders decided last
month to sell the radio station
due to ad sales being lower than
had been expected. From July
through December, Radio Jef
ferson only generated $9,190
in income, but had expenses of
$151,400. In December, the sta
tion had no income and expens
es of $6,050.
Kubota To Build
Distribution Center
In Jefferson Soon
JEFFERSON - Kubota Tractor
Corporation officials will break
ground this week for a new
350,000-square foot national dis
tribution center in Jefferson. The
facility will be located behind
the Kubota Industrial Equipment
building in the McClure Indus
trial Park.
The Kubota National Distribu
tion Center, the tractor manu
facturer’s fifth facility to open in
Georgia, is set to become opera
tional in late 2008. The company
plans to invest $16 million in the
expansion.
Kubota Tractor Corporation,
Kubota Manufacturing of Amer
ica KMA in Gainesville and
Kubota Industrial Equipment
KIE in Jefferson are affiliates of
Kubota Corporation, Osaka, Ja
pan.
Nearly half of all Kubota-brand
ed equipment sold in the United
States is manufactured and as
sembled in Georgia.
Kubota Tractor Corporation is
the United States marketer and
distributor of Kubota-branded
equipment, including a complete
line of tractors, performance-
matched implements, compact
and power utility class construc
tion equipment, consumer lawn
and garden equipment, com
mercial turf products and utility
vehicles.
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Thank You
The family, friends, coaches and most of all the
wrestlers who represented Commerce at Union
Grove in the GA State Middle School Wrestling
Duals would like to thank Adams Tile, Fit To A
Tee and McDonald Hardware for sponsoring the
team in the tournament.
Southern Pines
Assisted Living
Facility
would like to invite you to our
Wine & Cheese
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Saturday, Feb. 23,2008
7too p.m.
Guest Speaker: <
Hospice Advantage
258 College Avenue
Maysville, GA
R. S. V. P.
(706) 652-2600
Lots of Fun & Prizes
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