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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 Fareha Rahim, MD Internal Medicine We are now located at our new office at 613 Hospital Road Commerce, Georgia 30529 Commerce Medical Center' 706-335-9411 \^MCR^CDJ3WBS^IGN^HMO/PPO^MERIGROUaAARaUH^J $ 5 00 OFF Ticket Of s 2CP° Or More. Valid with coupon Mon.-Thurs. only. La Hacienda Commerce La Hacienda Jefferson 173 Steven B. Tanger Blvd. 605 Athens Street 706-335-7458 706-367-5095 | The Original Mexican Restaurant! Not affiliated with any other restaurant. | Have Your Federal income Tax Return Prepared 1 ’* In This Office And You Could Become The Proud Owner of a 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid PLUS • We ll make a 2008 estimated tax payment for you to cover the taxes 3 • Prepare your 2008 Income taxes for free 1816 N. Broad Street Commerce. GA 30529 (706) 335-3551 Your paid return will Automatically Enter You in a Company-Wide Drawing* to Win 1 - Tta return must be paid tor m ful by drawing date to be eligible lor drawing 2 — Employees (and ttwl' relatives) of Security Finance Corporation of Spartanburg, its subsidiaries and affiliates are not eligible 3 Baood on Iho additional tax tHat would Have boon duo # prixo woo on your 3007 fodoral tan return * - Drawing to be oonductod by Independent AooounVng Firm Eltott Davie, LLC on May 1,2008 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- W & W METAL ROOFING “We Got You Covered” Residential • Commercial • Agricultural • Ship Anywhere In The USA • We Stock Your Metal Needs • Visit Our Showroom www.wwmetalroofmg.com 706-654-5836 imm 30 Year Paint "4 Hwy. 60 / Candler Hwy. • Pendergrass, Ga. Warranty Sales Service Installation BOARDING DAYCARE GROOMING IN NICHOLSON www.tarasplace.net CANINES °FEUNES° GOOD TIMES! 706-757-3890 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. CLASSIFIED ADS 19,500 READERS S10 PER WEEK 335-2927 • 367-5233 MasterCard • VISA Save S3 by placing ads online at mainstreetnews.com FOR INFORMATION ABOUT CANCER, INFORMATION ON SERVICES AND PROGRAMS, CALL THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY 24 HOURS A DAT 7 DAYS A WEEK 1-800-227-2345 OR ON THE INTERNET AT WWW.CANCER.ORG 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 Social 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 3®*