Newspaper Page Text
THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS, WEDNESDAY. MARCH 25, 2009 - PAGE 3A
— City Budget Cuts
Cont. from Page 1A
rate,” Bryant explained.
“Neither of those is set in
concrete.”
The first version of the
budget — there could be four
or five — has no raises and
no cost-of-living increases.
“We still have the
Christmas bonuses in there
at this point, but they’re pos
sibly on the chopping block
too,” said Steve McKown,
finance director.
Officials see declining
sales tax revenue, both
the local option sales tax,
which is used for general
purposes, and the special
purpose local option sales
tax (SPLOST), which is lim
ited in its usage.
Property taxes could
also be hit. McKown notes
that payments are running
about 10 percent lower
than normal. On the other
hand, Jackson County will
likely have a tax sale this
year, enabling the city to
collect on some past years’
taxes.
But the big blow to city
finances is in the Gas
Department. The closure
of Louisiana Pacific and
a production cut at Huber
Engineered Woods are dev
astating the General Fund,
which provides revenue for
most city departments.
“We’re looking at some
where between $400,000 and
$500,000 (in lost revenue),”
Bryant said. “We’re transfer
ring between $300,000 and
$400,000 (into the General
Fund) from the Gas Fund.
It’s been $850,000.”
Those numbers are
not final. Nor is the extra
$50,000 to be transferred
from the Electric Fund to
the General Fund.
According to McKown,
the initial drafts of the bud
get carry the same 1.5-mill
property tax rate as last
year.
Further effects of the
recession on city revenue
are difficult to predict.
McKown said an increase
in the number of residents
paying utility bills online
could mean they are “pay
ing with consumer debt,”
which bodes ill — or it could
just mean more people like
the convenience.
“We’ve also had a few com
panies that went through
bankruptcy and bankruptcy
reorganization, and the city
has lost some utility dollars
there,” he noted.
—Motion On Bear Creek Suit
Cont. from Page 1A
of financial transactions.
Barrow County, for exam
ple, has contracts requiring
it to provide water to other
entities.
Jackson County hired a
consultant who calculat
ed that the actual yield of
the reservoir is less than
half that approved by the
Environmental Protection
Division. The intergovern
mental agreement calls for
the yield to be recalculated
after any major drought;
Jackson’s position is that a
recalculation is due because
of the ongoing drought.
At the heart of the suit
is Jackson County’s conten
tion that because the actual
yield is only 24 mgd, dur
ing days when other coun
ties used more water than
their proportionate shares,
they were using Jackson
County’s water — for which
Jackson wants to be paid.
Ekonomou character
ized the authority’s suit as
demanding that the court
order the authority “to pro
vide member counties with
less than half the water per
mitted by the EPD,” that
“Jackson County is saying
'we are entitled to too much
water.”'
He also repeatedly chal
lenged the notion that the
authority should alter a yield
“calculated and approved”
by the EPD.
“The EPD, not the author
ity calculates the yield,”
Ekonomou said. “We can
not go around monkeying
with the gauge.”
He used charts to dem
onstrate that, on an annual
average, none of the mem
ber counties had yet come
close to using its entitlement
share of the water — Jackson
County in particular.
Bowers focused mostly on
the legal points. He pointed
out that the intergovernmen
tal contract allows mem
bers to take legal action
for breach of conduct. He
offered state law he said
countered the authority’s
other points of the motion
to dismiss.
“The bottom line is, is the
water we can get what EPD
says it is, or is it the estab
lished yield they (Jackson
County) calculate?” Bowers
asked.
Bowers pointed out that
his clients believe the ini
tial calculations — done by
Jordan Jones & Goulding
on behalf of the author
ity and approved by the
EPD — are wrong. Also,
under the intergovernmen
tal agreement, said Bowers,
the authority has “an obli
gation to recalculate” that
figure due to the recent
drought.
As for the sovereign immu
nity argument, “that won’t
get traction,” Bowers told
the judge.
“We have a right to have
this managed properly,”
Bowers said. “We have com
mitted to 50 years and we
have a right to have it done
right.”
He said Jackson filed
suit because the author
ity “breached the contract
because they haven’t done
what the contract says.”
READ THEN RECYCLE
Community Calendar
To place events on the Community Calendar, call 706-387-5406 or e-mail mark@mainstreetnews.com
Thursday, March 26
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon, Com
merce Civic Center.
Needles & Hooks: 6 8 p.m., First
United Methodist Church of Com
merce. Open to knitters of all age
and skill levels, as well as those
who crochet.
Tuesday, March 31
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m., BJC
Medical Center cafeteria. Take Off
Pounds Sensibly is a weight loss
group. Weigh-in is from 5:00 to
5:50.
Wednesday, April 1
Chamber breakfast: 7:30 am,
Jefferson Civic Center. Open to all
members of the Jackson County
Area Chamber of Commerce and
guests. $5. Patrick Sumichrast, dean
of the Terry College of Business
at the University of Georgia, will
speak.
Thursday, April 2
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon, Com
merce Civic Center.
Needles & Hooks: 6 8 p.m., First
United Methodist Church of Com
merce. Open to knitters of all age
and skill levels, as well as those
who crochet.
Lodge meets: 6:30 p.m. Hudson
Lodge #294 F&AM meets at its
Hospital Road facility.
Monday, April 6
Commerce Council meets: 6:30
p.m., City Hall. This work session
prepares the city council for its regu
lar meeting the following Monday
night.
Maysville Council meets: 7:00
p.m., Maysville Public Library.
Nicholson Council meets: 7:00,
Nicholson City Hall.
Tuesday, April 7
JCCO meets: 6:00 p.m., BJC
Hospital conference room. Jack-
son County Community Outreach
defines itself as a grassroots commu
nity organization.
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m., BJC
Medical Center cafeteria. Take Off
Pounds Sensibly is a weight loss
group. Weigh-in is from 5:00 to
Thursday, April 9
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon, Com
merce Civic Center.
Cold Sassy Quilters: 1 00 pm,
Commerce Public Library.
Needles & Hooks: 6 8 p.m., First
United Methodist Church of Com
merce. Open to knitters of all age
and skill levels, as well as those
who crochet.
School board meets: 7:00 p.m.,
Commerce Elementary School
media center. This work session
prepares the Commerce Board of
Education for its regular meeting the
ollowing Monday.
Monday, April 13
Commerce Council meets: 6:30
p.m., Commerce Room, Commerce
Civic Center.
School board meets: 7:00 p.m.,
Commerce High School media cen
ter. The Commerce Board of Educa
tion operates the city's independent
school system.
Tuesday, April 14
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m., BJC
Medical Center cafeteria. Take Off
Pounds Sensibly is a weight loss
group. Weigh-in is 5:00 to 5:50.
Lions Club meets: 7:00 pm,
Ryan's Steakhouse, Banks Cross
ing.
Thursday, April 16
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon, Com
merce Civic Center.
Needles & Hooks: 6 8 p.m., First
United Methodist Church of Com
merce. Open to knitters of all age
and skill levels, as well as those
who crochet.
Pilot Club meets: 7:00 p.m., First
United Methodist Church of Com
merce. The Pilot Club of Commerce
meets on the third Thursday of each
month.
Saturday, April 18
Chili cook-off: 3 p.m., YearOne,
Braselton. The Jackson County
Area Chamber of Commerce seeks
teams to enter. Call Linda Foster at
706-687-0300 for details.
Monday, April 20
Mended Hearts meets: 7:00
p.m., conference room, BJC Medi
cal Center. Mended Hearts is a
support group for heart patients and
their families.
Tuesday, April 21
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m., BJC
Medical Center cafeteria. Take Off
Pounds Sensibly is a weight loss
group. Weigh-in is from 5:00 to
Thursday, April 23
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon, Com
merce Civic Center.
Needles & Hooks: 6 8 p.m., First
United Methodist Church of Com
merce. Open to knitters of all age
and skill levels, as well as those
who crochet.
Sunday, April 26
Music on the fawn: 3 5 p.m.
Hebron Presbyterian Church,
Hebron Church Road, Commerce.
Bring lawn chairs or blankets and
hear Blue Billy Grit and The Chetta
Family.
Monday, April 27
Hospital authority meets: 1:30
p.m., conference room, BJC
Hospital. The BJC Medical Center
Authority manages BJC Hospital
and Nursing Home.
City planning meeting: 7:00
p.m., Peach Room, Commerce
Civic Center. The Commerce Plan
ning Commission makes recom
mendations to the Commerce City
Council on zoning and other land
use matters.
Tuesday, April 28
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m., BJC
Medical Center cafeteria. Take Off
Pounds Sensibly is a weight loss
group. Weigh-in is from 5:00 to
Lions Club meets: 7 p.m., Ryan's
Steakhouse, Banks Crossing.
Thursday, April 30
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon, Com
merce Civic Center.
Needles & Hooks: 6 8 p.m., First
United Methodist Church of Com
merce. Open to knitters of all age
and skill levels, as well as those
who crochet.
Monday, May 4
Commerce Council meets: 6:30
p.m., City Hall. This work session
prepares the Commerce City Coun
cil for its regular meeting, which
will be held the following Monday
night.
Maysville Council meets: 7:00
p.m., Maysville Public Library.
Nicholson Council meets: 7:00,
Nicholson City Hall.
Tuesday, May 5
JCCO meets: 6:00 p.m., BJC
Hospital conference room. Jack-
son County Community Outreach
defines itself as a grassroots commu
nity organization.
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m., BJC
Medical Center cafeteria. Take Off
Pounds Sensibly is a weight loss
group. Weigh-in is from 5:00 to
5:50.
Wednesday, May 6
Chamber breakfast: 7:30 am,
Jefferson Civic Center. Open to all
members of the Jackson County
Area Chamber of Commerce and
guests. $5.
Thursday, May 7
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon, Com
merce Civic Center.
Needles & Hooks: 6 8 p.m., First
United Methodist Church of Com
merce. Open to knitters of all age
and skill levels, as well as those
who crochet.
Lodge meets: 6:30 p.m. Hudson
Lodge #294 F&AM meets at its
Hospital Road facility.
School board meets: 7pm,
Commerce Elementary School
media center. This work session
prepares the Commerce Board of
Education for its regular meeting the
allowing Monday.
Monday, May 11
Commerce Council meets: 6:30
p.m., Commerce Room, Commerce
Civic Center.
School board meets: 7:00 pm,
Commerce High School media cen
ter. The Commerce Board of Educa
tion operates the city's independent
school system.
Tuesday, May 12
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m., BJC
Medical Center cafeteria. Take Off
Pounds Sensibly is a weight loss
group. Weigh-in is 5:00 to 5:50.
Lions Club meets: 7:00 pm,
Ryan's Steakhouse, Banks Crossing.
Thursday, May 14
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon, Com
merce Civic Center.
Cold Sassy Quilters: 1 00 pm,
Commerce Public Library.
Needles & Hooks: 6 8 p.m., First
United Methodist Church of Com
merce. Open to knitters of all age
and skill levels, as well as those
who crochet.
Monday, May 18
Mended Hearts meets: 7:00
p.m., conference room, BJC Medi
cal Center. Mended Hearts is a
support group for heart patients and
their families.
Tuesday, May 19
TOPS meeting: 6:00 p.m., BJC
Medical Center cafeteria. Take Off
Pounds Sensibly is a weight loss
group. Weigh-in is 5:00 to 5:50.
Thursday, May 21
Kiwanis Club meets: Noon, Com
merce Civic Center.
Needles & Hooks: 6 8 p.m., First
United Methodist Church of Com
merce. Open to knitters of all age
and skill levels, as well as those
who crochet.
Pilot Club meets: 7:00 p.m., First
United Methodist Church of Com
merce. The Pilot Club of Commerce
meets on the third Thursday of each
month.
Monday, May 25
Hospital authority meets: 1:30
p.m., conference room, BJC
Hospital. The BJC Medical Center
Authority manages BJC Hospital
and Nursing Home.
David and Katie’s Amish Bulk Foods
969 Historic Homer Hwy. • Homer, GA 30547
(706) 677-3646
SEAFOOD SPECIALS!
Shrimp
$799
A Lb.
ScallopS (20 per lb.)
$JQ95
USA Wild Caught
Lb.
Crab Legs
1/799
\ ¥ Lb.
Lobster Tail
$099
Canadian Caught
Each
STEAK SPECIAL!
New York Strip $749^
MATTRESS
LIQUIDATORS
30908 Hwy. 441 • Commerce • Across From Wal-Mart
706-335-3144
We sell name brand new
mattresses at the
lowest prices in town.
We Also Have:
• Overstocks • Discontinued
• Blemished • Floor Models
• Pillowtops • Truckload