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ELECTIONS 2010 THEY'RE LINING UP TO RUN Condidotes ore already conning out of the woodwork to run for office in elections almost a year awoy: See Page 11A PREP PREPARATION Eastjockson and Commerce prep football, softball and cross country teams gear up for their season openers: Pages 1-2B Vol. 134 No. 26 22 Pages 2 Sections 50 Cents COVERING THE COMMERCE AREA SINCE 1875 Nicholson's Attomery Resigns Post Key Figure In Pendergrass Scandal Submits Resignation The central figure in the Pendergrass whistleblow ers scandal has resigned his position as city attor ney in the South Jackson town of Nicholson. Rob Russell, chief admin istrator and police chief in Pendergrass, was also serving as Nicholson’s lawyer. “Rob Russell offered a letter of resignation and the city has accepted," said Nicholson Mayor Ronnie Maxwell. In addition, Nicholson asked Brant Erickson, city marshal, to resign, Maxwell said. The mar shal’s position has been eliminated, said Maxwell. “It was beginning to look too much like a police department and we don’t want a police department at this time," said the mayor. Russell has been the key Please Turn to Page 3A msm THURSDAY, AUGUST 13 Isolated T-storms: Low, 68; high, 87; 30% chance rain FRIDAY, AUGUST 14 Scattered T-storms: Low, 68; high, 82; 40% chance rain SATURDAY, AUGUST 15 Scattered T-storms: Low, 68; high, 85; 40% chance rain SUNDAY, AUGUST 16 Scattered T-storms: Low, 68; high, 86; 40% chance rain Precipitation this month 0.19 inches Precipitation This Year 27.8 Inches INDEX Births 9A Church News ... 3B Classified Ads ... ..8-1 OB Calendar 3A Crime News .... ...7-8 A News Roundup . 2 A Obituaries ....4-5B Opinions 4A School News ... .... 1 2A Sports .... 1-2B Social News .... ..9-1OA City School Enrollment Down 100 Enrollment in the Commerce School System is running about 100 stu dents behind last year as the second week of classes gets under way. Superintendent of schools James E. “Mac" McCoy put the enrollment at 1,425 Monday, a week into the 2009-10 school year. Most of the loss comes from the primary school (down 44) and middle school (off about 25). CHS is down about eight students and Commerce Elementary School held virtually even. McCoy said he could not account for the falling num bers. “A lot of times it’s just a bubble group," he said. “When they come to us, it’s a smaller group (than the group that graduated)." It’s hard to say whether the economy had an affect on enrollment, but certainly some students have relocat ed for that reason. “Times are tough," McCoy noted. “People are living with their moms and dads and just going where they can to survive the hard eco nomic times we’re in." Thanks to federal stimu- Please Turn to Page 3A Back To School Greeting Her Students Benton Elementary School fifth grade teacher Cristina Dellrioste stands outside the door of her classroom last Thursday morning, welcoming students on the first day of school as the Jackson County School System started a new school year. Photo by Mark Beardsley Late Payment Of Taxes Causes Cash Flow Woes Collections Down About 2.5% Through June Countywide By Mark Beardsley Property tax collections throughout Jackson County are running about 2.5 percent behind schedule, adding to the financial pinch for school systems and local governments. Tax commissioner Don Elrod billed $68.2 million in 2008 property taxes for the county, various municipalities, fire districts and school systems. A 2.5-per cent lag in payment amounts to a $1.7 cash shortfall for those groups com pared to what had been paid by the end of June in 2008. For Jackson County, that works out to about $500,000 fewer tax dollars collected through June in 2009 than at the same time last year. For the cash-strapped Jackson County School System, that’s a cash flow challenge amounting to $725,000 (not counting bonds), and the Commerce School System is about $56,000 down in collec tions from this time last year. According to tax commissioner Don Elrod, his office has collected 94.19 per cent of the 2008 total tax levy. Typically by the end of June, collections are at the 97-percent level. Even as it awaits the returns from 2008, the tax office is winding up the 2007 collection process. With the tax sale last Tuesday, Elrod said “everything ‘97 and back that’s not bankrupt will be done with — everything we can find a clear title on." There are some tracts where owner ship is unknown or unclear, but where the tax revenue is not sufficient to war rant the expense of collecting the tax. The county plans additional tax sales Please Turn to Page 5A Reversal: McKown Takes Clewiston Job By Mark Beardsley Almost a month after learning that another candi date had been hired as the Clewiston, FL, city man ager, Commerce’s finance director Steve McKown is packing his bags for Florida. In a reversal of its July vote, the Clewiston City Council voted unanimous ly Aug. 7 to offer the posi tion to McKown, who had been one of two finalists for the job. “I received a call from the interim city manager of Clewiston last Friday (July 31) that the contract negoti ations with the other candi date had failed," McKown said. “I signed a contract with the city of Clewiston on Wednesday and their commission unanimously approved it at a special called meeting." McKown resigned from his Commerce position effective Friday, Aug. 21. “It has been my pleasure to serve the city of Commerce over the past four years, and I wish this great city nothing but the best in the future," McKown said. Clewiston, which is locat ed on the southwest shore of Lake Okeechobee, bills itself as “America’s Sweetest Town." Located midway between the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the city offered to pay $85,000 to $100,000 for the manager’s position. The city has a $30 million Please Turn to Page 3A McKown School System Still Lacks 09-10 Budget By Ben Munro The Commerce School System is still without a budget for 2009-2010, but inches closer toward a proposed spending plan — and the end of a laborious process. “We’re getting really close to having a com pleted document," Superintendent James “Mac" McCoy said. School leaders say the state has been slow to send them the final information needed to produce a tenta tive budget. As a result, the Commerce Board of Education (BOE) approved another spending resolu tion Monday to operate schools until the budget is completed. A tentative budget must be approved, advertised publicly and sit for a month before the BOE can pass the final budget. McCoy presented a draft budget to the school board at its Monday night meet ing, although some num bers had already changed by the time it reached the BOE. School system finance director Ann Stokey, who said the budget could decrease by five percent, expressed guarded opti mism about this year’s fig ures. “Unless the governor does something between now and next month, I think this might be a really good solid budget," Stokey said. Stokey added that she’s balanced the revenue and expenses, “so hopefully, we’ll be a break-even bud get. If we do, we could have $1.2 million left in reserve next year ... if all the stars line up." School board chairman Please Turn to Page 3A Clark Hill Qualifies For Ward 4 Seat In Sept. 15 Special Election With a half day of qualifying remaining, Dr. Clark Hill was the only candidate to have qualified for the Ward 4 special election set for Tuesday, Sept. 15. Qualifying was scheduled to end today (Wednesday) at noon. The election fills the unexpired term of Bob Sosebee.