Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2016
THE COMMERCE NEWS • THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PAGE 3A
Carlton Speed
Speed seeking
second term
Banks County Sheriff
Carlton Speed has
announced that he plans to
seek re-election.
Speed is serving his first
term as sheriff.
Speed has over 23
years of experience in law
enforcement. He has been
a jailer, patrol officer, patrol
sergeant, patrol lieutenant,
property investigator, per
sons investigator, gang
investigator, narcotics inves
tigator, interdiction officer,
court officer and member
of the FBI safe streets task
force.
Baldwin
approves gate
replacement
BY SHARON HOGAN
The Baldwin City
Council approved repair
ing the gate at the city’s
water plant.
At the meeting on Dec.
28, the council approved
spending $7,880 with
Doug Ward Integration,
Demorest, to replace the
gate controller that was
damaged by lightning sev
eral years ago.
Mayor Jerry Neace said
currently the gate remains
open during the day when
somebody is at the plant.
Fletcher Holliday,
Engineering Management
Inc. (EMI), said the
problem with the gate
was an issue that the
Environmental Protection
Division (EPD) had includ
ed in their reports.
Mayor Neace said this
was a safety issue that
needed to be corrected.
In other business at the
meeting, the council:
• approved the 2015
Comprehensive Plan
update resolution.
• heard monthly activity
reports from the depart
ment heads.
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Maysville mayor, councilmen sworn in
BY ANGELA GARY
Maysville Mayor Richard
Presley and council members
Junior Hardy and Scott Harper
were sworn in Monday night to
serve another four-year term.
All three were unopposed for
re-election to their positions.
City clerk Barbara Thomas
swore the three in at the first
meeting of the year, held at
city hall.
“We’ve got a lot accom
plished and I’m proud of this
council,” Mayor Presley said.
“We’re very excited about the
next four years.”
Mayor Presley also reviewed
some of the accomplishments
of the council over the past
four years, including acquir
ing a 50-acre site for a park,
water and road infrastructure
improvements and renovations
at the town’s public library.
In other business Monday
night:
•Harper was appointed to
serve as mayor pro tern.
•the law firm of Hulsey,
Oliver and Mahar was reap
pointed as city attorney.
•Scott Tolbert was reap
pointed to serve as judge for
city court.
• bids to repair a water leak
were reviewed but no action
was taken. The council agreed
to check out the references
for the low bidder before pro
ceeding.
Shane Roberson, pastor
of Maysville Baptist Church,
attended the meeting to give
the invocation and lead the
pledge.
Serving another term
Maysville Mayor Richard Presley (right) and council members Junior
Hardy (center) and Scott Harper (left) were sworn in Monday night by
city clerk Barbara Thomas to serve another four-year term.
Photo by Angela Gary
Holiday Hoops
Flying high
Zezmon Steeple goes up for an acrobatic
layup during the Commerce Christmas Classic
Tournament last week. Both the Banks County
boys and girls finished second in their respec
tive tournaments. See more photos of the holi
day basketball tournament on page 3B.
Photo by Cameron Whitlock
Qualifying
coming up
for county
elections
It’s an election year
and several local races
will be on the May 24
ballot. Qualifying will
be held from 9 a.m.
on Monday, March 7,
through noon on Friday,
March 11, for county
races to be on the bal
lot.
County seats on the
ballot will include:
board of commission
ers chairman, county
commissioners for dis
tricts 2 and 4, school
board of education
seats for districts 1, 2
and 4, sheriff, clerk of
courts, tax commission
er, district attorney, cor
oner, surveyor, probate
judge, chief magistrate
judge, State Senator for
District 50 and House of
Representatives seat for
District 28.
The state and local
primary elections will
be on Tuesday, May 24,
with any needed runoff
set for Tuesday, July 26.
Advance voting begins
on Monday, May 2.
The general election
will be held Tuesday,
Nov. 8, with any runoff
election for local and
state offices being held
Tuesday, Dec. 6, and any
runoff election for fed
eral offices on Tuesday,
Jan. 10, 2017.
Advance voting begins
Monday, Oct. 17.
The presidential pref
erence primary and
special election for
the special purpose
local option sales tax
(SPLOST) and educa
tion local option sales
tax ELOST) renewals
will be held on Tuesday,
March 1. Advance voting
begins Monday, Feb. 8.
Alto council approves 2015 budget amendments
BY SHARON HOGAN
The Alto Town Council
approved several 2015
budget amendments
during a called meeting
on Dec. 29.
The council approved
a $25,000 transfer from
the city’s 2015 water fund
budget to the 2015 gen
eral fund budget, before
approving a total 2015
amended water fund
budget of $604,397.
The original water fund
budget approved for 2015
totaled $542,947. Most of
the $61,450 increase in
revenue was in water
service charges, while
the increase in expenses
was in repairs and main
tenance, supplies and
materials, infrastructure
and water distribution
depreciation.
Approval was also
given on the 2015 amend
ed general fund budget
of $655,202. The orig
inal 2015 general fund
budget approved totaled
$603,930.
The $51,272 increase
in general fund reve
nue was attributed to
increases in property
taxes, insurance premi
um taxes, background
search fees, munic
ipal court fees, and
Habersham and Banks
County Special Purpose
Local Option Sales Tax
(SPLOST) collections.
At the same time, 2015
expenses jumped in sal
aries, employee insur
ance expenses, workers’
comp expenses, profes
sional services, public
safety vehicle mainte
nance and repairs and
garbage disposal fees.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at
the meeting, the council:
• approved the 2016
Special Election ordi
nance. The election will
be held to fill the Post 3
seat on the council, pre
viously help by Margaret
Beaupre. The term
expires Dec. 31, 2017.
The special election will
be held on Tuesday, May
24, 2016.
PUBLIC HEARING
Prior to the council
meeting on Dec. 29, the
council held a public
hearing on the town’s pro
posed 2016 general fund
and water fund budgets.
The proposed general
fund budget totals $655,202
and the proposed water
fund budget is $604,397.
No one turned out to
speak for or against the
proposed budgets for 2016.
The council will vote
on the 2016 budget at a
later date.