The Commerce news. (Commerce, Ga.) 1???-current, March 16, 2016, Image 1

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The Commerce news., March 16, 2016, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextVol. 140 No. 5 24 Pages 2 Sections Wednesday MARCH 16,2016 www.CommerceNewsTODAY.com 50 Cents COVERING THE COMMERCE AREA SINCE 1875 The colors of spring Spring is on the way If the warmer weather isn’t an indication, the multitude of blooming flowers and shrubs is a reminder that winter is almost over. Spring (the astronomical March equinox, the date of which varies from year to year between March 19 and March 21) arrives in Northeast Georgia and the rest of the Eastern Time Zone this year on Saturday, March 19. Clockwise from the top left are a Japanese magnolia, a daffodil, a honeybee on a blueberry blossom and a forsythia bush. $1 million in good news for city BOE More state funds, reduced austerity cuts to boost schools' balance sheet BY MARK BEARDSLEY The Commerce Board of Education got a million dollars worth of good news this past week. Between a mid-term adjustment in the current budget and projected revenue changes for the 2016-17 school year, the city school system stands to gain over $1 million in state revenue. Superintendent Joy Tolbert went over the projected funding allocations at the board’s Thursday night “work session.” For the current school year, the system stands to receive a “mid-term adjustment” in state revenue of $230,127, due to an increase of enrollment by 69 students over the past school year. That growth also boosted the system’s charter school funding by $6,000. The projected funding for FY 2017 — and Tolbert stressed that the allotment at this point is unofficial — includes a $150,000 increase in QBE funds, a decrease of $36,000 in the system’s “local fair share” contribution to the state, a reduction in the state austerity cut of $303,133, an increase in the equalization grant (state money paid to “poorer” school systems) of $251,872 and additional charter funds of $11,000. Tolbert reminded the board that school funding “lags two years,” to explain that the “unexpected $8 million drop” two years ago in the city tax digest is now paying dividends in terms of the reduction in its local fair share payment and an increase in equalization funds. We knew if we could weather the storm, in 2016-17, we should benefit,” she said. “That is wonderful, wonderful news, but it is unofficial until we get the final numbers,” she warned. Should those figures hold, it will further enhance the city school system’s financial recovery dating back to the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year, when the system had a negative fund balance of $247,000 caused primarily by state funding cuts caused by the Great Recession. Through reductions in force, property tax hikes, and a shortened school calendar, the system began recovering. It ended the 2014-15 school year with more than $775,000 in reserves and by October 2015 was in the black by $1.5 million. As of the end of February the board had reserves of $2.6 million. Last month, the board voted to eliminate the last of its fur lough days for the 2016-17 school year, giving both students and staff a full calendar for the first time since 200869. In other financial news, the system received an $86,684 distribution from the education local option sales tax (ELOST), bringing its balance to $929,617. While the distribution was lower than normal, Tolbert pointed out that it is in line with prior Febru ary distributions, which are based on retail sales made primarily during January. That revenue is used to help pay off system bonds. Local election qualifying WJ fire chief to challenge Crow in commission chairman's race Mangum draws challenge from Democrat Randy Moore 'State of City' address on tap Monday Commerce Mayor Clark Hill will present the 2016 “State of the City” address Monday night at 6 in the Commerce Room of the Commerce Civic Center. The event will take place at the city council’s regular meeting. Hill will present it prior to the council getting into its regular agenda. The State of the City address has become an annual event since Hill was first elected mayor. Officials set meeting on new dog law Confused about what Com merce’s revised animal con trol ordinance has to say that might affect your pooch? The Commerce Police Depart ment has scheduled a town hall meeting next week so animal owners can get the lowdown on the ordinance and get any questions answered. The event will take place Tuesday, March 29, at 6 p.m. in the auditorium of the Com merce Public Library, 1344 South Broad Street. Police department admin istrative staff and animal con trol officer Roger Gaither will explain the ordinance and ask questions. The animal control ordi nance became effective Feb. 1 and provides a mechanism for declaring dogs “vicious” or “dangerous” based on their history and stipulates how they shall be controlled. The city updated the animal control ordinance after an incident on Spring Street where a dog that had already bitten two people chased a couple of kids. One of the kids’ fathers shot the dog when he went to talk to the owner and the dog acted aggressively toward him. Officials said the ordinance needed to be updated to give the city’s animal control officer the ability to do his job. INDEX Church News 7B Classified Ads... 9-1 OB Crime News 6-7A Obituaries 8B Opinion 4A School 8-9A Sports 1-5B Social News. 10-11A MAILING LABEL BELOW Ben Stephens, chief of the West Jackson Fire Department, has qualified to mn against Tom Crow in the May 24 election for chairman of the Jackson County Board of Commis sioners. Both Stephens and Crow qualified as Republicans. No Democrats have qualified for the seat. For the District 1 Board of Commissioners seat, incumbent Jim Hix (R) will face challengers Janet Hunt, of Talmo, and Dan Torbett, of Jefferson, who both qual ified as Republicans. In the race for Jackson County sheriff, Randy Moore (D) qualified to mn against incumbent Janis Mangum (R). In the Georgia House of Representatives District 31 race, incumbent Tommy Benton, will face challenger Wes Lewis of Commerce. Both qualified as Republi cans. In the race for State Sen ator, District 50, incumbent John K. Wilkinson (R) and challenger Roy Benifield (R) qualified Other candidatess who qualified and have no oppo sition include: • Clerk of courts, incum bent Camie Thomas (R) • Tax commissioner, incumbent Candace Taylor (R) • Coroner, incumbent Keith Whitfield (R) • State Court solicitor, incumbent Don Moore (R) •BOC, District 2, Chas Hardy (R) •County board of edu cation, incumbent Lynne Wheeler (R) •County board of edu cation, incumbent Michael Cronic (R) •Surveyor, Scott Wood (R) • Magistrate judge, Sherri Thurmond Smith (non-par tisan) • State Court Judge, incumbent Rob Alexander (non-partisan) •Probate judge, incum bent Sherry Moore (non-partisan) • District attorney, incum bent Brad Smith Fire Board Qualifiers Several fire board races will be on the ballot. Those who have qualified for those positions include: • Nicholson, Post 4, Marty Seagraves • Nicholson, Post 5, Roger Brock •Jackson Trail, Post 1, Smitty Stephens •Jackson Trail, Post 2, Patricia Hall •Jackson Trail, Post 3, Joshua LeBlanc • Harrisburg, Post 9, Dan Scott Sailors • Harrisburg, Post 6, John Watson • Harrisburg, Post 7, Alan Trammell • Randolph, Post 3, Michael Glover •Hoschton, Post 3, Tim Sweat •South Jackson, Post 4, R. Hubert Edwards Jr. •South Jackson, Post 5, Timmy Rosser •North Jackson, Post 5, Robert McEver Jr. •North Jackson, Post 6, Robert “Chip” McEver III •North Jackson, Post 7, Lengrin Maddox •North Jackson, Post 8, Dennis Elrod •Arcade, Post 2, Douglas Martin •East Jackson Fire Dis trict, Archie McCook •West Jackson, Robert Bicknell • Plainview, Post 2, Dwight Langford • Plainview, Post 3, Craig “Buzzard” Sewell Jobless rate up slightly Jackson County’s unem ployment rate rose slightly between December and Jan uary, according to the Georgia Department of Labor. That was counter to a drop in the jobless rate statewide. According to DOL, Jackson County’s January jobless rate was 4.3 percent, up from 4.1 percent in December, but still fifth-lowest in Georgia. The statewide rate, meanwhile, rose three-tenths of a percent to 5.5 percent for January. Other area counties and their jobless rates for January are: •Banks, 4.9 percent, up from 4.7 •Barrow, 4.7 percent, up from 4.5 •Hall, 4.5 percent, up from 4.3 •Gwinnett, 4.7 percent, up from 4.6 • Athens-Clarke, 5.1 percent, down from 5.2 •Madison, 4.7 percent, up from 4.5 Oconee County with a job less rate of 3.9 percent (up from 3.7 percent in Decem ber), continued to have the lowest rate in Georgia. Webster County claimed the highest unemployment rate at 8.7 per cent.