Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

VOL. 106, NO. 22, DECEMBER 16, 2009 LEGAL ORGAN OF JENKINS COUNTY MILLEN, GEORGIA • 75 CENTS Decking the halls After months of repairs and renovations, the first floor of the Jenkins County Courthouse is look ing good for Christmas. (Staff photo by Deborah Bennett) Property taxes are due Dec. 20 By Deborah Bennett Millen News Editor Christmas cheer may be in short supply for local property owners as property taxes are due Dec. 20 with many taxpay ers seeing an increase in their taxes this year. Jenkins County Tax Commissioner Brenda Mathern con firmed that, locally, “collections are slow.” Since 1999, Georgia property owners have received about a $200-$300 credit on homeowners’ property tax bills, thanks to the Homeowners Tax Relief Grant. The Governor and Geor gia General Assembly funded this credit and provided reim bursement for it to local governments. It did not change the amount of property tax owed, just reduced the amount the homeowner had to pay out of pocket. This year, however, the Governor and Legislature did not appropriate funds for the grant due to financial strains on the state’s budget. Therefore, most property owners across the state, including those in Jenkins County, saw an approximate $200-$300 increase in their 2009 taxes, even if the local mill- age rates for their counties, cities and schools remained the same as the previous year. While House Bill 143 provided that the credit could be of fered again sometime in the future, the grant will only be made available if state revenues grow at least 3 percent plus the rate of inflation. Due to a decrease of approximately $7.6 million in the lo cal tax digest and a decrease of $58,000 in Local Option Sales Tax revenue, the Jenkins County Commissioners increased property taxes levied by the county for the 2009-2010 fiscal year by 1.36 percent. This represents a millage increase of 0.144 mil. The commissioners called attention to the fact that the county’s budget was decreased $249,000 from the previ ous year in an effort to deal with the loss of revenue. The commissioners last sought a property tax increase of 2.53 percent for fiscal year 2006-2007. Property taxes are the main source of revenue for the county to fund services such as law enforcement and fire protection, jails, courts, road department, landfill and parks and recre ation facilities. Fred’s donates to local police, fire departments Each year since 2002. Lred’s Hometown Discount Stores have commemorated the fallen heroes of 9/11 through a fundraiser for the emergency teams that serve their store locations. The campaign was successful again this year, and Lred’s is donating a chain-wide total of $314,803 to local emergency teams across their regions. The local Lred’s store raised and donated $750 that was divided between the Millen Police Department and Millen Lire Department. Lred’s stores sold “Hero Hats” for $1 each with all pro ceeds going to selected emer gency teams around store lo cations. In addition, all oper ating profits from store sales on Sept. 11 were also do nated. “Hero Hats” are personal signs that customers pay $1 to sign and hand in the window of their Lred’s store in visible support of their emergency teams. District managers in each market select the desig nated emergency organiza tions. generally the response teams who would come to the store in the event of an emer gency. Since the promotion began in 2002, Lred’s has raised and donated more than $1.6 mil lion for local fire, police and sheriff departments. “This is our way each year of saying ‘thank you’ to the men and women who put their lives at risk every day to pro tect our lives and property,” said Ursula Roman. Lred’s marketing director. “We hope the emergency teams found it rewarding to pass by a store and see all of those Hero Hats hanging in the window in their honor.” Lred’s, Inc. operates 669 discount general merchandise stores, including 24 fran chised Lred’s stores. From left, James Marsh, local Fred’s store manager, presents Dwayne Herrington, City of Millen Public Safety Director, with checks for the Millen Police Department and Millen Fire Department as part of the company’s 9/ 11 fundraiser program. (Staff photo by Deborah Bennett) ie Jenkins County Board of Education and CIS of Jenkins County congratulates the Jenkins County JROYC Raider Team! Overall State Champions / Runner-Up National Champions Joining Communities and Schools for Succefttl 1 1 Eli Congratulations! This billboard on West Winthrope Avenue pays tribute to the Jenkins County High School JROTC program whose Raider team was overall State Champion and runner-up National Champion this year. (Staff photo by Deborah Bennett) Barbara Mobley retires from FSA By Deborah Bennett Millen News Editor After almost 31 '/2 years of service with the U.S. Depart ment of Agriculture (USDA), Barbara Mobley, executive di rector of the Jenkins County Larm Service Agency (LSA), is calling it quits and heading home for the last time at the end of the month. Mobley’s varied career with the USDA began in her home community of Burke County in March 1978 when she was hired at the Burke County Agricultural Stabilization Service (ASCS) of fice. She became a Program As sistant with the agency in July of that year and in July 1986 entered the agency’s county office trainee program. After completion of the six months training program, which involved traveling around the state to five different offices, Mobley was employed as ASCS County Executive Director for Richmond and Columbia coun ties. The ASCS became the Consolidated LSA, and she then served as the agency’s County Executive Director in Rich mond/Columbia County until May 1995. The Richmond/Co lumbia County office was combined with McDuffie and War ren counties, after she transferred to Emanuel County. While working there, the agency was changed to the LSA. Mobley’s career as Jenkins County LSA Executive Direc tor began in July 2000 when she transferred from Emanuel County to be closer to her home. Throughout her career, Mobley has witnessed many changes within the USDA, the biggest of which she said were the tech nological advances. "Everything was done manually when I started. Now, ev erything is computerized,” she said. "I have enjoyed my work with the LSA and the farmers and landowners. And I am looking forward to my retirement,” she added. Mobley’s plans for the future include doing a lot of travel ing. A drop-in reception will be held for Mobley Wednesday, Dec. 30, at the Jenkins County LSA office. Refreshments will be served 9 a.m. until noon, but feel free to drop by at your convenience any time that day. Don Rich died Dec. 11 Jenkins County’s Tax Appraiser/Chief Tax Assessor Donald L. Rich, died Lriday, Dec. 11, at the Medical College of Geor gia in Augusta following an illness. Rich began his employment with the county in May 1992. He was Chief Tax Assessor for Jenkins County and was a member of the Georgia Tax Assessors Association. Graveside services were held Sunday, Dec. 13, at the Rich Lamily Cemetery. The complete obituary appears elsewhere in this issue of The Millen News.