Newspaper Page Text
AT > M
T et e O e
i < B
» G -0
VOLUME CVIII — NUMBER I
Y
, . , ’ fr:-
bl B .. . 4
7 ',(‘ i . B \Q > .
f o N G A k- e
4 J e i
b&b = .
i o
. ;w y L
] ™ p 4 \§ e : .A. SAL
P:\ » N “
s " i // |
e i N
T Y e
e:4 o o /
ET: & S -
e N
Staff Photos By Jason Espy
COUNCILMAN PARRIS (L) EXPOUNDS HIS VIEWPOINT
New Official Pushes For Vote On Full-Time Mayor
Vote On City Post Asked
Council Seeks Legislation On Issue
Summerville residents may,
get to vote on whether they
want a full-time mayor or a ci
ty manager form of govern
ment. But it will come only
after they have a chance to
hear the best and worst
features about each type of
government.
That's what the Summer
ville City Council did Monday
night.
Branch Connelly, city at
torney, had ruled last week
that the city could not sponsor
a non-binding “‘straw Eoll" on
the issue because such action
Schools ‘Holding Own’
Superintendent Hayes Tells Education Panel
By BUDDY ROBERTS
Associate News Editor
Chattooga County Schools
are ‘‘holding their own”’ finan
cially, according to their
superintendent.
Don Hayes told the Chat
tooga Board of Education
Monday that the school
system probably will not have
to borrow any more money, at
least this month. The system
has already borrowed more
than $640,000 this fiscal year.
The deficit now is
'5617,440.17. Hayes said the
schools received $89,108.98 in
sales taxes for November,
which was deposit.ed in the
general fund instead of the
sales tax account.
Set Tonight |
' The annual mesting of
‘the &?&oxafiwm
Ehamber of Commeers will
§e ;fie&x&%&h&fix Rous
o EGWMM Hale Jr., |
‘@ motivational consultant
Ti A will be the
Sprayberry will become.
a 8 secret ’ .
ei e e,
Ch Summeruille News
inas not. authorized. by state -
aw.
He issued another ruhng at
the reguest of Councilman Earl
“Red’’ Parris, who had moved
for the straw vote on Jan. 2. In
his latest decision, Connelly
said the council could request
the Georgia legislature to pass
lefi'slation establishing the
ballot question.
INSTITUTE
Sid Ponder, who video
tapes public meetiggs for cable
Channel 6 TV, asked the city to
sponsor a program in Summer
A check for SIIO,OOO in pro
perty taxes was also put in the
general fund.
“We're holding our own,”
Hayes said, adding that the
system would not be in a finan
cial bind had it not received a
budget cut from the state.
NO PURCHASES
No new purchases have
been made, and a construction
R‘roject has been put on hold.
he system has not paid its an
nual contribution to the Chat
tooga County Library because
of lack of money.
The board read a letter from
Susan Stewart, librarK direc
tor, who requested that the
payment be made in in
stallments rather than a lump
sum.
Hayes said it mt}y be
February or March before a
donation may be given,
because the bank note must be
paid first, and the system has
no moneg in reserve.
He added that the system
must gut up 10 percent of con
struction costs if new
classrooms are to be built as
Elanned at Summerville
lementary School.
The board voted to ask for
more information about a class
action lawsuit that could bring
in SB,OOO a year for the schools.
The schools receive $73.48
per calendar quarter in utility
taxes from the Tennessee
Valley Authority (TVA). The
amount is based on the tax
millage and the amount of
TVA equipment in the county.
Hayes said some counties
have more TVA equipment
than Chattooia but hartfiy any
customers. They receive more
money, while Chattooga
receives the least amount, A
lawsuit may be filed to equalize
the payments.
FEES
If the suit comes about,
Hayes continued, Chattoo‘fa’s
share of legal fees would be
SUMMERVILLE, CHATTOOGA COUNTY, GEORGIA — THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 1992
ville-on the advamt‘a%es and
disadvantages to both forms of
government. He said the Carl
Vinson Institute at the Univer
sity of Georgia would be will
ing to sponsor such a program
at no cost to the city — if re
quested by the town.
After alengthy discussion,
Councilman Parris moved to
seek the legislation and request
the Vinson Institute to present
a lf:lrlogmm on the issue. Coun
cilman Ralsh Stanley offered a
second and the measure was
approved unanimously.
Councilman Mike King had
$713, and he has been assured
of a ‘9O percent chance of win
nin %. ”
oard member Charles
Elsberry said he was concern
ed about taking risks with tax
payers’ money. Ha¥es said he
and Commissioner Jim Parker
will write a letter requesting
more information about the
action.
Hayes has prepared
another letter asking if the
system may have until the
?fimng to move a class of han
capLPed students from Penn
ville Elementary to Chattooga
Hi%n School.
iane Poole, the system’s
special education coordinator,
see SCHOOLS, page 7-A
By BUDDY ROBERTS
Associate News Editor
Owners of timber land in
Chattooga County will now
pay tax on their timber only if
it is cut this calendar year.
They were previously re
quired to pay marly property
taxes on standing timber.
The new method of taxing
timber was effective Jan. 1, a
result of House Bill 283, ap
roved last Kear by the
Bagislature. The bill implements
a constitutional amendment
approved by Georgia voters in
1990.
The new measure, which
also provides for current use
assessments for certain proper-
© Copyright 1992 By Espy Publishing Co., Inc. — All Rights Reserved
Meeting Planned Tuesday
Between Board, Council
Recreation Panel Escapes Being Abolished, Maybe
By TOMMY TOLES
Editor -
The Summerville Recrea
tion Board has escaE‘end being
abolished b{y the skin of its
teeth — at least temporariltz.
The ultimate future of the
board may be decided after a
joint meeting of the panel and
the Summerville City Council
next week.
The two groups are schedul-
said earlier in the discussiog.
that he saw nothing wrong
with asking the institute to
present a program. Parris.con
tended briefly that the pro
posal would delay a vote on the
Issue. He said he didn’t care for
the views of people in Athens
(where the institute is located)
or other areas; he wanted a ci
ty vote on the issue.
Douglas Hedgecock, a :;tg'
resident, said city voters need
ed to be able to cast an
“educated vote” on the issue.
Ponder said things had chang
ed since Parris was on the
council eight years ago.
Mayor Cash read Connel
ly’s opinion on legislation and
a referendum. A
Parris said the legislation
could be in {rocess while the
Vinson Institute presented its
proposal. He afimn said he
didn’t want a delay.
WHY RUSH?
A Gore resident asked why
he was in a rush for a vote
before the voters are educated
on the issues. It would be ‘“‘in
sensitive” for the city to push
for a vote without voters being
aware of all the issues, she
added. i o
~ Hedgecock said two- or
;hree—month delay wouldn’t
Parris said 380 people had
told him they wanted a vote
“and two people is not gonna
change my mind.”
Cash said a new form of
government couldn’t be in
stituted for two more years, at
the end of his term, regardless
of action taken now.
After additional discussion,
see VOTE ASKED, page 8-A
Timber Tax Bill Now Effective
Reporting, Determining Bill Complex Factors For Assessors
ties will be somewhat harder to
keep. up with, said Leonard
Barrett, the county’s chief pro
rty appraiser.
o lgefore Jan. 1, Barrett said,
the value of a taxpayer’s
timber and land were
calculated, then added together
for one total on his tax?ill.
But for 1992 tax purposes,
a timber owner will pay taxes
on the land, and for timber on
ly if it is cut during the calen-
Xar year. The timber is not tax
ed until its harvest.
When the timber is cut and
sold in a lump sum, the owner
will be required to give the
buyer a check for the taxes,
based on the timber sales price
and the county’s current tax
rate. The buyer is responsible
for delivering the checio to the
tax commissioner’s office
within five days.
ed to meet at 6 p.m. 'l‘uesda¥
at city hall to go over their dif
ferences and to review %ossible
changes in the board’s Klaws.
A move to abolish the
board failed Monday ni%lt on
a 2-3 vote. Councilman Ralph
Stanley, past recreation direc
tor, moved to abolish the panel.
The proposal drew a second
from Councilman Earl “Red”
Parris. They were the only ones
to vote for the motion. Coun
cilmen Mike King, Ira Pollard
and Ed Bush voted to keep the
board in service.
FAILS
After the attem;fi; to
abolish the board failed, Mayor
Cash suggested that the two
?anels meet to discuss their dif
erences and try to arrive at a
solution.
The discussion between the
council, citizens and board
members went on at length.
Parris said the recreation
board had worked well with
five members but had grown to
nine members. It woggd bet
ter with five-members, he said.
Steve Osb{, a board
member, said the panel had
added four new members in
1990. The board now has seven
members, which he felt is an
ideal number. Member Steve
Jones had moved away, and
the city learned a couple of
weeks ago that Guinn Hankins
hggsnot been a member since
1986.
“It’s time for us to solve
thi; problem tonight,” Parris
said.
Charles Elsberry, a recrea
tion board member who also
serves on the county board of
education, asked the council to
remember former members
who still have families in the
community.
He wanted to see the board
Chattooga Going Back In Seventh?
Justice Department May Not Approve Redistricting Plan
By BUDDY ROBERTS
Associate News Editor
Chattoo%t:, Countl\S may be
rejoined by Walker, Dade and
Catoosa counties in the
Seventh Congressional
District, or it may join them in
the Ninth District. @
But, &:&)fifiéto Rep. Tim
PROBLEM
The problem, Barrett said,
will exist with those taxpayers
who cut their timber for their
own use. With no sales price,
appraisers must use informa
tion provided by the state
Department of Revenue listing
the average prices paid for
timber products in each coun
ty or region.
So appraisers will have to
determine how much timber
was cut and how much it is
worth. It may involve “glolic
mg”ifreportsarefiledwit the
Chattooga Board of Tax
Assessors when timber is cut,
Barrett added. ;
. Timber land will likely con
tinue to be catalogued for that
purpose, he said.
When standing timber is
harvested, the owner must file
et AT RO ——
, S i B e BAR Ok RSPy
7 i ANRE R PR m.‘rfiw, SR
e TSR
o A Al .wfig«\v:%»;fl
s i : R Paaß v
SN ST WA STR
SRR e S SN 3‘%”&”1
onero . J SEO R e ey&* ‘§‘i\¢~s“‘%‘s o
e ! Mey pgd bL SR
W '*f?-"f»‘.ot’\\xaw:‘a:;»flf,.*f.-.. COR *i B
PR , ::<: “,) ‘,_l_)‘%,-.* S S
L R
have five members and serve
two-year terms, rather than
five-year terms.
Mayor Cash said that
number could be achieved by
attrition.
Sid Ponder who has been
televising public meetings for
cable Channel 6 TV, said the
recreation board’'s problems
had been corrected.
o
h T
oL 3
L -
i, k. 00
b P
0 gk MK
. S ?fi'
5 o S W F
b L) S &
3 T g
F B o ;}’%‘i
? P . 4 By e v
‘ Gl PR e ;
P s 3 o Bt
i ) 55l "" -y B D P e b
sl Vi eWi S E
SY S b
e [ PR oo : o S
4 sz :% ;,V" ,‘:":3‘.‘" :i : LAy f ‘»‘vjl,
¥ e el B i ;
il e Y et L N e,
Lo i i 5 iAR X K 7
§ G o 50 i f} 74 F
P Wiy g f
; . prea Y i - -
st T v freu %
OO R v oA ,_
- e o o
Wy £ S e
SID PONDER SEEKS FORUM BEFORE VOTE ON MAYOR
Perry, exactly what changes
the U. S. Justice Department
will make to Georgia’s reappor
tionment plans may not be
known until next week.
“There’s a lot of talk down
here, but nobody knows
anything yet,” saic{ Perry, a
member of the House of
Representatives’ Reapportion
ment Committee.
The committee drew new
congressional and legislative
districts that were su%:mitted
a report with assessors about
the amount harvested within
45 da?'s after the end of the
calendar quarter. Every sale
and harvest of standing timber
after Jan. 1 that has not
previously been taxed will be
taxable.
Tax bills will be issued
quarterly by the tax commis
sioner’s office, and reports will
be filed by the quarter.
Taxpa{ers maty request
report forms from . the
assessors’ office.
FUEL WOOD
The revenue department
defines standing timber as
pulpwood, saw logs, and fuel
wood. Fuel wood harvested by
the owner for his own heating
use — and not for sale — is not
included for taxation.
Another citizen said the
recreation board had done a
good job and ‘“‘couch coaches”
should stay out of the board’s
business.
“CLEAN SLATE”
“I think we need to clean
the slate off,’ Stanley said
after moving to abolish the
panel.
Says Voters Need To Make Educated Choice
to the justice department last
year. The plans have been con
tested by the legislative
minority caucus, and may be
changed by _the justice
department.
CORRECTIONS
Perry said that problems
with the legislative plan may
need to be corrected in the
Brunswick, Augusta, Colum
bus, and DeKalb County areas.
House districts must meet
The tax applies only to
timber sold separately ¥rom
land.
If the board of assessors
has reason to believe that a
timber sale does not reflect
market value or is rsflorted in
correctly, it may make correc
tions to reflect market value.
The process is the same as that
for other %rl(l)f)erty.
House Bill 836 also calls for
current use assessments for
conservation use properties
and residential transitional
proi)erties.
t will apply to residential
-and agricultural land that may
be in a commercial or industrial
districts, allowing it to be tax
ed according to how it is used
rather than at the market value
of nearby progerty.
For example, a house may
be adjacent to or located near
STILL
ONLY
25°
Douglas Hedgecock, a Sum
merville resident, asked if the
city would have to go through
the legislature to abolish tie
panel.
Mayor Cash said to abolish
the board and then create
another panel that could legal
ly receive %'ifts and grants, the
city would have to seek
see MEETING, page 8-A
minimum population stan
dards and have a certain
percentage of minority
population.
An 11th conjressional
district was formed this year
with a majority black popula
tion. If the district neegs to be
redrawn will determine in what
district Chattooga will be
placed.
If the districts are shifted
around the Atlanta area. the
see BACK IN, page 7-A
several commercial properties.
The bill provides that it may be
taxed as a house, differently
than the commercial property,
which may be assessefit a
greater value. §
Conservation use properties
are afi'ricultural, timber and
forest land of up to 2,000 acres
owned by one taxpayer.
BENEFITS
For taxpayers to receive
benefits of current use assess
ment, they must enter into a
covenant with the county,
agreeing to maintain the cur
rent land use for 10 years.
Changing the use of the land
will make the taxpayer subject
to back taxes an! penalties
based on the tax rate for the
year the covenant was broken
if the board of assessors is not
notified of the change.