Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2008
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PAGE 3A
Health board gets update on counseling program
BY SHARON HOGAN
Banks County Health Board mem
bers heard a presentation on the Niyelo
Counseling Program at the quarterly
meeting last week.
Mamie Harper, District 2 Health Board
member, presented the program. Harper
said District 2 is the only district in the
state with this program and it was first
used in Banks County.
The program works on personal skills.
Members participate by playing non
competitive games, working together
with other group members in problem
solving initiatives, participating in low
and high elements on a rope course, set
ting and working on personal and group
goals and giving and receiving feedback.
Harper said at one time there was a
ropes course in Banks County on prop
erty owned by the school board.
Schools Superintendent Chris Erwin
said due to several reasons the course
was no longer there. Erwin said there
were three reasons for closing the course,
one being the inactivity for its use. Erwin
said there were only a couple of people
trained to use the course. Another reason
was the property was needed for school
expansion and the third being the school’s
insurance company was going to triple
the insurance rate because of this.
Health board member Rita Chapman,
counselor at Banks County Middle
School, said she still uses some aspects
of the program in her work at the school.
Erwin instructed Chapman to meet with
graduation coach Rob Moffitt to discuss
this program to be implemented at the
middle school level.
Health board vice chairman Gene Hart
told Erwin and the others that he thought
the county had some property that could
be utilized for a course and they would
work on this project.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at the meeting on
Tuesday:
•Dale Carter presented the quarterly
environmental health report. The report
is for the period of December 1, 2007,
HARPER EXPLAINS PROGRAM TO HEALTH BOARD MEMBERS
Mamie Harper, District 2 Health Board, is shown explaining the Niyelo Counseling Program to
Banks County Health Board members at the monthly meeting on Tuesday. Shown (L to R) are:
Carol Ayers, Rita Chapman, Harper, and vice-chairman Gene Hart. Photo by Sharon Hogan
to March 1, 2008. Carter said the envi
ronmental health department received
46 septic permits with 21 of these being
new. Carter said the county has a total
of 63 restaurants, including the school
cafeterias, and one new restaurant
was inspected during this period. The
department investigated 11 animal bite
reports and confirmed one positive case
of rabies on Queen Road.
•Erwin told the board members that
all of the school’s cafeterias scored 100
on their recent health inspections and
this was something for the school sys
tem to be proud of.
•Health Department Nurse JoAnn
Dodd reported the health department
had administered over 600 flu shots.
Dodd stated the health department
recently had a nurse to resign and they
are sharing a nurse with two other health
departments at this time.
•Erwin told the board members that
the school system nurse will be out on
maternity leave beginning April 15 and
he would appreciate any help the health
department could give during this time.
•Dr. David Westfall, District 2 Public
Health Director, presented a report to
the board on clinical use for 2007. The
report shows based on the 2006 popu
lation for Banks County of 16,445 a
total of 3,155 new clients were served
in 2007 or 19 percent. Environmental
health provided 2,523 total services
in 2007 with 911 of these being per
mits, inspections and site evaluations.
Westfall said the department is currently
over budget by $54,467 for this year.
Some of the items that have contributed
to this are the fact that environmental
health revenues are less than anticipated
in the budget. If the current trend con
tinues, expectations are that by June
30 we will earn $19,826 less than we
budgeted, Westfall said. Also, the admin
claiming monies have not been received
for the first two quarters of FY 2008,
totaling $15,600.
•Gregg Sheffield, District 2 Public
Health, presented the current budget
and the proposed FY 2009 budget to
the board. Sheffield said the current
total revenue and expenses for FY 2008
is $627,284 and the projected total reve
nue and expenses for 2009 is $585,135.
Sheffield said the total cash on hand
as of February 29 was $206,912. The
Banks County Board of Commissioners
contributes 13 percent of the total bud
get to the health department or a total of
$110,000.
The next regularly scheduled quar
terly meeting will be held at 9 a.m. on
Tuesday, June 10, in the conference
room at the health department.
Rogers announce plans to run for state senate District 50
ROGERS
Terry Rogers announced
his intention to seek the
Republican nomination
for Georgia’s 50th district
State Senate seat.
“For the past several
months, I’ve been talk
ing with citizens across
North Georgia, seeking
their opinions and advice
while listening to their
concerns,” Rogers said. “I’m over
whelmed by the encouragement and
support I’ve received. People have
been eager to talk about solutions to
local problems and that’s where I’ll
focus this campaign - on local issues
and concerns.”
When questioned about a campaign
platform, Rogers said: “I’m a con
servative who represents traditional
North Georgia values. That
is the cornerstone of my plat
form; however this campaign
will be about everyday issues
such as water, education,
health care and economic
opportunities, not politics.
People are tired of mud sling
ing and partisan bickering.
“The only promise I’ll make
is one I know I can keep. When
elected, I’ll hold two “town hall” type
meetings a year in each county. I
will invite the state representative
and county commission chairperson,
whether Republican or Democrat to
be co-hosts. We may not always
agree but by listening together, talk
ing together and actively working
together we can bring new opportu
nities to this district. It’s time to get
something accomplished.”
Rogers has lived in the district for
over 30 years. He served as a city
commissioner and mayor pro tem
of Cornelia and has been actively
involved in a number of local orga
nizations.
Most recently, he served as vice
chair of the Habersham County
Courthouse Advisory Committee
and chaired the Keep Money in
Your Pocket Committee, a citizen
group that worked to pass the last
Habersham County SPLOST ref
erendum. He currently serves on
the Habersham County Industrial
Development Authority.
Rogers was an Outstanding Young
Man of America and Outstanding
Georgia Citizen. He and wife Laura
have five children and reside in the
Clarkesville area. They attend First
Presbyterian Church of Clarkesville
where he serves as an Elder and
co-chairman of the Mission and
Outreach Committee.
The 50th District is composed of
Banks, Franklin, Hart, Habersham,
Rabun, Stephens, Towns counties
and a portion of White County.
Maysville tax rates to differ
for Banks, Jackson residents
BY KERRI TESTEMENT
Maysville’s Banks County residents
are slated to have a higher property
tax bill than last year, while the city’s
Jackson County residents will be pay
ing less.
The Maysville City Council held
the first of three public hearings to
address the proposed city tax chang
es on Thursday. Public hearings will
also be held at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday,
March 20, and Monday, March 24, at
the Maysville Public Library.
Banks County residents in Maysville
will have a millage rate of .0810 mills,
compared to .710 mills last year. Total
property taxes to be paid among Banks
County residents in the city is projected
at $14,589, compared to $11,742 in
2007.
Jackson County residents in
Maysville, however, are expected to
see their millage drop from 3.194 mills
in 2007 to 2.728 this year. Total prop
erty taxes to be paid among Jackson
County residents in Maysville is esti
mated at $64,196, compared to $72,322
last year.
“Part of this complexity is Maysville
being in two counties,” explained city
attorney Gary Freeman.
The Georgia Supreme Court ruled
several years ago that cities located in
more than one county can’t use sales
tax funds from one county to offset
sales tax revenue from another county,
Freeman said.
Maysville’s millage rate is deter
mined by how much sales tax revenue
it receives from Banks and Jackson
counties. That amount can change each
year among the two counties, he said.
Maysville received $147,016 in sales
tax funds from Banks County in 2007,
compared to $127,875 in sales tax rev
enue from Jackson County, Freeman
explained.
Banks County receives a large por
tion of its sales tax revenue from Banks
Crossing in Commerce. Stores on
the Banks County portion of the area
include the Home Depot and Tanger
Town Centre. Tanger Outlet Center II is
located in Jackson County.
“Banks Crossing really does us a lot
of good,” Freeman said of the sales tax
revenue.
Banks County residents in Maysville
also have to pay for a fire tax, which is
estimated at $17,652 this year. Jackson
County residents pay their fire bill with
their county taxes, Freeman said.
From both counties, Maysville is antic
ipating to receive a total of $289,590
from sales tax funds and $78,786 in
property taxes.
Overall, Maysville is planning to raise
property taxes for Banks County resi
dents by 14.08 percent, while decreas
ing property taxes for Jackson County
residents by 14.59 percent.
Freeman said while those numbers
appear big, they may be deceiving.
“For us, I don’t think that anyone’s
taxes will up more than $10 (this year),”
Freeman said.
The budget process in Maysville
begins when city leaders establish a
proposed budget, Freeman said.
Maysville is proposing a 2008 budget
of $1.2 million, compared to $1.1 mil
lion last year.
City officials then review anticipated
revenue, including property taxes, sales
tax and other income sources, Freeman
said. The gross millage rate for residents
in both counties of the city must be the
same.
Maysville is not planning to raise its
gross millage rate from 8.162 mills,
but since sales tax revenue from Banks
and Jackson county differed, property
taxes must be adjusted, according to
Freeman.
In other years, Jackson County resi
dents in Maysville paid more in prop
erty taxes than their neighbors in Banks
County, Freeman said.
“This is the way the law says we have
to calculate it,” he said.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
The Maysville City Council also
heard a presentation on Thursday about
the town’s 2008-2030 comprehensive
plan.
Adam Hazell, planning director of
the Georgia Mountains Regional
Development Center, gave the council
preliminary data about Maysville.
The data included information about
the city’s population, economic devel
opment, housing, transportation and
cultural resources.
The comprehensive plan provides a
“snapshot” of a community that identi
fies existing resources and opportunities
for the future, Hazell said. A compre
hensive plan helps officials establish
their goals and priorities for a com
munity, based on existing conditions,
he added.
Maysville is seeking 12-18 people
for an advisory committee to assist the
city council on the comprehensive plan.
Those on the committee will review
issues as a whole of the community
and make suggestions to the council,
Hazell said. The committee is expected
to meet two to three times over the next
few months.
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First Annual
Taste of East - A Family Affair
Saturday, April 19, 6:00 - 9:00 pm
East Jackson Comprehensive High School
Band Practice Field
Sponsored by the EJCHS Band Boosters
Family Fun including moonwalk, slides, obstacle
course, carnival games for children, craft vendors,
silent auction (lots of great stuff from our local
businesses), local entertainment and best of all, great
food to be sampled from some of Jackson County’s
Best Restaurants: Shane’s Rib Shack, Papa John’s
Pizza, Redd’s BBQ and Stew, Johnny’s NY Style
Pizza, Supper’s Ready, Cabin Creek BBQ, My Friend’s
Place, Starbuck’s, Cracker Barrel, Sonic Drive-In...just
to name a few. Please join us in support of the EJCHS
Band for some great fun for the whole family and a
great cause!
Tickets are $10/5 tastes. Tickets are on sale now.
If interested, please call Karen Derochers at 404-983
8189 or Vicki Whitmire at 770-654-0260. If interested in
participating as a food or craft vendor, please call
Karen Derochers or Janet McDonald at 706-658-6232.