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— www.BanksNewsTODAY.com —
50<t • Homer, Banks County, GA 30547 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. • 24 Pages, 3 Sections Plus Supplements • Vol. 39 No. 50
131 st annual
Sunday School
celebration
conning up Sat.
The Town of Homer and Banks
County are gearing up for the 131st
annual Banks County Sunday School
Celebration to be held beginning at
9:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 26, at
Veterans Park in downtown Homer.
Groups from area churches will per
form throughout the day, and lunch
will be served at 12:15 p.m. Fried
chicken and com on the cob will be
provided and everyone is asked to
bring a covered dish.
“Everyone is invited to come, bring
a covered dish and a lawn chair and
spend the day and fellowship in down
town Homer,” planners stated.
The celebration has been held in
downtown Homer since 1888.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
•9:30 a.m. Call to Order, Henry
David Banks
Welcome, Homer Mayor Doug
Cheek
•9:40 a.m. — Opening song and
prayer, Bill Ford
•9:50 a.m. — Homer Presbyterian
•10:10 a.m. — Glory Baptist
•10:30 a.m. — Beaverdam Baptist
Church
•10:50 a.m. — Mt. Bethel United
Methodist Church
•11:10 a.m. - New Salem United
Methodist Church
•11:30 a.m. — Mt. Carmel Baptist
Church
•11:50 a.m. — Homer Baptist
Church
•12:10 p.m. — Lunch
•1:10 p.m. — Memorial Award
•1:20 p.m. — Homer Methodist
Church
•1:40 p.m. — Homer Alliance
•2 p.m. — Hickory Flat Methodist
•2:20 p.m. — Chosen
•2:40 p.m. — Silver Shoals Baptist
•3 p.m. — Homer 1st Baptist
Church
•3:20 p.m. — Nails Creek Baptist
Church
News -2-3A
•Baldwin responds to
complaints — page 2A
•No action taken on
BCES assistant principal
— page 3A
•Advanced voting
begins Monday — page 11A
Op/Ed - 4-5A
• ‘Time for action on
BCES situation’
— page 4A
• ‘Influenced by many
strong, successful women’
— page 4A
Other news
• Social News — page 9A
• School News — pages 6-7B
• Public Safety — page 6A
•Legals — pages 4-5B
• Church — page 8A
• Obituaries — page 7A
Development Authority backtracks on budget
BY SHARON HOGAN
The Development Authority set a $200,000 bud
get for an economic development department last
week only to retract the action five days later.
In a called meeting Monday, the Development
Authority voted unanimously to take back a motion
that was approved at the meeting on Wednesday,
July 16, that set aside $200,000 to be used by the
county for economic development. The money
would have been used to hire a full-time economic
development coordinator as well as to cover other
costs by the department. There was no mention
on how much of the $200,000 would have gone
toward salary and benefits.
DA member Scott Ledford said on Monday, “It
was a pre-mature motion on my part to put that
figure in.”
Ledford said he based his figures on his own
experience as a business owner with an employee
on the road handling accounts.
The earlier motion at the Wednesday meet
ing approved an agreement on the distribution of
industrial development funds to be presented to the
Banks County Board of Commissioners for their
approval. The BOC must take final action on how
the money is allocated.
DA Chairman Wayne Abernathy said onMonday,
“I will be meeting with the commissioners at their
3:30 p.m. meeting on Tuesday to discuss this mat
ter.” Meeting results will be in next week's issue.
Members Ledford, Bill Griffin and Jack Banks
unanimously approved a motion at Monday's
meeting to leave the amount blank on the agree
ment until after Abernathy meets with the commis
sioners on this.
DA members Dennis Brown, Stan Stewart and
Jimmy Morrison were absent from the meeting on
Monday.
Once the agreement is finalized by the attor
ney, DA members agreed that chairman Wayne
Abernathy can sign off on the agreement on
behalf of the authority. The agreement will then go
continued on page 11A
— Alto, Baldwin budget updates —
Alto ends ‘07 in the red
The Town of Alto ended 2007 over $179,000 in the red,
according to the town’s recently released audit.
Alto had revenues of $400,700 during the year, but spent
$580,000. After using existing cash to make up the difference.
Alto was left with a fund balance of $167,000 in its General
Fund.
In the town’s water department, Alto netted $163,700 in
operating income and transferred $20,000 to the General
Fund to be used for city expenses and loaned another $26,000
to the General Fund during the year.
Alto General Fund
2007 Audit
Revenues
Taxes
$208,400
Licenses/Permits
$10,700
Fines
$61,000
Service Chgs.
$110,000
Misc.
$10,500
Total
$400,700
Expenses
General Gov.
$260,000
Public Safety/Works
$304,000
Recreation
$16,100
Total
$581,000
Net
-$179,400
Baldwin in the red for ‘07
The City of Baldwin ended its 2007 fiscal year in the red
by $177,000 in its General Fund, according to the recently
released city audit. The audit, completed in May 2008, came
nearly a year after Baldwin’s fiscal year ended in June 2007.
The audit also found six “significant deficiencies in the
internal control over financial reporting.”
In its water department, Baldwin had positive net cash flow
for the year of $106,700, but that was offset by a “prior period
adjustment” of $113,000. The water department had an unre
stricted cash balance of $221,900 at the end of the year.
Among the highlights of Baldwin's audit:
• The city had a negative fund balance of $265,000 from
previous years and very tittle cash on hand in the city's gen
eral fund.
• The city had general fund debt liabilities of $531,500 at
the end of its fiscal year, much of which is debt related to the
building of a new public safety complex.
• The city’s general fund had a negative fund balance of
$34,500 at the end of its fiscal year.
• Although the city collected more tax money than antici-
continued on page 11A
Baldwin General Fund
2007 Audit
Revenues
Taxes
$836,700
Licenses
$13,000
Intergov.
$21,000
Serv. Charges
$485,800
Fines
$366,800
Investments
$346
Donations
$1,600
Misc.
$26,800
Total
$1.7 million
Expenses
Gen. Govt.
$295,900
Judicial
$4,200
Public Safety
$1.08 million
Public Works
$282,150
Recreation
$6,250
Capital outlay
$168,200
Debt Service
$91,400
Total
$1.92 million
Net
-$178,000
A HUG FOR THANKS
Robin Trotter, right, organized the Family Connections Supplies for Success
event, which provided some 250 book bags and supplies for Banks County
students. Pictured is a boy who just got a backpack and came to thank Trotter.
See page 12A for more photos from the event. Photo by Justin Poole
BOE votes
down budget
Issues arise over
ad valorem taxes
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
The Banks County Board of
Education voted down a proposed
tentative budget Monday night opting
to wait until it receives a firmer date
from the county concerning the col
lection of ad valorem taxes.
In a 3-2 vote, the BOE decided to
wait on moving forth on a new budget
set forward by superintendent Chris
Erwin and financial director Mike
Beasley. During last week’s work
session and Monday night's regular
July meeting, Beasley explained that
the new tentative budget would be
for $29,564,403, an amount which
was down approximately $3,000,000
from the previous year.
The decrease was due primarily to
a drop in construction funds, Beasley
said.
Some areas of the tentative budget
did increase such as a 2.5 percent in
salaries as mandates by the state.
Veteran school board member Bo
Garrison inquired Monday night if
there had been any news from the
county on the assessments being col
lected.
Beasley said he had received word
they would be tentatively collected the
second or third week in September.
Garrison then asked when the bud
get have to be legally set as far as
having it sent to the state.
Beasley said he would have to
check into that.
continued on page 11A
Hart disappointed in election outcome, voter turnout
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
With the primary election now in his
rear view mirror. Banks County commis
sion chairman Gene
Hart knows he will
continue serving the
citizens of the county
only for the next five
months.
Disappointed in
the outcome of last
week’s primary elec
tion, Hart vowed
he will continue
working as hard as
he has been for the
citizens during what will be his lone term
in office. Hart was defeated by challenger
Milton Dalton in the Republican primary by
a 2,029-680 vote count.
“I was extremely disappointed in the num
ber of votes I got,” Hart said this week.
“While I was disappointed, I do wish Milton
the best. I have no animosity toward him. I
feel I let the people down by not being able
to get more votes.”
The chairman said he appreciated the sup
port he has had since he first ran for office
in 2004 and doesn't feel he owes anyone an
apology for anything he has done since tak
ing office.
“There are no hard feelings,” Hart said. “In
fact, there may be a tittle sense of relief. I’m
65 and I struggled with the decision whether
to run again. Maybe it's the Lord’s will that it
turned out this way. I will continue to be here
working every day until the end of the year. I
will continue to do my best every day as I’ve
always done.”
Several candidates have expressed disap
pointment in the overall low voter turnout
in Banks County last Tuesday. Even can
didates who won their respective primaries
were disappointed in the turnout, which was
in the 30 percent range.
“I know I am extremely disappointed in
people not coming out and voting in some
thing as important as the county leader
ship,” Hart said. “I don’t understand it when
people don’t take an interest. I don't know
whether I would have won or lost even if
more people would have voted but you
would have liked to have seen more people
show up and vote.”
Hart said it is especially disheartening
when America recentiy celebrated the July
4 holiday symbolizing the freedom of the
country.
“We have people who are putting their
lives on the line,” Hart said. “We have vol
unteers fighting for their country right now.
I just don’t understand it.”
While Hart said he will miss being county
chairman, he said he is looking forward to
getting back to his farm.
As far as issues which may have hurt his
chances to be re-elected. Hart quickly said
the flap with the county's volunteer firemen
no doubt played a role.
Hart backed county fire chief Gary Pollard
in a dispute with several of the volunteer fire
men. The dispute eventually ended with sev
eral volunteers resigning after several years
of service rather than work under Pollard.
“There is no doubt that was an issue in the
campaign,” Hart said. “They were out telling
continued on page 11A
