Newspaper Page Text
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2008
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PACE 3A
AGING SERVICES BOOTH OFFERS INFORMATION
Banks County High School freshmen Nicole Fajardo and Brittany Forrester (R)
are shown at Friday’s health fair passing out information from Legacy Links
Area Agency on Aging.
Photo by Sharon Hogan
PASSING OUT INFORMATION ABOUT BCHS
Lynn Suggs (R), Banks County High School graduation specialist, and April
Loggins (second from right), BCHS counselor, are shown on Friday as they
pass out information about the school to local Banks County residents. The
high school information table was just one set up at the Banks County Recre
ation Department to offer information to the participants in the annual turkey
give-away sponsored by Generous Hearts and Banks County Family Connec
tion.
Photo by Sharon Hogan
Maysville increases water, sewer rates
BY JUSTIN POOLE
The City of Maysville has
settled on a proposed solution
to balance the water budget
for 2009 and it calls for rate
hikes.
After several work sessions
and meetings with Chip Mc-
Gaughey of EMI to discuss
options, the council voted
Monday night to approve the
proposed 2009 budget with a
15 percent increase across the
board for water and sewer ra-
tee.
Council member Stephan
Lewis made the motion to
approve the increase with
the statement that everybody
should understand that it is only
a temporary stop-gap. Mayor
Jerry Baker also stressed that
the increase is only a “ban-
daid” for the water and sewer
deficit. The council approved
the motion unanimously.
The increase to the base rate
(less than 2,000 gallons) for
a residential water and sewer
customer inside the city is
$3.68; a water customer rate
will increase $2.18. Outside
the city, a water only custom
er’s bill increases $3.10.
If the city had stayed with
the current rates, the deficit of
nearly $160,000 would have
fallen on city reserves. With the
increase, the deficit is dropped
to approximately $98,000 that
will be taken from the reserve
fund.
The council also comment
ed that it would take aggres
sive action during 2009 to find
money to prevent increasing
the rate next year.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the coun
cil:
•approved the removal of
one budget line item: Election
apparel of $500.
•approved checking on get
ting out of the motorcycle
lease and removing $3,000 for
this from the budget.
•approved amending the
motion from Nov. 3 stating
that occupation business li
censes have to come before th
council to all business licens
applicants have to come befor
the council.
•approved considering clos
ing one of the nine railroa
crossings on the condition th
railroad grants right of way ac
cess. Lewis made the motio
with the understanding the
the city does not have to clos
a crossing, only consider clos
ing a crossing, in an effort t
work with the railroad for rigt
of way access.
•approved agreement wit
Criminal Justice Technologies
Inc. with the amendment the
the city has the right to termi
nate without penalties.
•approved having the cit
attorney investigate who own
Ridgeway Court Road to de
termine if it is a city street or i
the property owner is respon
sible for maintenance.
•approved amendments t
the Nov. 20 minutes correctin
the road resurfacing from Jad
Way to Valley View.
BOE plans tax increase
The Banks County Board of
Education plans to increase the
property taxes it will levy this
year by 12.34 percent over the
rollback millage rate.
In a 3-2 vote at a called meet
ing on Monday night, Dec. 1, the
BOE approved the tentative mill-
age rate of 13.244 mills. This is
an increase of 1.5 mills over last
year’s 11.744 mills.
BOE members Bo Garrison
and Ben Ramsey voted against
the increase.
Each year, the board of tax as
sessors is required to review the
assessed value for property tax
purposes of taxable property in
the county. When the trend of
prices on properties that have re
cently sold in the county indicate
there has been an increase in the
fair market value of any specific
property, the board of tax asses
sors is required by law to re-de-
termine the value of such prop
erty and increase the assessment.
This is called a reassessment.
When the total digest of tax
able property is prepared, Geor
gia law requires that a rollback
millage rate must be computed
that will produce the same total
revenue on the current year’s
new digest that last year’s mill-
age rate would have produced
had no reassessments occurred.
The budget tentatively adopted
by the Banks County Board of
Education requires a millage rate
higher than the rollback millage
rate. Therefore, before the Banks
County Board of Education may
finalize the tentative budget and
set a final millage rate, Georgia
law requires that three public
hearings be held to allow the
public an opportunity to express
their opinions on this increase.
All concerned citizens are in
vited to the public hearings on
this tax increase to be held at the
Banks County Board of Educa
tion on: Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 12
p.m. and 6 p.m. and Monday,
Dec. 22, at 6 p.m.
The millage rate will be estab
lished at a called meeting set for
6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 23, in
the BOE office.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at Monday’s
meeting:
•in a 3-1 vote the board ap
proved the 2009 budget total
ing $29.86 million. Garrison
voted against the budget. Ram
sey was not in attendance dur
ing this portion of the meeting.
BOE Chairman Ron Gardiner,
members John D. Williams and
Neal Brown voted in favor of the
budget. Superintendent Chris
Erwin said this budget reflects
cuts totaling $626,000. “We are
continuing to meet with the staff
to look at others ways to cut,’’ Er
win added.
•the board met in closed ses
sion to discuss personnel. No ac
tion was taken on this.
The regularly scheduled BOE
work session will be held at 7
p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 11, in
the board office.
Closed bank not affiliated
with Cornelia business
HEALTH FAIR HELD FRIDAY
Several local agencies participated in the health fair at the Banks County
Recreation Department on Friday. The health fair was held in conjunction
with the annual turkey giveaway sponsored by Banks County Family Con
nection and Generous Hearts. Here, JoAnn Dodd, RN (L), Banks County
Health Department is shown checking the blood glucose level of a Banks
County resident.
Photo by Sharon Hogan
The Community Bank in Lo-
ganville closed last week by the
state and taken over by the FDIC
was not affiliated with Commu
nity Bank & Trust of Cornelia,
which has branches in Jackson,
Barrow, Banks, Habersham and
other North Georgia communi
ties.
According to a recent news
release from Community Banks
& Trust, the firm continues to be
strong during the current eco
nomic downturn.
“Community Bank & Trust is
108 years old. It continues to be
well capitalized, has substantial
reserves for any loan losses that
may occur,” said the release.
The failed Community Bank
in Loganville had its deposit ac
counts transferred to Bank of
Essex out of Virginia. It is report-
For more news
visit
www.BanksNewsToday.com
ff
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Internal Medicine
Of
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GREG REEVES
Fine Jewelry
613 Hawthorne Ave. • Athens
Banks County
Board of Education
NOTICE OF PROPERTY
TAX INCREASE
The Banks County Board of Education has
tentatively adopted a millage rate which will
increase property taxes by 12.77 percent.
All concerned citizens are invited to the public
hearing on this tax increase to be held at the
Banks County Board of Education on December
16, 2008 at 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. and on
December 22, 2008 at 6:00 p.m.
edly the 20 th bank in the nation
taken over this year by the FDIC
and the third in Georgia.
The failed bank had a low
single-star rating by Bankrate.
com which tracks banking per
formance. Community Bank &
Trust of Cornelia has a three-star
rating by Bankrate.com.
its regular dividend to sharehold
ers to conserve cash. The ban
has branches in Braselton, Bald
win, Flowery Branch and othe
towns in North Georgia. Th
firm has a single-star rating b
Bankrate.com.
•••
•••
Habersham Bankcorp, owner
of Habersham Bank headquar
tered in Clarkesville, announced
last week it would be suspending
Independence Bank of Geoi
gia opened last week in Brasel
ton. The bank is located in th
Mulberry Park business center o
Hwy. 211. The bank received it
charter notification on Oct. 15.
FOR ONLY $5 PER MONTH,
YOU CAN LIST YOUR GROUP'S MEETINGS!
Let your members know when your group is meeting!
Call (706) 367-5233 to advertise your meeting time, place and date in...
• The Jackson Herald • The Commerce News • The Braselton News
• The Banks County News • The Madison County Journal
BANKS COUNTY
HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC.
meets first Monday each month
7:00 p.m. in the Banks Co. Historial
Courthouse at 105 U.S. Hwy. 441
North in Homer pa-07/09
Citizens Organized for
Pipeline Safety
investigating the health risks to citizens from
underground pipelines and booster stations in
Madison Co. Meetings 6:30 p.m. at the Colbert
Grove Baptist Church the 2nd Thurs. of each
month. 706-783-4702. Pd.04/09
JEFFERSON
ip AMERICAN LEGION
Albert Gordon Post 56
Each 3rd Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
Harvie Lance, Commander
Phone (706) 654-1274 ato
White Plains Baptist Church Pd 02/09
Faith Bible Class meets every Sunday morning
at 10:00 a.m. It is a place where strangers
become friends and friends become family.
706-367-5650
White Plains Baptist Church
3650 Hwy. 124 West, Jefferson, GA 30549
The Jackson Co. Republican Party
Would like you to meet us for
breakfast the second Sat. of each
month, 8:00 at The Jefferson
House. For more information, call
706-652-2967 or email
fishyglass@yahoo.com Pci.ii/os
BANKS COUNTY
Ijl AMERICAN LEGION
Post 215
Meets each 3rd Thursday, 7 p.m.
In Homer, GA at the
American Legion Building on
Historic Highway 441 Pd.oe/os
VETERANS OF
W FOREIGN WARS
Post 4872, Hurricane Shoals Convention Ctr.
Each 4th Tuesdasy, 7:00 p.m.
Lamar Langston, Commander
Phone 706-652-2627 263
JEFFERSON LIONS CLUB
Meets 2nd & 4th Monday
lefferson City Clubhouse
6:30 p.m. *(706) 387-1156
Mack Cates, President
542
A UNITY LODGE
F&A.M.
No. 36, Jefferson, GA
1st Tuesday of each month, 7:30 p.m.
Dwayne Potts • 706-367-4449
Borders St. behind Tabo’s 260
JEFFERSON ROTARY CLUB
Meets Tuesdays
lefferson City Clubhouse
12:30 p.m. *(706) 367-7696
Gina Mitsdarffer, President
547