Newspaper Page Text
Community: 2A
Sports: IB
Tourney ahead
for grapplers
Baldwin may give
past due bills to GMA
— www.BanksNewsTODAY.com —
504 • Homer, Banks County, GA 30547 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. • 20 Pages, 2 Sections Plus Supplements • Vol. 40 No. 9
B0C votes in public on
Motion passes in 2-1 vote; Cain opposed to action
BY SHARON HOGAN
While still denying that a vote was held
in closed session, the Banks County Board
of Commission followed through by hold
ing a vote in a Jan. 21 open meeting to hire
John Creasy.
The vote was 2-1 to hire John Creasy
as “temporary public safety director” for a
period of 90 days effective Jan. 14. During
this time, the position will be advertised and
candidates will be interviewed. The salary
for this position is $45,000.
BOC chairman Milton Dalton and com
missioner Joe Barefoot voted in favor of
this action, while commissioner Rickey
Cain voted against it.
Cain said, “I was opposed to this because
of our revenues being down.”
Cain said he came in two days after the
closed meeting and asked that a purchasing
and hiring freeze be put in place.
“I asked that we take a look at this in June
during budget time,” Cain said.
Cain said he is concerned that the mill-
“Idon’t want
to have to
raise taxes
three or four
mills to over
come this.”
— Rickey Cain
age rate will have to be raised to overcome
this.
“I don’t want to have to raise taxes three
or four mills to overcome this,” Cain said.
Commissioner Barefoot said, “I don’t
think any of us want our taxes to be raised
but this is a need for the county.”
B anks County EMA/911 Director Deidra
Moore asked what departments the public
safety director would cover. BOC chairman
Dalton said, “Fire and EMS only.”
Banks County resident, Bobby Caudell,
asked the commissioners, “If this position is
needed, why have we not had one before?”
Caudell said he is also concerned with
Banks County taxes.
“I think we need to look at reducing in
any way we can,” Caudell said.
Caudell said he didn’t understand why
the commissioners have not been concerned
with this position being open if it causes the
county to be out of compliance.
Cain said that he “had not been made
aware” of the fire department not being in
compliance.
Dalton added that Creasy is not filling a
new position.
“This was created approximately two
years ago and was never filled,” Dalton
said.
Barefoot said the money to pay for this
position would come out of the fire depart
ment budget but the position was not a bud
geted position. If fire chief Gary Pollard had
not resigned on Jan. 19, the county would
be paying his salary of $46,900 as well as
the $45,000 for Creasy’s position.
hiring Creasy
Dalton reads statement
before BOC hiring move
Before the vote was taken to hire John Creasy,
Banks County board of commission chairman
Milton Dalton read the following statement:
“On January 13, 2009, the commissioners dis
cussed in executive session the immediate need for
a public safety director who had been trained in
emergency services. Concern was expressed as to
the county’s possible liability in the public safety
area based upon reports received by the county. No
official vote was taken in the executive session.
“The county attorney, after being asked by the
chairman, did not think that an announcement was
necessary since the position was temporary and necessary to fill an
immediate need of the county and would be advertised within the next
ninety (90) days.
“After further review of the Open Meetings Act the county attorney
has advised the commissioners that even though this is a temporary
position to fill an immediate need as provided in the personnel policy
and procedures of the county, there should be an official vote on the
temporary position in an open meeting until the position is advertised
and candidates interviewed.”
DALTON
Lula calls
for vote
on alcohol
“The decision
is strictly up
to the voters ”
— Lula Mayor
Milton Turner
BY SHARON HOGAN
Lula residents will vote in
March on whether the sale of
packaged distilled spirits will be
allowed in
the town.
In a 4-1
vote, the
Lula City
Council
approved
a resolu-
tion at Thursday’s council meeting
setting the election for Tuesday,
March 17. Council member
Judah Echols voted against the
resolution.
Mayor Milton Turner said the
election is not an endorsement by
the city in any way, for or against,
the issuance of licenses for the
package sale of distilled spirits.
“As most of you are aware, a
petition was circulated and the
required number of signatures
were obtained and certified by
the Hall County Voter Registrars
Office calling for this referendum
election,” Turner said. “The deci
sion is strictly up to the voters.”
News - 2a
•Reward offered in
arson invesigation
— page 2A
•Lula to hold Nov. 3
election — page 2A
• ‘Oconee’s choice
benefits Banks school
system’ — page 4A
Other news
• Social News — 6-7A
•School News — 5A
• Public Safety — 3A
• Legal s — 4-5 B
•Church — 8A
•Obituaries — 3-4B
BANKS TAKES WIN OVER JACKSON
Lauren Kennedy (25) tips the ball away from an opponent during Saturday’s win over
Jackson County, 45-37. Banks County hosts Fannin County this Friday night at 7 p.m.
Photo by Lyn Sengupta
Departments asked
to cut budgets 10%
BY SHARON HOGAN
Banks County Board of
Commission Chairman Milton
Dalton told county department
heads on Wednesday, Jan. 21,
that each department is possi
bly facing a 10 percent reduc
tion in their budgets.
“We are looking at a possible
10 percent reduction in each
department,” Dalton said.
No purchases are being made
unless it is a “dire need” as of
January 12. A purchasing and
hiring freeze was implemented
by the county on January 12.
Banks County Finance
Officer Randy Failyer said
the county departments are
actually under budget as of
this time. “What we are run
ning into is revenues are down
$1.1 million,” Failyer said.
“Revenues from sales tax,
hotel/motel tax and landfill
use fees are down and these
are things that the county
will not recoup. The county’s
landfill use fees are down
$100,000 per quarter.”
Failyer also said the county’s
tax bills will not go out until
next week and they will be due
at the end of March. “This will
put us in a cash flow problem
and you have to be aware of
this,” Failyer said.
Steve Reece, Banks County
water department director, told
the commissioners that he lost
a certified water plant operator
and the county doesn’t have
another certified operator to
take over this position. Reece
also said he has an employee
who is certified in everything
and they will be retiring on
June 3.
“Will we be able to replace
him?” Reece asked.
Commissioner Rickey Cain
said, “I honestly think we can
make it work if everybody
works together helping each
other.”
Reece said he has already
been cross training employees
from water distribution with
wastewater.
Reece said, “We are willing
to work with anybody any way
we can.”
Reece explained to the
commissioners he has to
meet Banks County’s poli
cies, but he also has to meet
the Environmental Protection
Division’s policies as well.
Judy Grier, Banks County
human resource officer, said,
“Am I correct that I am not to
accept any applications?”
Cain said, “That is true.”
Banks County resident
Bobby Caudell asked the
commissioners if there was
another county employee that
they could send to school to
get them certified in the water
department. Reece said it
would take approximately two
years to get someone certified.
Banks County EMA/911
Director Deidra Moore asked
the commissioners if they are
looking at furloughs for coun
ty employees.
Cain said, “We are doing
everything we can to avoid
this.”
BOC meeting cancelled
The regularly scheduled Jan. 27 meeting of the Banks
County Board of Commissioners has been cancelled.
It was not announced why the meeting was cancelled.
The next scheduled meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on
Tuesday, Feb. 10, at the new annex building in Homer.
City of Lula ends FY08 in the black
But effects of struggling economy still visible
Lula ended its fiscal year June
30, 2008, in the black, according
to a recently released town audit.
But the effects of a struggling
economy could be seen in the
town’s shortfall in sales taxes and
service charges.
Lula took in less money than
anticipated, but it also cut spending
to finish the fiscal year $86,000 in
the black in its general fund.
The town also reported a net
operating income of $47,600 in
its water and sewer fund for the
year.
Citv of Lula FY2008 General Fund
Income
Expenses
Sales Taxes
$439,300
Gen. Govt.
$550,000
Franchise Tax
$102,800
Street/Sanitation
$145,600
Service Charges
Interest
$186,800
$34,000
Total Expenses
$695,600
Misc.
Total Revenue
$18,600
$781,700
Net
$86,000
