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THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS • THE COMMERCE NEWS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016
Appreciation for SET
Mayor Clark Hill, left presents a piece of artwork to Russell Stafford, an
operations manager at Southeast Toyota Distributors, in appreciation for
SET’s continued contribution to Commerce’s annual downtown beautification
effort. SET not only provides cash support to buy plants and materials, but
also sends workers. This year over 40 SET volunteers worked on the project.
SET also provides and prepares food for the workers. “We could not make our
downtown look like it does without the SET contribution,” Hill said.
Commerce removes
all annexation fees
It will no longer cost peo
ple anything to have proper
ty annexed into Commerce.
The city council voted Mon
day night to eliminate its
annexation application fee.
The fee had been $250
for residential property, $350
for commercial property and
$450 for industrial property.
Mayor pro tern Keith
Burchett had originally pro
posed the idea. The council
action was unanimous.
“This is kind of a no-brain
er,” commented Mayor Clark
Hill. “We shouldn’t throw up
any roadblocks for someone
wanting to come into the city
and contribute to our tax
digest and the schools’ tax
digest.”
Other Business
In other matters Monday
night, the city council:
•reappointed Nicky Wil
banks Tracey Newcomer
and Christy Johnson to four-
year terms on the Commerce
Library Board.
•voted to name Burchett
as the city’s voting dele
gate with the Municipal Gas
Authority of Georgia. Interim
city manager James Wascher
will be the alternate.
• approved an intergovern
mental agreement with the
Jackson County Senior Cen
ter under which it pays the
center $1,500, which entitles
Commerce residents to free
transportation to and from
the center. It is an annual
agreement.
• recognized Southeast
Toyota Distributors for its
continued support of the
city’s beautification efforts
with a presentation to oper
ations manager Russell Staf
ford.
• heard Councilman
Donald Wilson praise city
employee Kevin Fields, who
found an envelope contain
ing $700 in cash and returned
it to the owner, who had just
cashed a paycheck.
• heard from Wascher
that as of March 31, the Gen
eral Fund had a $515,382
surplus, the Water/Sewer
Fund has $127,480 reve
nue over expenditures, the
Electric Fund was $495,420
in the black, and the Gas
Fund, which has been neg
ative most of the fiscal year,
ended the month $219,182
in the black. Wascher
also pointed out that nine
months into the fiscal year,
the city has made only a
quarter of the budgeted
transfers from its utility
accounts to the General
Fund.
• heard Wascher
announce that the city’s elec
tric linemen will be honored
with a breakfast Friday morn
ing in recognition of Line
man Appreciation Month.”
Cline to perform in Nicholson
After a last-minute sched
ule change, singer/songwriter
and performer Shellem Cline
will make an appearance at
the Highway 441 South Auc
tion in Nicholson on Friday,
April 22, at 6:30 p.m.
Cline is a nationally rec
ognized artist who has
had several top-40 songs
in the areas of Christian
country and Southern gos
pel music. Cline’s current
national tour, “Blue Jeans
and Biscuits,” has gained
major attention across the
country and Cline will per
form a mini version of the
show on Friday night.
Highway 441 South
Auction is located at 5414
Highway 441 South beside
Benton Elementary School.
The show will begin at 6:30
with the auction follow
ing. It will feature comedy,
humorous songs, and gos
pel melodies as well.
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Headmaster’s
Corner
by
Steve Cummings
NATIONAL CHAMPS! Fol
lowing the 4th Major tourna
ment of the year, the ACS Bible
Quiz team is ranked #1 in the
Country! This incredible group
of young men and women fin
ished the season by winning the
largest tournament of the year,
the South Carolina Quizzing As
sociation’s National Invitational
Tournament.
The ACS Bible Quiz Team has
won the last four Major tourna
ments in which they have com
peted, including the Colorado
Invitational in Denver. Seniors
Dalton Croy, Chase Hockema
and Katey Davis wrap up a phe
nomenal 7-year career that began
in middle school.
Congrats to Dalton, Chase,
Katey, Calvin Pettyjohn and Nic
Jorensen for making history at
ACS. Also, a special thanks to
Dr. Bruce Hockema for coaching
this year.
ATHENS
CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
“Affordable Quality Education Since 1970”
K3-I2TH CALL (706) 549-7586
www.athenschristian.com
Commerce council forms
new hospital authority
Out with the old and in with the new —
hospital authority.
The Commerce City Council officially dis
missed itself from the BJC Medical Center
Authority, the nine-member group formed
with Jackson and Banks counties to own
and operate the former medical center, and
passed a resolution creating a Commerce
Hospital Authority that will own Northridge
Medical Center.
Mayor Clark Hill said the new authority
“will allow a relationship between the city
(and Northridge), placing no financial liabil
ity whatsoever on the citizens of Commerce.
The hospital, as a nonprofit, can obtain
additional state and federal funds to the tune
of $2 or $3 million a year, which they are
committed to investing here.”
The resolution will be filed with the Geor
gia Department of Community Health.
The new nine-member authority will
comprise Hill, the six city council members
and two other Commerce residents who
will be named at the council’s May meeting.
According to interim city manager James
Wascher, the city will become the legal
owner of the Northridge Medical Center
facilities and Northridge will sign a lease
with the city to operate the medical center.
He also said that the agreement will include
a provision for “payment in lieu of taxes”
to ensure that the city and the Commerce
School System do not lose revenue from
taking the medical center property off the
tax digest.
The boards of commissioners in Banks
and Jackson counties are also scheduled to
dismiss themselves from the BJC Authority.
Early voting for primary
elections starts on May 2
It’s almost time to vote
again.
Early in-person voting for
the May 24 general primary
and nonpartisan elections
starts Monday, May 2, in Jef
ferson, but people planning
to take advantage of that
should note that early voting
no longer takes place at the
Jackson County Administra
tive Building.
Instead, the polling place
will be at 441 Gordon Street
— the Gordon Street Canter
— in Jefferson to which the
Jackson County Board of
Elections and Registration
office has moved. Early vot
ing continues there through
May 20.
Hours will be 8 a.m. to 5
p.m. every Monday through
Friday, and 9-4 on Saturday,
May 14.
There will also be a week
of early voting May 16-20 at
the Commerce Recreation
Department office on Car-
son Street and the Braselton
Police and Municipal Court
Building. Hours there will
be 8-5.
There are only five con
tested local races.
Absentee ballots will be
available through Friday,
May 20.
The elections office has
sent out flyers reminding
voters of the early voting
location change.
“I hope everybody will
know where to go, but I
am sure there will be some
confusion,” said Lori Works,
election supervisor.
Wurtz noted that for Elec
tion Day on May 24, steps are
being taken to avoid the con
gestion voters experienced
during the presidential prefer
ence primaries at Faith Baptist
Church, where the county’s
largest district, North Jeffer
son, votes. She said the mile-
long backup approaching the
church occurred because
traffic entered the parking lot
from both directions, making
ingress and egress difficult.
There will be one-way entry
on May 24.
Tea Party political forum
rescheduled for May 12
The Tea Party Patriots
of Jackson County have
planned a political forum for
7 p.m. on Thursday, May 12,
at the Jefferson Clubhouse,
located at 302 Longview
Drive, Jefferson.
This forum was originally
scheduled for April 25 but
was changed to May 12 due
to conflicts.
“The forum is designed to
provide citizens of Jackson
County and the people who
are elected to serve and rep
resent them the opportunity
to interact in meaningful and
constructive conversations,”
organizers state.
The following incum
bents and their challengers
have been invited to the
fomm: Board of commission
er chairman candidates, Tom
Crow (R), and Ben Stephens
(R); District 1 Commission
er candidates, Jim Hix (R),
Janet Hunt (R) and Dan
Torbert (R); and sheriff can
didates, Janis Mangum (R)
and Randy Moore (D).
County Solicitor, Don
Moore will speak on “Hot-But-
ton Issues for Citizens of Jack-
son County.”
Each candidate will have
five minutes to speak. After
all have spoken, members of
the audience will be invited to
ask questions and to express
opinions about issues or
concerns in the county. The
candidate who is addressed
by the citizen will have two
minutes to respond. After the
questions from the citizens,
the candidates will have the
opportunity to ask questions
or express challenges to each
other. The responses may
also take two minutes.
Local Jackson County
incumbents who are not fac
ing opposition are also invit
ed to attend. Each one will
be introduced and be given at
least one minute to address
the citizens.
For more information, call
770-265-9029.
Helen
Hewell
Dp_F|apt
DAVID DUCKETT
District 2 Commissioner
It is an honor to serve as the District 2 Banks
County Commissioner and I’m asking for your
vote as we work to improve and expand ser
vices. I’m a life-long resident, graduate of Banks
County High and 50 years in agribusiness.
Commissioner 2013-Present, 1976-1980
State County Commissioner’s Training/Specialty Certification
• Ethics
• Revenue and Finance
• Economic Development
• County Operations/management
• Leadership
Working with GDOT and state to fund road projects
• $100,000 Wynn Lake Rd. Culvert
• $100,000 Bennett Road
• $150,000 Rock
VOTE FOR DAVID DUCKETT