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BANKS COUNTY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2018
Early voting tinder way
for November election
Early voting for the Nov.
6 election will be held Mon
days through Fridays through
Nov. 2 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Voting will also be offered
on one Saturday, which will
be Oct. 27, from 9 a.m. to 4
p.m.
All early voting will be held
at the Banks County Election
Office, located at 226 Candler
Street, Homer.
Races on the ballot
include the following:
•Governor: Brian Kemp,
Republican; Stacey Abrams,
Democrat; and Ted Metz, Lib
ertarian.
• Lieutenant Governor:
Geoff Duncan, Republican;
and Sarah Riggs Amico,
Democrat.
•Secretary of State: Brad
Raffensperger, Republican;
John Barrow, Democrat; and
Smythe Duval, Libertarian.
•Attorney General: Chris
Carr, Republican; and Char
lie Bailey Democrat.
•Commissioner of Agri
culture: Gary Black (incum
bent), Republican; and Fred
Swann, Democrat.
•Commissioner of Insur
ance: Jim Beck, Republican;
Janice Laws, Democrat; and
Donnie Foster, Libertarian.
• State School Superinten
dent: Richard Woods, Repub
lican; and Otha E. Thornton
Jr., Democrat.
• Commissioner of Labor:
Mark Butler, Republican; and
Richard Keatley, Democrat.
•Public Service Commis
sioner: Chuck Eaton (incum
bent), Republican; Lindy
Miller, Democrat; and Ryan
Graham, Libertarian.
• Public Service Com
missioner: Tricia Pridemore
(incumbent), Republican;
Dawn A. Randolph, Demo
crat; and John Turpish, Lib
ertarian.
•9th Congressional Dis
trict Representative: Doug
Collins (incumbent), Repub
lican; and Josh McCall, Dem
ocrat.
CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENTS
Voters will also be asked
to select “yes” or “no” for the
following proposed constitu
tional amendments:
• Creates the Georgia Out
door Stewardship Tmst Fund
to protect water quality, wild
life habitat and parks.
• Creates a state-wide busi
ness court to lower costs,
enhance efficiency and pro
mote predictable judicial out
comes.
•Encourages the conser
vation, sustainability and lon
gevity of Georgia’s working
forests through tax subclassi
fication and grants.
•Provides rights for vic
tims of crime in the judicial
process.
•Authorizes fair alloca
tion of sales tax proceeds
to county and city school
districts.
STATEWIDE
REFERENDA
Voters will also be asked
to select “yes” or “no” for
the following proposed state
wide referenda:
•Provides for a home
stead exemption for resi
dents of certain municipal
corporations.
•Provides a tax exemp
tion for certain homes for the
mentally disabled.
BOC approves request for patrol cars
WILSON SEEKS FUNDING FOR BCSO VEHICLES
On October 9, Shawn Wilson (standing at left), BCSO chief deputy, present
ed a request to allow the Banks County Sheriff’s Office to utilize $350,000 in
future Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) funds to purchase
five Ford Explorer Interceptor Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs). The new SUVs
will be used by shift supervisors. The money has already been allocated to
the SO by the taxpayers. Also shown are: (L-R) BOC chairman Jimmy Hooper,
commissioners Danny Maxwell, Sammy Reece and Charles Turk.
Photo by Sharon Hogan
BY SHARON HOGAN
The Banks County Board
of Commissioners, on Octo
ber 9, approved a request
from Banks County Sheriff
Carlton Speed to replace
some of the aging vehicles
in use at the Banks County
Sheriffs Office.
Shawn Wilson, BCSO
chief deputy, presented the
request to allow the BCSO to
utilize $350,000 in future Spe
cial Purpose Local Option
Sales Tax (SPLOST) funds to
purchase five Ford Explorer
Interceptor Sport Utility Vehi
cles (SUVs).
The new SUVs will be
used by shift supervisors.
Wilson said in the past the
BOC has allowed the sher
iffs office to go ahead and
use the SPLOST funds and,
when the money comes in,
it goes back into the commis
sioner’s account.
Commissioner Charles
Turk asked Wilson about the
fuel mileage for the SUVs.
Wilson said the V-6 turbos
would be comparable in fuel
mileage to the Dodge Char
gers currently in use.
Wilson said the policy
guidelines set by the Asso
ciation of County Commis
sioners of Georgia (ACCG)
on maximum mileage states
first-response vehicle should
be retired at around 150,000
miles in keeping with ACCG’s
insurance pool guidelines.
The purchase of the SUVs
will replace some of the older
Ford Crown Victoria patrol
cars that will be retired.
Wilson also advised last
week the sheriff’s office
used $50,000 in dmg sei
zure money awarded by the
courts to purchase four used
Ford Explorer SUVs for the
BCSO command staff.
Once the court awards the
money to the sheriff’s office
specific items can be pur
chased with the dmg seizure
money such as vehicles,
bulletproof vests and equip
ment.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at the
October meeting, the board
of commissioners:
•approved a proclama
tion recognizing the month
of October as Breast Cancer
Awareness Month.
•unanimously approved
the Banks County/City of
Commerce water and sewer
service intergovernmental
agreement. This agreement
establishes Commerce’s
delivery area in Banks Coun
ty
• approved a resolution to
authorize the Georgia Fund I
investment.
•appointed Brian Mathis
to fill the remainder of Todd
Hubbard’s term on the Banks
County Planning Commis
sioner. The term expires
on October 31, 2021. Jason
Hensley’s name was also
submitted for this position.
•appointed James O’Kel
ley to another four-year
term on the Planning Com
mission. His term will now
expire on October 31, 2022.
• approved hiring one
additional maintenance per
son.
•heard a request from
Carol Harrison and Bonnie
McCarty that the unpaved
portion of Pucell Road not
be paved. Harrison said the
unpaved portion had curves
that were very dangerous
and paving the road would
mean more traffic that would
cause safety issues.
The county plans to do
work on the road to fix the
curves.
Alto sets millage rate at 5.58
At the October 9 meet
ing, the Alto Town Council
approved the Fiscal Year
2018-2019 millage rate at 5.58
mills.
The net millage rate for
Banks County residents in
the city is 0 mills and the
Habersham County resi
dents net millage rate is 5.58
mills - down from 6.20 mills
in FY 2017-2018.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business at the
meeting:
• the council approved the
Wellhead Protection Ordi
nance.
•council member Caro
lyn Cabe made a motion to
increase replacement meter
fees to $275 and boring fees
beginning at $500 and the
motion passed unanimously.
•police chief Josh Ivey
presented the monthly
police report.
• Joe Davidson, code
enforcer and building offi
cial, presented the first read
ing of the Registration of
Rental Property Ordinance.
The ordinance requires all
rental homes to be registered
with the Town and inspected
every three years for com
pliance.
The ordinance will be
adopted at the November
13 council meeting set for 7
p.m. at city hall.
•council member Eddie
Palmer requested the offi
cials, after the first of the
year, look into the ServLine
Insurance for broken water
pipes as an option for the
city’s water customers.
• Mayor Audrey Turner
stated the alcohol sales ref
erendum would be on the
November 6 election ballot.
• Mayor Turner said a spe
cial election would be held in
June 2019 for the vacant seats
of Post 2 and Post 1, due to
the passing on October 5 of
council member Mike Ivie.
•Mayor Turner gave an
update on the progress of
the new city hall and police
department. She said the
planned move date is the
first of November.
mm
i ,
HEP
VISITS LIBRARY, PRIMARY SCHOOL
Olivia visited the Banks County Public Library and Banks County Primary School last week. Olivia is
shown with some of the students at the primary school.
Homer waiting on EPD
for well approval
BY RON BRIDGEMAN
Drilling on Homer’s second well could begin this week,
Mayor Doug Cheek said to the city council last week.
Cheek said the city’s first well - which will become the
primary water source - is awaiting approval from the Georgia
Environmental Protection Division.
The sites for both wells are on 28 acres of land the city pro
poses to buy on Evans Street for $125,000.
Underbrush on the front part of the land has been cleared
away by city employees. The first well has been drilled and
results have been provided to the state.
Cheek said the city is waiting on EPD to agree with the
results.
“Some day we will have a well,” council member James
Dumas said, tongue in cheek. “We’ve got a well,” council mem
ber David Dunson retorted.
Council members have consistently complained about the
amount of time required to get clearance for the water source
from EPD.
Cheek noted council members met at the site with the engi
neer to talk about a well-house and a road onto the site. He
said it is likely the city will have to provide a turnaround for a
truck that would be delivering chemicals.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the council:
• heard Cheek say an update on the website awaits a council
decision. Council heard a proposal in June from “IT in a box,”
a company that offers website design and support through the
Georgia Municipal Association. The cost is expected to be
$6,000 a year.
• approved a rezoning from residential to highway business
on Historic Homer Highway for 2.21 acres. It is the estate of
the Massey family. Dale Massey, representing the family said
the property would be more valuable as a commercial tract.
Massey said the surrounding property already is zoned com
mercial.
•voted to have Georgia Power look at a location near Gar
rison and Jail streets for a streetlight and to check other lights
that may be burned out.
Ag Awards banquet
planned Nov. 12
The annual Ag Awards Banquet will be held on Monday,
November 12, at 7 p.m. at Mount Carmel Baptist Church, Lula.
The following awards will be presented: Farmer of the Year,
Woman in Agriculture, Agribusiness of the Year and Agricultur
al Hall of Fame.
For more information, contact Julie Jackson, (Farm Bureau),
706-677-2215, or Forrest Connelly, (County Agent), 706-677-
6230.
Banks BOE
approves personnel
The Banks County Board of Education approved several
personnel items in an Oct. 9 meeting, including the following:
•resignations of Pete Wagner, Terry Benfield and Katrina
Boyd, all bus drivers, and Phyllis Sparks, SFN assistance.
• hiring Ashley Cook and Jeremy Carlan, both bus drivers,
and Omi Lopez, paraprofessional.
Motes reception set Thurs.
A retirement celebration and reception for retiring Judge
David Motes is set for Thursday. The event will be held at the
Historic Jackson County Courthouse from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Motes is the chief judge of the Piedmont Judicial Circuit,
which includes Jackson, Barrow and Banks counties.
Rotary Club sponsors program
The Banks County Rotary Club is sponsoring the Food 2
Kids Program in the county school system.
Food 2 Kids is a program that helps bridge that gap for
some of the community’s neediest kids. Sacks of kid-friendly
food—enough for at least six meals—are handed out every
week to children identified by school teachers, counselors
and officials as being most in need. The disposable sacks will
have approximately seven to 10 pounds of food—enough for
two days of meals. The food is in easy-to-open packaging and
doesn’t require any cooking.
To donate or for more information, contact Becky Carlan at
706-540-3828. Mail in contributions can be sent to: Food 2 Kids,
P.O. Box 54, Homer, Ga., 30547.
Jefferson
Estate/Barn Sale
October 25, 26, 27 2018
10am - 4pm
620 Doster Road,
Jefferson
Heavy equip, including Bobcat x331,
Takeuchi TB007, John Deere 310D,
Utility trailers...tools, tools,
tools including lots of antique tools,
lots of farming, collectible items,
log splitter, Metal Gazebo,
Patio furniture, household items,
wood for turning, collectible bottles
and furniture, Coke, Metal signs,
taxidermy, Stihl...so much more.
See photo’s:
www.yellowhirdestatesales.com