Newspaper Page Text
THE
yfSLANDER
Published by
Permar Publications
April 19, 2010
www.theislanderonline.com •
Established 1972
ssislander@bellsouth.net
Vol 38 Issue 16
Don’t Tread on Us
Above: Attendees at the
Tax Day T.E.A. (Taxed
Enough Already) Party
event in Brunswick
expressed concerns over
President Barack Obama's
socialist-leaning trends.
Right: Surrounded by Amer
ican flags, speaker Marge
Peters was one of many
who addressed the T.E.A.
event from the impromptu
stage on the back of an
old pick-up truck.
Islander Staff Photos - Permar
Local T.E.A. party celebrates one year with
Tax Day event at Coffin Park
County facing
revenue decrease
for 2011
By Matthew J. Permar
The Glynn County Com
mission’s Finance Committee
got their first look at budget
proposals for the 2010-11 fis
cal year (FY) and the word
is about what officials have
expected in the current econ
omy - less revenue this year
than last.
In an April 9 memo to the
finance committee, County
Administrator Charles Stewart
said that Chief Tax Appraiser
Robert Gerhardt “has stead
fastly estimated a 10-12% drop
in the property tax digest for
the upcoming year.”
“This is the first reduction
in the property tax digest in
recent memory,” said Stewart.
Overall, the 2010-1011 bud
get revenue is down about 11%
or $6,147,662 from the current
year, said Stewart.
In planning the 2010-2011
budget, county staff was con
servative in estimating a 12%
reduction in property taxes,
which equates to an anticipat
ed $3 million revenue reduc
tion.
“For purposes of balanc
ing the proposed general fund
budget,” explained Stewart,
“we have used a 12% reduc
tion in the property taxes. This
is based on the assumption
that the County Commission
will maintain the property tax
millage rate as the same as
this year at 5.673 mils.”
Stewart told the commit
tee that the county’s other
two major revenue sources,
the LOST (Local Option Sales
Tax) and the Accommodation
Excise Tax (bed tax) are also
budgeted at less than the cur
rent year.
The LOST was budgeted at
a 14% reduction, while the bed
tax was budgeted at a 17%
reduction.
Stewart said the county
would have to make use of the
Turn to Page 5
County budget
Patriotic music, flags, signs
and banners, and speeches
marked the local celebration of
the one year anniversary of the
Golden Isles Tea Party.
The rally was held on Tax
Day', Thursday, April 15, at
Howard Coffin Park in Bruns
wick and was attended by
about 275 to 300 supporters.
Acting as master of ceremo
nies for the event, Bemie Ask
said, "Because of our veter-
By Pamela Permar Shierling
ans we have the right to free
speech and assembly. And it is
ironic that we are still fighting
that fight."
Ask continued, "We (Tea
Partiers) are respectful but we
will speak our minds. We offer
these same rights to those of
differing opinions."
Ask concluded, "The Tea
Party movement is going to
shift the (leftward) movement
of this country."
Dawn Forbes, one of the
original founders of the Golden
Isles Tea Party said new mem
bers were continuing to join
the group. "I am glad that
new people are coming out to
find out what the Tea Party is
about and I am excited about
2010."
Saying the event seemed
like a birthday or anniversary
Turn to Page 5
T.E.A. party
Keen declines
to seek another
House term
• Announcement made
at Brunswick Rotary
By Matthew J. Permar
After 10 years in the Geor
gia House of Representatives,
Jerry Keen (Dist. 179) has
decided against seeking anoth
er term of office.
With his family in atten
dance, Keen made the
announcement at the Bruns
wick Rotary Club’s lunch meet
ing on Thursday, April 15 just
two weeks before the April 30
deadline to qualify for the July
20 primary elections.
Saying he never intended to
make a career of politics, Keen
said it was “just time” to step
down.
The first Republican House
majority leader in about 130
years, Keen said for the imme-
Turn to Page 6
Keen
Judge appoints
panel in jail case
By Matthew J. Permar
After ordering the two sides
is a federal dispute over the
Glynn County Detention Cen
ter expansion to enter into
mediation, U.S. Southern Dis
trict Judge Lisa Godbey Wood
has appointed an advisory
panel to assist in the dispute.
Picking from the local law
enforcement and legal commu
nities and the community in
general, Judge Wood named
Ron Corbett, Glynn County
Undersheriff; Scott Cowan,
retired facilities administra
tor for the Ga. Dept, of Pub
lic Safety and Ga. Bureau of
Investigation; Donnie Dixon,
former U.S. attorney for the
Southern District of Ga.; Dr.
Valerie Hepburn, president
of College of Coastal Georgia;
and Connie Patrick, Director
of the Federal Law Enforce-
Turn to Page 6
Judge's panel
Surfin’
the
News
Candidate
announcements
Community News
Pg 2
County-Wide News - Read County-Wide
$20 on the 20th
Feature Section
-Pg 7
Date Night
Movie Review
-Pg 10
Back Talk
Editorial Column
-Pg 16
