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THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. JANUARY 22, 2009 — PAGE 3A Taxes .cont’dfrom 1A foreclosures and people struggling to make ends meet, it is hard to believe that homeowners won’t get the benefit from this credit that was approved through the legislative process last year,” said Jerry Griffin, Executive Director of Association County Commissioners of Georgia, in a press release about the proposed cut. Watson said she believes the state shouldn’t try to apply the Homestead reduction to 2008 bills, since homeowners weren’t afforded any prior notification of the reduction. "I don’t believe it's fair to the taxpayers to apply it (the cut) to 2008," said Watson. She said she feels that if the cut must be made, it should be applied to 2009 bills. That way, homeowners with escrow accounts will be able to contact their mortgage companies and make necessary monthly pay ment adjustments to cover the increased cost. MLK ..cont’dfrom 1A “He had to overcome that barrier ... But it’s not about black or white, it’s about purpose and that I know where I’m going," she said. The event drew a standing-room-only crowd, which included sev eral county leaders. Among those in attendance were new county commission chairman Anthony Dove and new probate judge Cody Cross. Wright challenged all those in attendance to better their commu nity, underscoring her central theme of the day — courage. “Yes, we can," she said, echoing a well-known Obama refrain. “We can wake up Madison County and it will be a county like no county we've ever seen before ... But it’s going to take some people that have got to have some courage." Sunrise .cont’dfrom 1A commissioners will once again consider the matter at their 6:30 p.m., Monday meeting in the county government complex. The board has denied identical plans twice in the past 13 months. The Madison County Planning Commission listened to the familiar debates for and against the proposal Tuesday. And when all the talk ing was over, the commission voted without any discussion to give the thumbs up to the development. The zoning board voted 6-1 — with Tod Hebenton providing the lone “no" vote — to recommend that the BOC approve a request by John Byram to rezone 135.30 acres from A-2 to R-3 for a Planned Unit Development (PUD). The rezoning would open the door for 158 single-family houses and 60 townhouses. The development would be an age-restricted commu nity, with no residents under the age of 55. Byram also plans to trans form the golf course into an “executive” format, with a predominately par three setup, though a few par fours would be included. Sunrise Golf Course would remain open to the public. Byram has said that Sunrise is failing financially and that his pro posed development is the only way to keep the course open. The owner of the county’s lone course didn’t speak Tuesday night, but his representative, Jon Williams of Williams and Associates in Athens, said the development will not put much strain on county services and that it will provide a “positive economic impact to the community.” “This is something new for the community that is not the status quo and doesn’t promote sprawl,” said Williams. Williams noted that county planners recommended approval of the development last year. “Mr. Byram is going to have to shut the golf course down without this," said Williams. “That will be the loss of a recreation facility and a loss of jobs." Opponents of the plan voiced concerns about traffic safety on the heavily traveled Colbert-Danielsville Road, about water supplies in the area, about the proposed septic system for the development, about the strain on fire and EMS services, about the proposed tight cluster ing of homes. They noted that the development would be roughly the equivalent of approving a new city in Madison County, comparable in size to Colbert. Madison County commissioners have heard the arguments on more than one occasion. The board voted unanimously against the proposal in December 2007, then shot down the plans again last February, 3-2. John Pethel, Wesley Jordan and Bruce Scogin voted against the plan last February, while Stanley Thomas and Mike Youngblood voted for it. Of those commissioners now remaining on the board, two voted for the plan last February, while two voted against it. New commissioner Dewitt “Pete" Bond II has since replaced Jordan, who voted against the Sunrise proposal last year. “They got a new board so they’re just going to chance it again,” said Charles Hart, who spoke against the development. Shelter ..cont’dfrom 1A “Goldie” — something of a mascot-ambassador for MOAS — along with her. “I believe if we start with our children, in terms of education, that’s the way to go,” she said. If there’s one word she wants to spread to the public, it’s that a spay and neuter clinic is avail able right under shelter’s roof and needs to be utilized. The more dogs and cats spayed and neutered, the less litters of puppies and kittens dropped off at MOAS. Fornash also wants to dispel the myth that there’s a “three- day rule" at the shelter, meaning that an animal is euthanized after three days if not adopted. Not, true, Fornash said. Some dogs and cats have been at the shelter for months. “People always think, oh, they kill dogs,” she said. “But, you know, it’s absolutely a last resort when it happens." MOAS PACKED Right now, there’s an entire shelter full of prospective pets — approximately 165 dogs and 80 cats — in need of homes. Pets like, “Sunshine," a 4-year-old boxer mix who's been at the shelter for about a week after being hit by a car (she sustained minor injuries). Sunshine, this week's MOAS Pet of the Week, joined Fornash in her office Monday as she worked. “Somehow she just kind of touched me,” Fornash said. SHELTER DOG LANDS ON ATLANTA NEWS Fornash and the rest of the shelter staff enjoyed a success story last week when they saw a pit bull, who had originally been turned in to MOAS, on Channel 2 News. The dog, named “Damon" by shelter workers during his stay, came to MOAS scarred from head to toe with a particularly bad neck wound. The shelter suspected that Damon was a victim of dog fighting as a “bait dog." A rescue group took Damon to a vet in Atlanta, where he wound up as part of a Channel 2 News segment about dog fight ing. Because of the story, $2,000 has been raised for Damon's veterinary bills. He is also head ed to pit bull rehab. “He’s gone to have a good life, which makes me very happy,” Fornash said. "Because he was a sweet dog.” Search for new Madison County Chief Appraiser continues By Zach Mitcham zach@mainstreetnews.com Madison County still doesn't have a chief appraiser, but tire county board of assessors offi cially approved Stacey Rubio as interim head of the appraisal staff Monday. "We need to have a meeting to decide how the board wants to go forth (on hiring a chief appraiser)," said new BOA chair man David Ragland, who added that tire assessor board received an application for the position Monday. The board voted 3-1 Monday to name Rubio to tire temporary post, with Larry Stewart provid ing the lone "no" vote. The asses sor board also agreed to ask tire county commissioners to con sider an adequate compensation for the interim chief during her time of increased duties. The hunt for a new assessor follows recent turmoil at tire board of assessors' table. The BOA recently decided not to renew tire contract of chief appraiser James Flynt. Earlier this month, Stewart recommend ed that fomrer Twiggs County Appraiser Carey Lamb replace Flynt, but the assessor board denied the request by a 3-2 vote, with Stewart and Bob Fowler voting for Lamb. Stewart and Fowler have now resigned from the board, though Stewart is serving on the BOA until tire end of tire month. Stewart and tire remaining three assessor members — Ragland, Samantha Garland and Jim Escoe — met in the county com mission meeting room Monday evening, with the meeting room table pushed close to the audi ence seats. A one-step platform is being constructed in the meeting room to provide better viewing for tire audience. The mood in the chilly room was coolly cordial. While routine matters took up most of the meeting, tire group also discussed a proposal by Escoe to alter board policy on handling additions to conserva tion use properties. “We set a policy that if some one had a conservation parcel, and they needed to add adjacent land to it, they could survey it in and we could breach them with out penalty if they would reapply for tire whole thing,” said Escoe. The assessor board member said that, in retrospect, allowing such a breach without penalty on conservation use is probably not a good policy. He suggested that the BOA alter its policy to be more in line with Department of Revenue standards. Stewart said he appreciated Escoe’s “attempt to correct tire policy," but added that he advised the board when it set the policy last March that it was an “illegal policy.” "Tire board was advised by myself at that time; this informa tion was provided to the board, but the board chose to ignore it,” said Stewart, adding that the board waived two penalties, including one of $87,000 based on a flawed and "illegal” policy . .The board cannot say that it did not know at tire time that this was superceding state law." The BOA voted Monday to follow DOR policy on adding to conservation parcels. "This is a process, ladies and gentlemen, when we find the board to be in error, we correct it,” said Ragland. Stewart abstained from voting on the policy. "I can’t vote to rescind some thing that was illegal to start with," said Stewart. Escoe and Garland both object ed to Stewart’s statement. “Let the record show that Mr. Stewart used the descriptive ‘ille gal,’” said Ragland. “Allow the record to show that Mr. Escoe objects to the same.” OTHER MATTERS In other business, tire board spoke at length about appraisal staff policies, such as appropriate protocol on handling taxpayer appeals to SuperiorCourt. County attorney Mike Pruett advised the group that he should be for warded all appeals instead of the assessor staff filing legal action with tire Clerk of Superior Court. The group discussed appropriate requirements on handling home stead exemption applications, a duty recently passed from the tax commissioner's office to the appraisal staff. The assessor board agreed to require either a driver's license or birth certificate along with two pieces of mail to verify that an applicant for the exemption actually does live in the residence with tire proposed exemption. The board discussed tire possibility of using BOC equipment to record assessor meetings. They took no action on the matter, agreeing to study the cost of having someone on hand to operate the equipment. Madison Co. schools to utilize email, text messaging network By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews.com A new notification system will provide parents up-to-the-minute information regarding school events. Madison County Schools, start ing Feb. 2, will be a pilot system for this program, which uses emails and text messages. "It really has an unlimited poten tial," Madison County Schools superintendent Mitch McGhee said. The technology will provide updates for anything from emer gency school closings to a team bus delay. Of course, the program won’t be fully utilized when it comes online. It will take time for administrators, teachers, coaches and parents to get into the habit of using the system, McGhee said. But once the system is established, it will offer plenty of options. "For example, we can send out football scores — to everyone that signs up — at the end of each quarter,” McGhee said. "If you have a booster club member that’s in charge of that you can send out run ning scores of a football game or a basketball game.” The board of education, princi pals and administrative staff will be administered a tutorial over usage of the system. School leaders open to suggestions For those with ideas to improve schools, the central office will now consider those thoughts via sug gestion forms. “This is one thing that we want to be clear on, just because some one turns in this form, that does not guarantee that we’re going to add that (suggestion) or delete that," McGhee said. "However, we do want as much input as we can get." The forms can be submitted anonymously if desired. McGhee said he’s not a fan of anonymous submissions but will allow them since these sugges tions aren’t for publication. 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McGhee estimated this will keep four to five teachers from having to be hired. “Roughly speaking, about $50,000 apiece, that’s some real money for us," McGhee said. “For the bigger systems, it’s millions of dollars, but it’s still significant to us. SPLOST collections sag compared to last year Madison County collected $15,000 less in SPLOST funds last month that it did this time last year. "Which isn’t surprising with the economy,” assistant superintendent Bonnie Knight said. 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