The Madison County journal. (Hull, Ga.) 1989-current, February 05, 2009, Image 1

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The Madison County journal., February 05, 2009, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextThe www.MadisonJournalTODAY.com FEBRUARY 5, 2009 Merged with The Comer News and The Danielsville Monitor, 2006 Vol. 24 No. 6 • Publication No. 1074-987 • Danielsville, Madison County, Georgia 30633 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers Inc. • 18 Pages, 2 Sections Plus Supplements ZONING CITY NEWS What’s on the horizon with Sunrise? Owner says timetable for development remains uncertain By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews.com Though slated to become a predominantly par-3 golf course, Sunrise will remain in its familiar format indefinitely. Owner John Byram said he doesn't know when he’ll close the Colbert course and trans form it into an executive- level course, freeing up room for a 55-and-older active adult community to be developed around it. “Indefinitely, because until the economy is strong enough to develop this active adult commu nity, I don’t want to do it,” Byram said. The Madison County Board of Commissioners approved this much-taik- ed-about rezoning, 4-1, last Monday. The plans call for the course to be shortened to 15 par-3’s and three- par-4’s with the construc tion of 158 single-family houses and 60 town- houses. Though Byram’s repre sentative Tom Breedlove said the project could be completed within two years once started, the jumping off point is uncertain. Byram said banks’ will ingness to loan money — See ‘Sunrise’ on 2A COUNTY GOVERNMENT County fights Fortson’s unemployment claim Termination appeal hearing set for March 3 By Zach Mitcham zach@mainstreetnews.com Former Madison County clerk Morris Fortson is receiving unemployment ben efits from the Georgia Department of Labor, but the county govern ment is contesting that claim. “He applied and benefits were initially awarded, as is usually the case,” wrote county attorney Mike Pruett in an emailed response to a Journal inquiry on the matter. “An appeal has been filed, but no hear ing date set as of yet.” Meanwhile, Fortson is contesting his dismissal as county clerk by the county commissioners. Pruett said a hearing before the personnel hearing officer in the case, Athens attorney Michael Daniel, is set for 9 a.m., Tuesday, March 3, in Daniel’s office. Madison County com missioners suspended Fortson with pay Nov. 18, with his dismissal taking effect Jan. 6. The BOC cited several rea sons for his termination, saying he made errors in budgeting projected rev enue, failed to handle a claim for unemployment benefits correctly, failed to implement auditor’s recommendations, com mitted accounting errors and failed to keep the BOC informed on sig nificant issues. — See ‘Fortson’ on 2A INSIDE Index: News—1-3A, Opinions— 4A Crime— 5A Obituaries— 6-7A Socials — 8-9A Churches — 9A Schools— 10A Sports— 1-2B Legals— 3-5B Contact: Phone: 706-795-2567 Fax: 706-795-2765 Mail: PO. Box 658, Danielsville, GA, 30633 Web: MadisonJoumalTODAYcom Wrestlers to grapple in region tourney Madison County wrestlers will head to Loganville Friday and Saturday to compete in the Region 8-AAAA tournament. The top four wrestlers in each weight division move on to the state sectionals. -PagelB Danielsville council to meet with auditor over theft case No dollar figure available yet on how much Dills allegedly stole INSIDE: Council hears from citizens regarding sew age spill; attorney suggests council consider giving mayor a vote, Page 3A By Zach Mitcham zach@mainstreetnews.com The Danielsville City Council will meet soon with its audi tor to discuss what former city clerk Michelle Dills allegedly took from the town. City clerk Connie Riley told council members Monday that auditor Ben Vance informed her that he will be ready to present the city’s 2007 audit, along with his theft investiga tion report, to the council as early as next week. No date for that meeting had been set as of press time. Danielsville City Hall “As far as the investigation, he should be ready with his investigation report as early as next week,” said Riley. “He had some details that he wanted to clean up to add to what we already had in house. He should have a full report on that next week as well.” Dills was arrested Sept. 26 after a 2006 audit revealed that she had apparently cut herself — See ‘D’ville’ on 2A Assessors meet in in renovated room The BOA was the first board to meet in the newly designed county meeting room, which now has a raised platform and semi-circular board table, along with new video and audio recording equipment. (L-R) are BOA chairman David Ragland, Samantha Garland, Larry Stewart and Jim Escoe. Margie Richards/Staff REVENUES SPLOST revenues down in ‘08 Sharp decline seen in first month of ‘09 By Zach Mitcham zach@mainstreetnews.com The trickle of sales tax pennies to Madison County declined in 2008, compared to the previous year. And the downward trend contin ued in the first month of 2009. According to fig ures provided by the county commissioners’ office, January sales tax revenues for the — See ‘SPLOST’ on 2A No chief appraiser - yet Stewart rescinds resignation from BOA By Margie Richards margie@mainstreetnews.com The county board of assessors met Monday but did not make progress in naming a new chief appraiser for the tax assessor’s office. Vice chairman Samantha Garland said no recommendation was made following a closed ses sion to discuss personnel, but she said the board planned to meet again Wednesday, Feb. 4, to inter view a potential candidate and might vote on a recommendation following that interview. If a rec ommendation was settled at that time. Garland said the BOA would attempt to present its recommenda tion to the board of commissioners as quickly as possible. BOA chairman David Ragland made a motion following the closed session to ask the board of commissioners to fund an addi tional clerk’s position in the asses sor’s office, but that motion was not accepted. The BOA was the first board to meet in the newly designed county meeting room, which now has a raised platform and semi-circular board table, along with new video and audio recording equipment. Though the BOA previously voted not to record its meetings, it made an exception Monday night so that information technology director Gary Venable could test the new equipment. The BOA agreed to review the issue of whether or not to regularly record meetings at a later date. In another matter, Stewart has rescinded his resignation and will stay on the assessor board. Stewart and fellow board member Bob Fowler tendered their resignations from the board last month, after the board failed to accept a recom mendation made by Stewart for a new chief appraiser. Stewart said this week that he submitted a letter to board of com mission chairman Anthony Dove on Feb. 20 asking to remain on the board. “After careful consideration, I felt it was in the best interest of the taxpayers to return,” said Stewart. CRIME 5 store clerks arrested The Madison County Sheriffs Office arrest ed five people Monday at five separate business locations for selling alcohol to an underage minor. According to the sheriff’s office, the arrests began around 11 a.m. when an under age “confidential infor mant,” accompanied — See ‘Clerks’ on 2A EDUCATION Attorney general’s opinion surprises school leader By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews.com Georgia attorney gen eral Thurbert Baker’s opinion that a consortium of schools can't use tax payer dollars to fund a lawsuit against the state came as news to at least one school leader. "I have read the opin ion, and all I can say at this point is that I am sur prised,” Madison County Schools superintendent Mitch McGhee said in an email. Madison County is one of the 50 school dis- Mitch McGhee tricts in the consortium. It was especially sur prising since earlier opin ions issued, according to McGhee, have cleared the consortium legally. "This is not consistent with opinions regarding the consortiums ‘legal right to exist' that have been issued in the past,” he said. Baker issued his legal opinion Monday, and the governor’s office released it statewiade Tuesday. According to the press release, Baker opined that boards of education "are not empowered to share services by creating and utilizing a nonprofit corporation such as the Consortium for Adequate School Funding in Georgia, Inc.,” to seek legal action against the state. The consortium responded the same day, saying the lawsuit will continue despite this opinion. "The state has been doing everything it can to avoid a careful exami nation of whether the state has met its obliga tion under the Georgia Constitution to the stu dents of Georgia,” Joseph G. Martin, Jr., execu tive director of the con sortium, said in a press release. “The state has used technicalities and legal maneuvers at every turn to prevent this ques tion from being answered in a court of law, which is the appropriate means of resolving such issues under our form of gov ernment.” Martin went on to call Baker’s opinion "strained to say the least,” and questioned whether Baker could issue an opinion regarding a case in which the state is the defendant. Gov. Sonny Perdue, who asked for the opinion in September, appeared to take Baker's statement as welcomed news. — See ‘Opinion’ on 2A