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PAGE 2A —THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 19, 2009
Budget, facilities talk ahead for school board
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
County school leaders will
address next year’s budget
crunch and revisit a high school
renovation wish list at a called
board of education (BOE)
meeting Monday at 6:30 p.m.
The Madison County School
System is exploring ways it can
cut at least $2.5 million from
next year’s budget in anticipa
tion of a $2.5-$2.9 shortfall in
revenue in 2009-2010.
Superintendent Mitch
McGhee will discuss a possible
“reduction in force” (RIF) plan
with the school board Monday,
should the system be forced to
cut positions next year.
The state is eliminating fund
ing for 15 teaching spots in
Madison County next year,
though the system hopes to
avoid layoffs by sliding exist
ing personnel into positions
vacated by retirement or res
ignation.
McGhee also has heard reduc
tion plans from the school sys
tem's seven principals and will
share those cost-cutting propos
als with the school board.
The superintendent has
asked each principal to reduce
$102,000 in expenses next year
as part of the $2.5 million bud
get reduction package.
As for the facilities upgrade,
the school system has pondered
sales tax funded improvements
to the high school in some
capacity. Last month, the BOE
received a list from MCHS
officials of possible improve
ments to that campus, includ
ing the addition of a two-story
wing that would include 22
classrooms and a new media
center.
The BOE must now decide
how it wants to approach that
project, though McGhee indi
cated it will likely be delayed.
This will be the school
board's third meeting in as
many weeks.
The BOE met Tuesday to
pass a resolution for a Tax
Anticipation Note (TAN), after
approving a TAN bid with
Merchants and Farmers Bank
last week.
The school system can bor
row up to $3 million to cover
operating expenses until tax
revenue rolls in.
The system will pay a 1.94
percent interest rate for what
ever it borrows out of that line
of credit.
The county sent property tax
bills out late again this year.
Without tax collections, the
schools have gone without a
major source of revenue.
The system has operated on
its bank reserves, which are
now depleted.
Although the school sys
tem has reserves showing in
its annual budget, that dollar
figure is "paper money,” based
on the tax revenue the schools
have yet to receive.
The school system doesn’t
expect this loan to be on the
books long, however.
"March or April, one of those
two (months), we’ll get a big
tax check,’’ McGhee said. “And
when we get that big tax check,
we’ll pay it off immediately.”
ALL PRINCIPALS
OFFERED CONTRACTS
Each of Madison County’s
seven schools principals have
been offered contracts for
2009-2010.
The BOE approved the action
at a called meeting Tuesday
night.
Madison County’s prin
cipals include Tommy Craft
(Madison County High
School), Matt Boggs (Madison
County Middle School), Billy
Heaton (Colbert Elementary),
Christine Register (Comer
Elementary), Angie Waggoner
(Danielsville Elementary),
Cathy Gruetter (Hull-Sanford
Elementary) and Lynne Jeffers
(Ila Elementary).
School board mulling well option
MCMS needs water for athletic fields
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
The Madison County School
System may draw from a private
water source for maintenance of
its middle school athletic fields.
The county board of education
(BOE) will vote Feb. 23 on a
contract with Dennis Tolbert for
use of his reserve well to ini-
gate the fields. The school board
tabled approval of the agreement
last week.
Under the arrangement, Madison
County pays Tolbert a minimum of
$1,000 a month for 10 years. After
that, the agreement automatically
renews every year for the follow
ing 10 years.
Tolbert used grant money to
dig a backup well for his poultry
operation. The well provides 200
gallons a minute, more than suf
ficient for the fields’ needs.
The school system hied four
times to dig its own well at the
middle school, “but came up dry,"
according to Madison County
Schools Superintendent Mitch
McGhee.
McGhee said contracting with
Tolbert would cost the system con
siderably less per thousand gallons
than buying water from the county
industrial and development author
ity (IDA).
The well water would also be
subject to fewer regulations and
healthier for the glass.
“Well water is much better to
irrigate those fields than city or
county water," McGhee said.
“There’s no chlorine and those
things in the well water."
The system has “tens of thou
sands of dollars” invested in the
sod at the fields, according to
McGhee.
McGhee said it’s not unusual for
a school system to contract the use
of a private well, noting similar
arrangements in Franklin County
and Hall County.
School board chairman Jim
Patton, however, wanted more
time to review the contract.
Wanted: A city councilman
Hull council seat attracting no interest
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
Hull’s empty city council seat
blues continue.
The vacated spot at the city
council table will remain unoc
cupied until at least this summer
after no one sought to qualify for
a March special election to fill
the opening.
“All we can do is try," coun-
cilmember Becky Elkins said.
“Just keep trying, and maybe
someone will pick up on it.”
The city will hold another spe
cial election June 16 in hopes that
least one candidate emerges.
The Hull’s governing body has
operated as a four-piece ever
since Paul Elkins resigned his
council seat in September for a
successful bid for mayor.
The city called a special elec
tion for March 17 to fill his posi
tion, but generated zero interest
during February qualifying.
Council member Wayne
Melton suggested a more aggres
sive approach this time to lure
candidates.
“It looks like we’re going to
have to get out and beat the bush
es to find somebody," he said.
Paul Elkins suggested posting
qualifying dates for the June elec
tion — which have yet to be deter
mined — on the Hull Volunteer
Fire Department “arrow" signs,
noting the visibility there.
“There’s a terrific amount of
here," he said.
City attorney Pat Graham sug
gested a letter campaign, notify
ing all registered voters in the
city via mail in hopes of spurring
interest.
“The important thing is that
you get it out to all of them,”
he said.
The city plans to have a draft of
this invitation to registered voters
ready by its next meeting.
“We’ll give it a try, and if
we’re successful, everybody will
be copying us,” Paul Elkins said.
No word yet on Hull beautification funds
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
Hull city leaders are still await
ing word on a $12,000 grant that
would provide a face-lift for a
stretch of Hwy. 72.
The money is available through
the DOT, and Hull applied for the
grant through the Keep Madison
County Beautiful organization.
"Nothing is in the pocket right
now,” mayor Paul Elkins said.
"(But) we have not been denied
the grant.”
The money would allow the
city to plant flowers along the
entire section of Hwy. 72 running
through Hull.
"If you’ve ever wondered about
how far it is, it’s 8,432 steps —
point to point," said Paul Elkins,
who along with wife, Becky, and
councilman Wayne Melton, mea
sured the distance.
Elkins doesn’t know if the
DOT’s current funding crisis hin
ders Hull’s chances of landing the
grant. But if the money comes
Hull’s way, it will make a differ
ence, Elkins said.
“It will make Hwy. 72 actually
look nice,” he said.
As far as any other grant oppor
tunities for Hull projects, that’s a
“dead” option right now, accord
ing to councilman Paul Cook.
“There’s absolutely noth
ing available as of yet,” said
Cook, who is investigating grant
money possibilities for the city.
“Everything is dead, right now.”
The city will revisit grant
opportunities for projects in three
months.
City talks SPLOST
As far as SPLOST money for
projects goes, Hull is projected
to receive $88,300 in SPLOST
over the next six years, but that
amount isn’t guaranteed given the
economic climate.
"That’s part of your problem
in projecting a project that you
want to do is that if you rely on
this $88,000 figure, you may not
get it because sales tax revenues
are down,” Hull city attorney Pat
Graham said.
That money is designated for
maintenance and construction of
city roads, streets and bridges.
Hull ups insurance
for city hall
The Hull City Council now has
full insurance coverage for its city
hall building.
The council renewed its poli
cy, opting to insure the building
for $167,486. The city had been
insured for $139,771.
Hull will now pay an annu
al premium of $2,367, but that
amount is still within the city
budget.
Hull seeks protection
for hydrant
A fire hydrant in town needs
a barrier around it, according to
Hull mayor Paul Elkins.
“Because we could, in theory,
lose the contents of one tank of
water,” Elkins said.
Elkins said that Madison County
Industrial and Development
Authority Executive Director
Marvin White is aware of the
problem.
“I think we will get it,” Elkins
said. “They’ve got a lot of prover
bial irons in the fire right now.”
Elkins said the hydrant needs
some sort of protective device
“that would eliminate the pos
sibility of us losing a quarter mil
lion gallons of precious water."
Hull festival ahead May 23
The Hull City Council
announced that the city’s annual
festival is Saturday, May 23.
The day includes entertainment.
arts, crafts, food and a parade.
The parade starts at 9:30 a.m. The
day’s festivities mn until 3 p.m.
Elkins noted that last year’s fes
tival featured 60 vendors.
“It’s just a good day to cel
ebrate Hull, which one person
aptly named it 'Little Mayberry,”’
Elkins said. 'That name has just
stuck in my mind. Every time I
think of Hull, I think of 'Little
Mayberry.’”
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Madison Co. BOC
to meet Feb. 23
The Madison County Board
of Commissioners will meet
at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 23,
in the BOC meeting room at
the county government com
plex.
Agenda items include:
•Chairman’s report —
Chairman Anthony Dove
•Report from IDA - Marvin
White.
•Consider recreation depart
ment’s request to hire part-
time seasonal employees —
Donna Sisk.
•Discuss occupational tax
— Eddie Pritchett.
•Discuss in-house engineer
— Chairman Dove.
•Discuss personnel policy—
changes to the 2009 Personnel
policy — Chairman Dove.
•Discuss new appointment
to planning and zoning —
Commissioner Bruce Scogin.
•Review March 2, 2009
agenda.
•Statements and remarks
from citizens.
•Urgent matters.
•Closed session to discuss
land acquisition, personnel
matters and/or potential litiga
tion (if needed).
Two qualify for
Danielsville council seat
Two people have qualified to fill a seat vacated on the
Danielsville City Council by long-time councilman Roger
Watson.
Philip Croya, Northridge Court, and Kathy Marie Stamps,
Northridge Drive, will face each other in the March 17 special
election for seat three on the city council.
Republican Party to
hold convention
The Madison County
Republican Party will hold pre
cinct mass meetings at 9 a.m.,
Saturday, March 14, to elect del
egates and alternate delegates to
the Madison County Republican
Party Convention.
The county convention will
convene at 10 a.m. that day at
the same location to elect del
egates and alternate delegates
to the Congressional District
Convention and to the state con
vention.
Additionally, the conven
tion will adopt the Rule of the
Madison County Republican
Party and elect officers for the
2009-2011 term.
Both the precinct mass meet
ings and the county convention
will be held in the commis
sioners' room at the Madison
County Government Complex
located at 91 Albany Avenue in
Danielsville.
All Madison County residents
who are legally registered to vote
and believe in the principles of
the Republican Party are urged to
participate in this process, orga
nizers said.
For further information con
tact Bmce Azevedo, Chairman of
the Madison County Republican
Party at 706-296-3834, or by
e-mail atAzevedo@negia.net.
Republicans to meet
with sheriff' Feb. 21
The Madison County
Republican Party will hold its
monthly meeting at 8:30 a.m.,
Saturday, Feb. 21, at the Madison
County Library.
Sheriff Kip Thomas will speak
on the status of Madison County
from a departmental perspective.
Breakfast will be served prior to
the meeting. A $3 processing fee
will be collected at the door. Call
706-296-3834 for more informa
tion.
Unemployment .cont’dfrom 1A
those who demonstrate the highest levels of persistence, deter
mination, and above all, flexibility when looking for work.”
Most of the state initial claims were filed by laid-off workers
in manufacturing, trade, administrative services, including tem
porary employment agencies and construction. And, the number
of jobless workers receiving unemployment insurance benefits
rose 92 percent over the year, from 95,870 in January of 2008
to 183,829 in January of 2009.
Also, in January, the GDOL processed 14,205 first-time
claims for federal extended unemployment benefits, bringing
the total to 125,589 since the federal program began in Georgia
in July 2008. Federal extended benefits are available to job
less workers who have exhausted regular state unemployment
compensation.
Thurmond urged jobseekers to continue to look for work,
explore training and education opportunities and to make full
use of the department’s reemployment services available at the
53 Georgia Department of Labor Career Centers around the
state. The locations of the career centers may be accessed via
the Internet at www.dol.state.ga.us.
Georgia labor market data are also available at www.dol.state.
ga.us.
Animal Shelter Inc.
1888 Colbert-Danielsville Road
Danielsville, 6a.
Is offering a
WALK-IN RABIES CLINIC
Saturday, February 28
Noon - 3 p.m.
One year rabies shot - $10
Three-year rabies vaccine - $15
(must provide proof of previous vaccine
for the three-year shot.)
The following vaccines/services
will also be offered:
Distemper/parvo for dogs/puppies $10
Feline leukemia for cats/kittens $10
Microchipping $25
♦
fw
tut.
The shelter operates a low
cost spay/neuter clinic for
the public. Grooming
services are also available
the last Saturday of each
month with all proceeds
going to the shelter.
Please call 706-795-2868
for a surgery or grooming
appointment and pricing.