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The www.MadisonJournalTODAY.com APRIL 9, 2009 Merged with The Comer News and The Danielsville Monitor, 2006 Vol. 24 No. 15 • Publication No. 1074-987 • Danielsville, Madison County, Georgia 30633 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers Inc. • 22 Pages, 2 Sections Plus Supplements CRIME TAXES Alleged thefts totaled nearly 200K BOC lays out reasons for removing assessors By Zach Mitcham zach@mainstreetnews. com Former Danielsville City Clerk Michelle Dills alleg edly took close to $200,000 from the city during a six- year span. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, a review of audits from fiscal years 2003 to 2008 revealed that Dills allegedly took “in excess of $196,000’’ in city funds. Dills, 37, currently faces one felony charge of theft by taking. However, more charges could be added. “When the case is pre sented to the Grand Jury, the district attorney has the option of indicting her on additional charges,’’ said GBI Special Agent Jim Fullington, whose office turned over results of its investigation to District Attorney Bob Lavender Wednesday. The next Madison County Grand Jury is scheduled to convene April 20. Fullington said he does not have a count on how many alleged theft inci dents there were between 2003-2008, but he said the investigation revealed a consistent pattern of tak- Michelle Dills ing funds from the city by Dills. He declined to elabo rate on how the money was taken, but said she took city funds in “more than one way.” Fullington said he did not know what she alleg edly did with the money or whether she might have any of it to return. The investigation revealed no evidence of involvement by anyone other than Dills in the thefts. The GBI launched the investigation into Dills’ alleged thefts after a 2006 audit revealed that the city clerk had apparently taken about $56,000 in city funds that year. Dills was a bonded city employee, meaning that the city may be able to recoup the lost money through its bonding agency. FEDERAL FUNDS DOT stimulus money won’t help Hwy. 72 expansion By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews.com The Georgia Department of Transportation has over $300 million worth of federal stimulus money to spend on road projects — none of which will impact the stalled widening of Hwy. 72 in Madison County. The federal money must go toward “shovel-ready projects,” and the next phase to widen Hwy. 72 is far from that, according to a DOT spokeswoman. “So (projects) that were ready to start construc tion, that’s where the money went — not neces sarily to the projects that was most important for MACORTS (Madison Athens-Clarke Oglethorpe Regional Transportation Study),” Teri Pope said. The DOT widened Hwy. 72 to four lines from the Clarke County line all the way through Colbert — See ‘Stimulus’ on 2A — See entire termination letter, Page 6A — BOC to consider chief appraiser recommendation Thursday, Page 3A Dismissed assessors vow to continue working By Zach Mitcham zach@mainstreetnews.com Madison County commis sioners spelled out tire reasons Monday for booting the county board of assessors (BOA). County attorney Mike Pruett presented each commissioner with a thick stack of allegations against the assessors. The BOC met in closed session for about 30 minutes to review the document, then approved a four-page letter summarizing the charges against four assessor board members who are being removed from their posts: chairman David Ragland, vice-chairman Samantha Garland, Larry Stewart and Jim Escoe. The BOC says the assessors ...The BOC could not IN GOOD CONSCIENCE ALLOW THE CHIEF AP PRAISER VACANCY TO CONTINUE DRAGGING ON, AND IT CANNOT IN GOOD CONSCIENCE THROW AN OTHER CHIEF APPRAISER INTO A SITUATION OF UNTENABLE CONFLICT WITH THE BOA.” — From BOC’s termination letter to the BOA have failed to submit tax digests by deadline, that they failed to secure a chief appraiser, that there has — See ‘Letter’ on 2A By Zach Mitcham zach@mainstreetnews.com County assessor board members showed up Thursday for their reg ular meeting, vowing to continue with business as usual until they are officially let go and all appeals are exhausted. “We have been challenged and voted on by the BOC to be removed,” said BOA chairman David Ragland to his fellow assessor members. "I understand there will be a letter forth coming. We have been asked not to go down to the (appraisal) office. We have been told that we are no longer in charge of the day-to-day operation of the office — that the chairman of the board of commissioners is in charge. The question was asked, ‘how might the board approach this?’ Would anyone care to address this?" Board member Jim Escoe respond ed that he will continue to work until he is removed. “As long as I sit here I have a job to do," he said, urging the group to move forward with review of approximately 175 conservation use applications. BOA member Larry Stewart said he will also continue working. “I would agree with that and just say that we still have a duty to per form — and I don't exactly know where this ends up or doesn’t — but I do know that by law we are still — See ‘Assessors’ on 2A Easter in Madison County Three-year old Ansley Darling pets a baby rabbit owned by Peter and Sandy Loose at Saturday’s FolkLife in Georgia festival held in the Madison County Memorial Park in Danielsville. Photo by Charles Richards Mario Godfrey, 1, Colbert, and Lizzi Jo Brewer, 2, picked up plen ty of eggs at the Madison County Recreation Department’s annual Easter egg hunt. Zach Mitcham/Staff Amber Fowler, 4, Colbert, fills her basket at the county Easter egg hunt. INSIDE Index: News — 1-3A.5-6A Opinions— 4A Crime— 7A Obituaries— 8-9A Churches— 10A Socials — 11-12A School —13-14A Sports—1-2B Legate— 3-9B Contact: Phone: 706-795-2567 Fax: 706-795-2765 Mail: P.O. Box 658, Danielsville, GA, 30633 Web: MadisonJoumalTODAY.com 8 ,, 0 4879 14144* 0 Raiders streak snapped Madison County’s 12-game win ning streak was snapped with a loss to Heritage Tuesday. — Page 1B CITY NEWS High costs for few early ballots in Colbert Mayor not a fan of early voting process By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews.com Smaller cities shouldn’t be subjected to the same early voting protocol as larger munici palities since they lure few early votes, Colbert Mayor John Waggoner says. “The early voting is something that needs to be looked at really hard by our representa tives from the standpoint of the size of the municipality,” he said. Colbert is again holding early and advanced voting since Evelyn Patton Power and Ellyn Trinrud are vying against one another in a Tuesday runoff. Neither garnered a majority of the vote in a three-way race March 17 for the vacated seat of councilman Jeff Roberts. The mayor noted that only six voters cast their ballots early during that election. Still, election mles required Colbert to keep the polls open — and the expense that came with that — for three business weeks. Now, the city is paying for the entire pro- — See ‘Colbert’ on 5A COUNTY SEAT Dairy Queen, convenience store slated for Hwy. 98 By Margie Richards margie@mainstreetnews.com Residents will soon have another place for folks to grab a meal and fill up their gas tanks. The Danielsville City Council helped pave the way at its regular council meet ing Monday night for a new Dairy Queen restaurant and full-service convenience store that plan to locate on a four- acre parcel next to Smith’s Transmission on Hwy. 98 East. Property owner Sam Basinger was granted approv al of his request for water and sewer taps for the proposed businesses in a unanimous vote. Basinger has agreed to pay $6,000 ($3,000 each) in water and sewer availability fees. Mayor Glenn Cross pointed out several other ventures for subdivisions and businesses in town have not come through as of yet so the sewer system has the capacity to accommodate Basinger's request for service. — See ‘D’ville’ on 2A o