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THE MADISON COUNTY (GA1 JOURNAL. THURSDAY. JULY 2, 2009 — PAGE 3A
Economy
Unemployment rate remains
steady in Madison County
Madison County's unemployment rate remained relatively steady
in May, up one-tenth of one percent over April.
According to the preliminary May figures released by the Georgia
Department of Labor,
Madison County’s |n% Unemployment rate, 95%
unemployment rate
increased from 8.0
to 8.1 percent from
8% —
April to May.
The total number
of county residents
receiving unem- 6% -
ployment actually
dropped slightly dur
ing that time period, w _
from 1,323 to 1,314
in May, but the coun
ty’s overall labor
force increased from 2%-
16,273 to 16,444
between April and
May.
Like most coun- M“ di ” nCo ' m ' ! ' Geo, ' 6i “
ties across the state,
Madison County’s
unemployment rate for May 2009 is significantly higher than last
May’s rate, which was 4.7 percent.
Georgia's unemployment rate for May was 9.5 percent, up from
9.0 percent in April and 5.7 percent in May 2008.
County Personnel
Cox hired as
county clerk
By Margie Richards
margie@mainstreetnews.com
Current deputy county clerk Linda Cox was hired Monday night
as the new county clerk.
The board of commissioners unanimously agreed to allow chair
man Anthony Dove to hire Cox, who has been serving as deputy
county clerk since last fall, at a starting salary of $35,000, with a pay
increase to $37,000 once she completes county clerk training. Cox
has also been serving as acting county clerk since the board fired
former long-time county clerk Morris Fortson.
Dove said part-time help from the chairman’s office and other
departments will be used to assist Cox, instead of hiring another
person.
Dove said he has been pleased with Cox's professionalism and
that though his office had interviewed several for the county clerk
position, he just could not justify hiring an additional person during
these economic times.
“We’ve tried to work within budget constraints and I didn’t feel we
could hire someone (else) and stay within budget at this time,’’ Dove
told the board, adding that he thinks his office will be able to cut its
2010 budget by $20-30,000.
Dove noted that Fortson's salary was approximately $54,000 and
that the county had also had a deputy clerk.
“Times are hard now and we’ve been asking more of county
employees, such as taking on extra duties,’’ Dove said, adding that a
goal of his has been to do more cross-training instead of hiring new
employees in an effort to keep expenses under control.
Dove said he based his offer to Cox on county clerk pay in coun
ties similar to Madison County.
BOG to hold work sessions on
sheriff’s budget, personnel policy
The Madison County Board of Commissioner will hold two work
sessions on Thursday, July 9, in the public meeting room of the
Madison County Government Complex.
The BOC will meet with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office at
4 p.m. to discuss the 2009 and 2010 budgets.
At 5 p.m., the BOC will meet to consider changes to the county
personnel policy, which will, among other things, revoke all vested
proprietary rights to employment and convert all employees, both
current and those hired in the future, to “at will” status. All interested
employees as well as interested members of the public are encour
aged to attend, and all employees who wish to speak on the changes
will be afforded the opportunity to be heard, officials said.
Property Taxes
Tax notices expected soon
All Madison County property owners will receive a property tax assess
ment notice this year. And those notices could come late this week or early
next week.
"We’re hoping for Thursday,” said Madison County chief appraiser Robin
Baker.
Madison County’s board of assessors agreed to mail notices to all property
owners, even though members voiced concern about setting the tax digest
behind schedule if everyone receives a notice.
In recent years, only property owners whose values had changed received
a notice. But assessors agreed that every property owner should have the
opportunity to review their property values annually.
Property owners have 45 days to appeal their values. If more than three
percent of Madison County’s 15,995 parcels are under appeal, the county
cannot submit its digest to the state.
The top 50 taxpayers in Madison County
Madison County will bring in a projected
$16.36 million in property taxes this year
for the county government, schools and
industrial authority.
Here are the top 50 tax bills for 2008 in
Madison County (not in order):
•Jackson Electric Membership
Corporation, $360,797
•Transcontinental Pipeline, $328,293.11
•Weyerhaeuser Company, $131,688.19
•Windstream Georgia Inc., $166,951.25
•Colonial Pipeline Co., $148,605.03
•Georgia Power Co., $138,724
•Star Home Builders Inc., $133,579
•Shopping Center Financing II, $73,
526
•Tms Joist MacMillan, $60,961
•Smith Land and Cattle Co., $13,352
•CSX Transportation, Inc., $43,852
•Ingles Markets, Inc. #450, $36,327
•Team American Vans, Inc., $15,849
•Atlanta Gas Light Co., $28,435
•Georgia Transmission Corp., $27,255
•Plantation Pipeline Co., $27,166
•Rich-Way Properties, Inc., $26,598
•John W. Byram, $25,821
•Allen David Farms, LLC, $7,842.97
•Madison Lumber Products, $5,743
•Brnsh Creek Farm LLC, $5,865
•John-John Investments, LLC, $22,846
•Dinsmore Grading, Inc., $22,026
•Merial Inc., $21,640
•Merchants and Farmers Bank, $22,248
•Engineering and Cycle Co. I, $21,615
•Geny E. Burdette, $9,884
•Troy Chandler, $9,862
•Charles C. Dinsmore, $12,453
•David M. Sailors, $15,574
•William and Mary Chandler, $6,717
•Charles Michael Alewine, $19,185
•Marlowe Madison County Farm,
$5,644
•Tim Seymour Custom Homes, $20,300
•C. Michael Alewine, $16,348
•Couch Construction Inc., $19,411
•Diane C. Saville, $7,800
•Pine Hill Farm LLC, $3,684
•Glades Woodland Farms LLC, $18,417
•Marianna M. Miller, $1,273
•Giang T Nguyen, $15,575
•Hart County EMC, $18,109
•BroadView Plastics Inc., $6,592
•Plum Creek Timberlands LP, $17,880
•Morris J. Bullock, $17,925
•Brenda B. and Gary E. Bennett, $5,750
Southern Pride Land, $17,196
Madison County Hardware, $17,619
Randy and Beth W. Daniel, $5,042
Patricia S. Glenn, $8,140
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