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www.MadisonJournalTODAY.com JULY 16, 2009 Merged with The Comer News and The Danielsville Monitor, 2006 Vol. 24 No. 28 • Publication No. 1074-987 • Danielsville, Madison County, Georgia 30633 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers Inc. • 28 Pages, 2 Sections Plus Supplements EDUCATION Ha Elem. tops in CRCT By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews.com ROADS Hwy. 29 revisited DOT to talk widening, bypass July 30 Ila Elementary School Gators might be doing the “Gator chomp” after this year's CRCT results. The school boasted the best CRCT numbers of the five Madison County ele mentary schools with a 90 percent passage rate in 16 different categories. Ila also tallied a 100 percent passage rate in two areas — second grade reading and first grade math. The state released school- by-school CRCT results July 7. “We're just excited,” prin cipal Lynne Jeffers said. Jeffers noted several fac tors in Ila’s success: the work of math, language arts and reading coaches; a math grant through RESA; and EIP teachers' early-morning work with “bubble area” kids in Ila's “Gator-aid” pro gram. — See‘CRCT on 2A TAXES Tax assessor chairman hasn’t paid ‘08 taxes — Records for all Madison County prop erties AVAILABLE AT MADISON. PAYTAXES .NET By Zach Mitcham zach@mainstreetnews.com The man leading the local tax assessment board hasn't paid his taxes for 2008, according to a county govern ment website. According to madison. paytaxes.net, which includes records for all Madison County property owners, BOA chair man David Ragland owes a total of $1,706.82 in taxes for four pieces of property. The four Brickyard Road proper- — See “Taxes’ on 2A INSIDE Index: News — 1-3A Opinions — 4-5A Crime — 6A Obituaries — 8-9A Socials — 10-12A Sports— 1-2B Churches — 3B Schools — 6B Legate— 1-9C Classifieds — 10-12C Contact: Phone: 706-795-2567 Fax: 706-795-2765 Mail: P.O. Box 658, Danielsville, GA, 30633 Web: MadisonJoumalTODAY. com By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews.com The long-discussed widening of Hwy. 29 in Madison County will again come before the public. The DOT is taking input July 30 at Madison County High School on its proposal to widen 10.8 miles of Hwy. 29 — including a 6.5-mile bypass of Danielsville on the western edge. Including right-of-way purchases, the project would cost $126 million. “We’re talking over 10 miles of four- lane divided highway here,” Georgia DOT spokesperson Teri Pope said. The open house is scheduled for 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the MCHS cafeteria. Georgia DOT engineers will be avail able to discuss the proposed project, but no formal presentation is planned. The project is divided into two phas es, but Pope said that both are consid ered “long-range.” Neither has funding attached. “Both projects don't have money or years allocated to them,” Pope said. The Hwy. 29 widening in Madison County would start where the four-lane section now ends — near the intersec tion of Fortson Store Road — and extend north of Danielsville to the intersection of Wildcat Bridge Road. — See “Hwy. 29’ on 2A The state Department of Transportation’s proposed Hwy. 29 project includes a 6.5-mile bypass of Danielsville. Ben Munro/Staff LAW ENFORCEMENT Footing the bill for Public Safety Sheriff, BOC discuss $195,000 salary deficit; $950,000 increase requested in 2010 budget By Zach Mitcham zach@mainstreetnews.com he blue lights can't glow without the green — the money. But how exactly will Madison County fund its law enforcement needs over the next year as revenues dwindle? County commissioners have asked all constitu tional officers and department heads to shave five percent off of their 2010 budgets. But even that probably won’t be enough, as revenues are projected to drop eight to 10 percent next year. Sheriff Kip Thomas has requested an increase of $950,000 in his budget for next year. But the BOC and sheriff have yet to tackle that issue. Instead, they have a 2009 matter to iron out first. According to county records, the sheriff’s depart ment is $195,748 over budget in 2009 on salaries — $137,945 for the sheriff's department and $57,803 for the jail. While the sheriff’s department is over budget, the county government as a whole is slightly under budget — $13,439 — on salaries for 2009, with 16 out of 28 departments in the government currently using less funds for personnel than anticipated. The road department shows the biggest drop, coming in $98,985 under budget, with EMS following at $35,795. Exactly why the sheriff's department is over bud get for 2009 was the subject of considerable discus sion last Thursday, but the BOC never came to any firm resolution, ultimately agreeing that the matter needed more research. But Commissioner Mike Youngblood suggested Thursday that the problems appear to stem from fail ures by former BOC finance employees to account for funding changes. “Numbers were put in front of us and we had enough confidence and trust in the people who put them in front of us that they were right,” said Youngblood. “Evidently they weren’t, cause those people are gone. I think whatever we have to do to straighten it out, the board will. Public safety is number one.” The group did not discuss the broader question — what next? How will the county cover the shortfall? That matter will be addressed at a later date, though no meetings have been set. Sheriff Thomas raised the funding issue with com missioners Thursday, saying that the salary deficit was an inherited budgeting problem, something car- — See “Public safety’ on 2A ASSESSMENTS Appeal period runs through August 17 By Zach Mitcham zach@mainstreetnews.com Madison Countians unsatisfied with how their property is valued have until Aug. 17 to appeal their assessments. Tax assessment notices were mailed July 2 to all property owners in Madison County. They have 45 days to appeal their values. Chief appraiser Robin Baker said Tuesday that he doesn't have a tally on how many appeals have been filed so far. “It's not looking too bad,” said Baker. “But we usually don’t tally them until we get close to the end of the 45 days.” Baker and other officials hope that appeals will be filed on fewer than three percent of all county proper ties. The state won’t accept the county's digest — over all property value — with more than three percent of properties under appeal. The chief appraiser said he expects tax 2009 bills can be mailed this year if the county doesn’t cross the three percent threshold. COUNTY GOV’T Part-time help considered for gov’t complex security By Zach Mitcham zach@mainstreetnews.com Madison County com missioners will interview people interested in work ing the metal detectors at the county government complex. Deputies have been sta tioned at front and back doors at the county gov ernment complex, but the sheriff’s department does not have the funding to — See ‘Security’ on 2A