Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2A —THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. JULY 16. 2009
Public safety .cont’dfrom 1A
CHCTwnecard
lied over from 2008. He passed out a timeline of events, say
ing that as of Jan. 1 this year, when he took over office, his
department was already $181,736 over budget on salaries.
According to county records at the BOC office, the sheriff’s
department was over budget in 2008 by $156,990, but the jail
was under budget by $44,008, leaving an overall year-end
deficit of $112,982 for the sheriff’s department and jail.
Thomas suggested that the 2009 budgeting problems origi
nated when the BOC approved raises for deputies back in
February 2008, adding that no budget amendment was made
to account for those raises in the 2009 budget.
Former Sheriff Clayton Lowe requested $1,087,000 for
department salaries for 2009, but the BOC decided to keep the
line item for department salaries steady at $950,554.
Thomas suggested that the difference in requested versus
approved funds showed that the raises approved by the BOC
in February last year were not accounted for in the 2009
budget.
While the commissioners kept wages steady in 2009, the
board did approve an increase in sheriff’s department salaries,
from $827,769 to $950,554, between 2007 and 2008.
The boaixl had agreed to implement raises suggested in a
wage study by the Carl Vinson Institute — not just for sher
iff’s employees, but other county workers, too. The overall
increase in county wages was expected to cost $360,000 and
occur in two phases.
But last February, deputies appealed before the commis
sioners, noting that the raises had, in effect, reduced their pay,
since the raises had been based on 80-hour pay periods, rather
than 84-hour periods that they actually work.
The board agreed to adjust the deputies’ pay to account
for the mistake. No specific numbers were given at the Feb.
20, 2008, meeting for the cost of the adjustment, but former
county personnel coordinator Connie Riley noted at that meet
ing that the cost of the increases could be covered with funds
from unfilled deputies’ positions.
Commission chairman Anthony Dove said it doesn’t appear
that those positions were filled. He said Friday that he is
unsure how the salary discrepancies appeared in this year’s
sheriff’s department budget. Dove said he is trying to review
all the numbers and he showed reluctance to assign blame at
this point.
“From what I can determine, the raise in 2008 was supposed
to be absorbed in last year’s budget," said Dove. “It has yet to
be determined why it hasn’t been for last year or this year."
PROPOSED 2010 BUDGET
While the 2009 salary shortfall will certainly be a source of
upcoming budget discussions, the BOC must also determine
what to do with the sheriff’s budget in 2010. The group did
not discuss next year’s budget at Thursday’s meeting.
But Thomas has requested a total increase of $952,841, with
a boost of $624,013 —up from $1.5 to $2.2 million — for the
sheriff’s department and an increase of $328,828 for the jail
— up from $1.3 million to $1.6 million.
Thomas is requesting four new positions in the sheriff’s
department, with the proposed salary line item for law
enforcement increasing from $950,554 to $1,262,206. He
is also requesting an additional $39,000 in overtime for the
department an extra $30,000 for radar devices and cameras.
Thomas also has included $312,000 for “capital outlay” in the
sheriff’s department budget for patrol cars.
The sheriff has requested six new detention officer positions,
with the jail staff budget potentially increasing by $234,291,
along with an additional $15,000 requested for overtime.
Thomas has also requested an increase of $20,000 for housing
prisoners out of the county.
No dates have been set for BOC hearings on the 2010 bud
get.
Taxes .cont’dfrom 1A
ties in Comer are in conservation use, including parcels of 11.86,
13.55, 29.82 and 1.34 acres.
Ragland is currently fighting his termination as a BOA member.
The county commissioners voted in April to remove Ragland and
three other assessor board members.
Contacted Monday, Ragland had no comment on his tax situa
tion.
Bills for 2008 property taxes were due March 24.
The Journal reviewed property records for the county assessors,
county commissioners, school board, industrial authority, constitu
tional officers and city councils. The review was done to see if local
officials are paying their taxes in a timely manner.
Two members of the county industrial authority, who are both in
the real etate business, were listed on the county website this week
as delinquent for 2008. But after being contacted about listings of
over $14,000 in taxes Monday, Gerry Burdette had his taxes paid in
full by Tuesday morning.
Bruce Azevedo, who has five taxed properties in the county, paid
$1,687 on Feb. 16 for one tract. But he is listed as owing a total of
$9,719 on the remaining four tracts.
“I’m going to have mine paid by the end of the month,” said
Azevedo.
Two city officials were listed on the website as owing a total of
$8.84 in taxes, but tax commissioner Louise Watson said that listing
was a mistake and no money was owed.
Watson said the county has collected 89.68 percent of taxes for
2008, leaving $1,698,456 to be paid. The county has collected 95.91
percent of taxes billed for 2007.
Community
V.B.S.
July 27 - 29
“Camp Edge”
9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m
Ages: 4-year-olds
through 5th Grade
upBiwee w (jafitienjurtre
DANIELSVILLE UNITED
METHODIST CHURCH
706-795-3442 V
School
Improved
Did'
Mine No dag
e
Da
lb
6
0
16
Ccxner
11
8
2
14
Colbert
11
10
0
3
DpiDc
9
12
0
3
TTiJLSan
5
15
1
2
middleadiiid
MiTTUS
9
4
0
4
total
Systen
60
55
3
42
CRCT ..cont’dfrom 1A
“The kids do better if you
get them first thing in the
morning,” Jeffers said.
As a result, Ila improved in
15 of 21 categories over last
year, enjoying its biggest
gains in fifth grade math.
That grade level improved
38 percentage points over
2008 to a 96.9 passage rate.
Only 58.3 of Ila fifth grad
ers passed the test last year.
Also helping matters is
that discipline incidents are
down by 40 percent, accord
ing to Jeffers. She said that’s
largely due to a Positive
Behavior and Intervention
Supports (PBIS) program
where students are “more
positively reinforced.”
“They’re wanting to be
rewarded,” Jeffers said.
Comer Elementary wasn’t
far behind Ha's success,
posting a 90 percent pas
sage rate in 14 categories.
Comer also improved in
11 areas, and was perfect in
two — second grade read
ing and second grade lan
guage arts.
Madison County Middle
School enjoyed a stronger
CRCT scorecard over 2008,
improving in nine of out 13
puHng 100%
a
a
o
o
0
0
4
areas.
That includes a passage
rate of 90 percent or more in
four categories. The middle
school managed that just
once last year (sixth grade
reading).
Overall, the Madison
County School System
improved in 60 areas, did
worse in 55 and remained
the same in four.
Security .cont’dfrom 1A
have three deputies on staff
to cover the courthouse
security shifts.
Instead, the county is now
considering having one dep
uty on staff in the courthouse
and hiring four part-time
people at minimum wage to
man the metal detectors.
Commissioners agreed last
week to begin interviewing
people for those part-time
positions. Eight people had
applied for the jobs as of last
week.
Commission chairman
Anthony Dove said that he
didn’t want to see the back
door closed, noting that the
public needs easy access to
the north side of the build
ing.
But Sheriff Kip Thomas
said he can’t afford to put a
deputy at both doors. Under
the proposed arrangement.
Sergeant Willy Wilbanks will
patrol the complex, while
the part-time employees will
work the metal detectors.
The BOC discussed pos
sible uniforms for the
employees, agreeing that the
county should purchase two,
perhaps three shirts, for the
workers, while asking them
to wear khaki pants.
The commissioners called
a meeting Wednesday to
discuss the matter again.
Agenda items for the meet
ing included: consider creat
ing positions for courthouse
security, consider budget
amendment for created posi
tions and consider hiring
candidates for courthouse
security.
The first segment, a 4.3 -mile
four-lane widening from the
intersection of Fortson Store
Road to Diamond Hill, will
follow the existing roadway,
but construction will “cor
rect geometry” on the hilly,
windy road along the way.
“What we’re going to do
is flatten out the hill and
straighten out the curve,”
Pope said.
That would change the
highway significantly in
some spots — up to 1,000
feet from the existing road
way — Pope said.
“So we want folks who live
along this section of Hwy. 29
to please come look at it and
see where the proposal is,”
Pope said.
The second phase is a
6.5-mile, four-lane bypass of
Danielsville on the western
edge, feeding back into Hwy.
29 at Irwin Kirk Road.
“This project will improve
Hwy. 29
the traffic flow through the
area by creating additional
lanes for vehicles and build
ing the Danielsville bypass
around the western side of
town,” DOT District Engineer
Russell McMurry said in a
press release. “Please come
see the plans and let us know
what you think.”
The first portion of the wid
ening project would require
125 parcels of land, totaling
$27.4 million in right-of-way
costs. Construction will cost
$20.6 million.
Construction of the bypass
will cost $55.4 million.
Seventy-five parcels of land
are required, costing the
DOT $22.6 million.
The proposed widening
will also provide 12-foot
travel lanes in each direc
tion, separated by a 32-foot,
grassed median. Plans include
10-foot outside shoulders.
Those unable to attend the
.cont’dfrom 1A
public hearing can view the
plans and leave comments on
the Georgia DOT website at
dot.ga.gov. Click on “infor
mation center,” then “pub
lic outreach,” and “Madison
County.”
Citizens may also mail
comments to Glenn Bowman,
Georgia DOT, 3993 Aviation
Circle, Atlanta, Ga., 30336.
Comments, which must be
received by Aug. 13, will be
considered in the final proj
ect design.
HWY. 72 WIDENING
COULD RESUME IN
2012
The widening of a 2.6-mile
stretch of Hwy. 72 from the
intersection from Hwy. 172
to western edge of Comer is
proposed for 2012, according
to Pope.
“Again, that is proposed
and could change depending
on our funding situation,” she
said.
The construction cost of
this phase is $13.2 million,
and the DOT must buy $3.6
million worth of right of
way.
Those purchases have been
suspended, however, due to
a “value engineering study”
that must be done on the
project, Pope said. The DOT
has bought just eight of 50
parcels needed for this leg of
the project.
No money is attached to
the project now, but the plan
is to have that funding by
2012.
There’s no timeline for the
next phase of the project, a
9.3-mile stretch to the Elbert
County line — including a
four-lane bypass of Comer
and Carlton — costing $49.9
million.
Pope says the DOT has
bought 23 of 29 right of way
parcels needed for that leg of
the project.
County building inspection permits down in 2009
The number of permits
issued by the Madison County
Building Inspection Department
was down significantly in the
first half of 2009.
The department issued 220
permits through June, bringing
in $39,309 in fees, putting the
department on pace to issue 440
permits and collect $78,600 in
fees.
Last year, the county issued
501 permits and collected
$108,148 in fees. But those
numbers were also down from
the previous two years. The
county issued 662 permits in
2006 and 640 in 2007, drawing
$174,399 and $159,121 in fees
respectively.
While permits are down this
year, the county saw its high
est monthly total in June at 50,
with its lowest of 24 coming in
January.
“These numbers are still way
off from previous years but any
increase is a positive," said Eddie
Pritchett, building inspection
director for Madison County.
/ \
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
Failure To Adequately Sample
For Total Coliform
Water System Name:
County:
Date of Release:
Contact Person:
Phone:
Mailing Address:
City:
State:
Danielsville
Madison
7/16/2009
Jerry Riley
(706)202-7093
P. O. Box 339
Danielsville
Georgia Zip: 30633
Violation: The Danielsville water system failed to
collect and/or report any of the required samples for
microbiological (Coliform) quality analysis during the
compliance period 5/1/2009 to 5/13/2009.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Rules
for Safe Drinking Water establish the minimum number
of drinking water samples to be analyzed by each public
water system. The public has no assurance of safe
drinking water when the supplier fails to monitor the
drinking water quality. This violation does not pose a
threat to the quality of the water supplied. Residents
should not be alarmed and do not need to seek
alternative water supplies. The supplier is taking
corrective actions to insure that an adequate sampling
program will be maintained.
Any questions should be directed to the contact
person listed above.
V
Regular $128 Program
W Call for appointment
4m today!
Donation * Offer good through 8/15/09.
BULLDOG
CHIROPRACTIC
School Supply Drive
How much will it cost?
We are often asked, “What’s the best way of finding out whether
or not a doctor of chiropractic can help my problem?”
We believe the answer can be found in a complete chiropractic
examination, including X-rays.
And to help find out for sure, we will do a complete consultation
and examination, including X-rays, if necessary, (procedures that
normally cost $128 or more) for $25 worth of school supplies.
We will make this special program available for the next 30 days.
30346 Hwy 441 S. • Commerce, GA 30530
BulldogHealthCenter.com
*Due to insurance regulations, Medicare and some other
insurances may be excluded from this offer.
706-335-2225