Newspaper Page Text
THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. JULY 23, 2009 — PAGE 3A
NOW
$37,999
CLOSEOUT
SALE
$17,999
(Attachments sold separately)
5045D Utility Tractor
Featuring a 45HP engine and 8F/4R SyncReverser"
transmission, the 5045D comes standard with power
steering, 3-point hitch and 540rpm rear PTO.
5103 MFWD Utility Tractor
The mechanical front-wheel drive (MFWD). 45HP 5103
offers a PowerTech 1 " diesel engine and hydrostatic
power steering, plus standard independent 540 rpm
rear PTO.
John Deere quality. GreenSouth selection.
2740 ATLANTA HIGHWAY(706) 354-0037
10963 GEORGIA HIGHWAY 106(706) 384-5555
2173 WINDER HIGHWAY (678) 376-3240
1350 STE D LIONS CLUB ROAD(706) 342-2332
1705 MONTAGUE AVENUE(864) 223-4800
5046 HIGHWAY 29 NORTH (864) 847-8400
ATHENS. GA
CARNESVILLE, GA.
GreenSouth
GREENWOOD. SC
Equipment, Inc,
GreenSouth.com
STORE HOURS: M-F: 7:30am - 6:00pm • Sat: 7:30am - 4:00pm • Sun: Closed
•Offer ends 8/31/09, Prices and model avadabijity may vary by dealer Some restrictions apply, other special rates and terms may be available, so see your dealer lor details and other (inano
at parttcnalmg dealers •'Offer ends 8/31/2009 Some restnctnns apply, other special rates and terms may be available so see your dealer tor details and other trancing options Subjei
on John Deere Credit Installment Plan John Deere's green and ye«ow color scheme, the leapng deer symbol and JOHN DEERE are trademarVsot Deere & Company aggse
John Deere
Madison County assessors wait on
word from judge, continue to meet
By Zach Mitcham
zach@mainstreetnews.com
Madison County Board of
Assessor (BOA) members
are waiting on word from
Judge John Bailey on wheth
er he believes the assessors
should have been terminated
from their posts by county
commissioners.
The board of commission
ers voted to fire the four asses
sor board members in April,
but the BOA has not gone
quietly, taking the matter to a
Superior Court judge.
Bailey heard arguments
from both sides July 8. The
BOC contended that the
assessor board showed a pat
tern of incompetence, dis
playing an inability to work
together to complete a county
digest on time or recommend
a chief appraiser in a timely
manner. On the flip side,
the assessors argued that the
BOC has gotten in their way
at every turn, keeping the
BOA from accomplishing its
goals.
BOC attorney Mike Pruett
said state law does not give
a judge the authority to make
a binding decision regarding
the assessor board’s termina
tion. Instead, he is supposed
to make a recommendation,
Pruett said.
And Judge Bailey appeared
to back up that contention on
July 8 when he corrected the
BOA attorney who referred
to the judge's upcoming
“ruling.” Bailey said he will
make a “recommendation”
on the matter.
There was no word from
the judge as of press time this
week. Meanwhile, the BOA
continues to meet.
The assessors did not dis
cuss their ongoing termina
tion battle during an hour-
long meeting Thursday eve
ning. Instead, they turned
their attention to more rou
tine matters.
For instance, they dis
cussed policies on review
ing assessment appeals. New
chief appraiser Robin Baker
suggested that assessors for
ward appeals directly to the
board of equalization in cases
in which the appraiser staff
stands by the value. He noted
that in sending out assessment
notices, the BOA has already
given its approval of values
to properties. If the appraisal
staff receives an appeal from
a property owner and doesn’t
recommend a change in
those values, could the staff
forward the appeal directly
to the board of equalization,
which is set up to review
those appeals? Or, should
BOA members review the
numbers again prior to the
board of equalization?
Baker said sending the
appeals directly to the board
of equalization will speed
up the appeals process. But
BOA members were split,
2-2, on the matter. Jim Escoe
and Samantha Garland voted
in favor of Baker's sugges
tion, while Larry Stewart
and BOA chairman David
Ragland voted “no.” Stewart
said the board is abdicating
its authority in not reviewing
the appeals.
“I think that’s a function of
this board,” said Stewart.
Ragland said he may still
consider voting for Baker’s
recommendation.
“Let’s revisit this at the next
meeting,” said Ragland. “I’m
almost inclined to vote yes,
but I also want to see some
code on it.”
Madison County property
owners have until Aug. 17
to appeal their property val
ues. Assessor board members
also asked Baker Thursday
for a total number of appeals
received. The chief appraiser
said he didn’t have a specific
number, but he estimated that
appeals have been filed on
roughly one percent of all
properties.
The state government will
not accept the county’s digest
— overall property value —
with more than three percent
of properties under appeal.
Baker recently urged the
BOA to send assessment
notices only to property
owners whose values had
changed. He said this would
improve the likelihood of the
county getting its tax bills
out on time this year. He also
noted that the state froze all
inflationary value increases
this year.
But the assessors agreed to
send notices to all property
owners, with BOA member
Jim Escoe being the most
adamant proponent of the
move. He said all property
owners deserve the opportu
nity to review their property
values every year.
Graham to run for state Senate seat
Braselton Mayor Pat
Graham won’t run for re-
election this fall and instead
seek the Georgia State Senate
seat currently held by Sen.
Ralph Hudgens. Hudgens
will be running for Georgia
Insurance Commissioner,
thus opening up the Senate
District 47 seat.
Graham, a Republican, said
her campaign would be based
on “conservative principles.”
“Over the last eight years,
we have relied on conserva
tive principles and worked to
transform Braselton into a rec
ognized City of Excellence,”
she said. “We have never
raised taxes and yet the city
is in solid financial shape.
I’ll rely on those same con
servative principles and man
agement experience to help
prevent any tax increase and
make state government more
efficient.”
Graham has had a high-
profile in the state while serv
ing as Braselton's mayor and
was profiled in a Georgia
Trend magazine cover story
this year.
She serves on the State
Water Council as a mem
ber of the Upper Oconee
Board. Her peers across
Georgia have recognized her
by electing her to the Board
of Directors of the Georgia
Municipal Association and
she also serves as Chair of
the Municipal Government
Legislative Policy Committee
for GMA.
Graham also repre
sents the cities of Barrow
County on the Board of
the Northeast Georgia
Regional Development
Center and she serves on the
Boards of Directors for the
Jackson County Chamber
of Commerce and the
Barrow County Chamber of
Commerce.
District 47 is made up of
all of Madison, Barrow and
Oglethorpe counties, as well
as a large part of Jackson
County and smaller areas of
Elbert and Clarke counties.
School system
loses state grants
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
Madison County school
leaders will have to rework
their already-approved
budget after receiving
word that the state is cut
ting its education grants.
That could mean between
$90,000-$100,000 lost by
Madison County Schools
for 2009-2010.
“Which puts us in a
bind, of course, because
we’ve already set our
budget,” Superintendent
Mitch McGhee said at last
week’s school board meet
ing.
McGhee will return to
the board of education with
an amended 2009-2010
budget as the system will
attempt to make up for
the lost money — or at
least as much as it can —
through local funds.
“In order to make these
things up locally, we are
going to have to have
an amended budget,”
McGhee said.
Lost grants for special
education and agriculture
total about $53,000. The
system, however, doesn’t
have specific dollar fig
ures for the other lost
grants yet.
McGhee said the cutting
of grants is related directly
to loss of revenue at the
state level.
While the school board
looks to make up for
the difference this year,
2010-2011 might be a dif
ferent story.
“If they (state leaders)
continue to cut the state
grants to us next year,
we’re really not going to
have a choice but to cut,”
he said. “We’re not going
to be able to fund all those
locally.”
PERSONNEL
The Madison County
Board of Education (BOE)
approved the following
personnel items at its July
14 meeting:
•Comer Elementary -
reduced custodian Inez
Hitchcock’s daily hours
from six to four.
•Danielsville Elementary
- accepted the resignation
of food services worker
Sharon Carey, approved
maternity leave for teach
er Terri Thorton, approved
Kara Parten Fulgum as a
long-term substitute and
hired Joy English as a
food services worker.
•Ila Elementary -
approved Cindy South as
a long-term substitute.
•Madison County Middle
School - hired Angie
Kimsey as a secretary.
•Madison County High
School - hired Brent Bird
as a special education
teacher (pending certifi
cation), approved leave
for teacher Jason Taylor,
approved Lillian Chandler
as a long-term substitute,
released teacher Stanley
Pruett from his contract
and hired Mark Cronic as
a teacher (pending certifi
cation).
•System - reduced cus
todian Judy Childs’ daily
hours from eight to four
and hired Jimmy Childs
as a custodian (four hours
daily).
GreenSouth put real
power in my hands.
My John Deere is the 5101E Limited Utility Tractor
With a 12F/12R FowrReverser"’ transmission that's ideal for
heavy applications, the mighty John Deere 5101E Limited
Utility Tractor serves up 101 HP via its PowerTecfT 4-cylnder
turbocharged diesel engine, making it one high-torque,
low-emission machine And the standard dimate-controBed
cabs deliver on comfort and performance. Strang yet flexible,
the 5101E can adapt to a wide vanety of implements with a
category 2/1 three-point hitch Thanks, GreenSouth, for giving
me the power to get more done 1
That’s my John Deere. What’s Yours?
^1
GEORGIA METALS
Fabricators of Metal Roofing, Siding,
and Steel Building Components
Offerings wide variety of profiles
and colors for residential
as well as agricultural purposes.
ALL Our Paints
Now Meet
ENERGY STAR
Standards!
Shingles prices are
UP
but
Metal prices are
DOWN
WE MANUFACTURE!
706-795-3144
539 General Daniel Ave. N. • Danielsville, Ga.
(just past redlight)