Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 2A —THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL THURSDAY. AUGUST 20. 2009
Harrison water line
project under way
By Margie Richards
margie@mainstreetnews.com
Construction is under way on the Harrison community
water line project.
According to industrial authority utility director Steve
Shaw, 6,000 feet of water lines has been laid and two con
nections with the city of Royston, one on Hwy. 281 and
another on Shirley Road, have been finished.
The IDA board agreed Monday night to give future
Harrison water customers a six-month grace period before
they must begin to pay the minimum bill for water service.
IDA director Marvin White said this will allow residents to
take advantage of the reduced tap and meter fee of $900 as
the line is being installed, while allowing them six months
to connect to the line. Customers will be billed for the mini
mum bill (0 - 3,000 gallons per month) once the six-month
grace period ends. If customers begin to use water before the
six-month grace period is over, they will begin to pay their
bill based on water usage at that time.
Griffin Brothers, contractor for the project, told White
they expect the Harrison lines to be complete in about six
months.
The IDA also agreed to a resolution with the city of
Royston to purchase water for $2.15 per 1,000 gallons. The
IDA will also be able to sell water to Royston at the same
price. IDA attorney Victor Johnson said the agreement is
similar to the IDA’s agreement with other towns. A similar
resolution is in the works with Franklin County.
In another matter, the IDA agreed to accept the deed to
Spratlin Pond subdivision's water system.
Spratlin Pond homeowners' association plans to purchase
their subdivision’s water system and well from a privately-
owned company on Aug. 25 and then deed it to the IDA,
which will operate it as a stand-alone system until it installs
larger lines to make it part of the county system.
In other business, the IDA agreed to pay a $6,000 fee in
order to apply for a $300,000 ARC (Appalachian Regional
Commission) grant to pave two roads at the Cooper Road
Industrial Park where Columbia Feed Mill is located.
The IDA also agreed to pay $65,900 in three yearly install
ments to the UGA Watershed Association for a watershed
assessment for the Hull Sanford Sewer System.
Madison County’s
Weaver announces
candidacy for state
senate seat
Republican Kenneth Weaver, a resident of Hull in
Madison County, has announced his candidacy in the
race to fill the seat being vacated by Senator Ralph
Hudgens in State Senate District 47.
Senate District 47 comprises all of Barrow, Oglethorpe,
Madison Counties and part of Jackson, Elbert and Clarke
Counties.
“I feel it is time for the people of this great state to
take back personal responsibility," said Weaver. "What
we need is a smaller government, to get rid of the state
income tax and move toward the Fair Tax, to get our
education system back on track and back to the top of
national rankings and lastly we need small business
reform because they are the driving force behind this
great state.”
Weaver, 31, received his criminal justice degree from
Piedmont College in Athens and is attending Liberty
University to obtain a masters in religion. He currently
works for his family business. Weaver Distributors, Inc.
that his father started in District 47 in 1983.
“I believe that working in a small family business has
given me the insight to understand the need for a fair tax
system in which everyone that partakes of the resources
Georgia has to offer should pay for those resources,” said
Weaver. “People and small businesses should not be pun
ished with higher taxes for being successful; everyone,
regardless of their income, should pay their fair share.
The Fair Tax is the only way to ensure this happens.”
Weaver said Georgia needs to “bring in and bring back
jobs that are going to help our economy thrive.” He said
the state needs to "renew our education system so that
our test scores and graduation rates are competitive with
those nationally and globally.”
“I believe that we must bring back the family dynamic,"
said Weaver. "Our values and morals should come from
the parents not the government and the responsibility for
raising and educating a child comes from the home and
not the government."
Weaver and his wife Leah live in Hull and are
expecting their first child this October. He is secretary
of the Madison County Republican Party, serves on
the board of a non-profit ministry, Reviving Hearts,
based in Oglethorpe County and volunteers with the
new Winterville Marigold Festival. The Weavers attend
Victory Baptist Church in Athens.
“In the Senate, I can serve my district with their best
interest at heart and make this a state that I am proud
to start my family in and do what is in the best for the
citizens of District 47 and the state of Georgia,” said
The Madison County
Journal is your source
for local news. Call
706-795-2567 to subscribe.
A budget snapshot
Madison County commissioners are working on the 2010 county budget. No figures are final
ized. The 2010 numbers in this chart represent requested funds for next year. And these fig
ures are subject to change as the budget-setting process continues. This is how the numbers
looked as Monday Aug. 17.
Department
2009
2010 freauested)
Difference
% chanae
General Gov’t
$672,093
$742,599
+$70,506
+10.5
Contingency
$325,000
$325,000
0
0
Governing body
$160,824
$161,409
+$585
+.004
Comm. Thomas
$1,830
$1,730
-$100
-5
Comm. Pethel
$2,010
$1,910
-$100
-5
Comm. Youngblood
$1,960
$1,860
-$100
-5
Comm. Bond
$3,910
$2,960
-$950
-24.3
Comm. Scogin
$1,800
$1,710
-$90
-5
Chairman Dove
$6,000
$5,700
-$300
-5
Ch’man/clerk/pers.
$237,231
$203,899
-$33,332
-14.1
Financial admin.
$185,106
$180,430
-$4,676
-2.5
Information tech.
$240,552
$211,269
-$29,283
-12.2
*Elections admin.
$15,275
$78,027
+$62,752
+411
Registrar’s office
$78,637
$83,739
+$5,102
+6.5
Tax commissioner
$314,197
$284,266
-$29,931
-9.5
Tax assessor
$303,028
$314,399
+$11,371
+3.8
Buildings/grounds
$162,331
$145,978
-$16,353
-10.1
Superior Court
$277,516
$244,560
-$32,956
-11.9
Clerk/Superior Ct.
$339,897
$336,615
-$3,282
-1
District Attorney
$35,320
$34,572
-$748
-2
Magistrate Court
$204,966
$198,697
-$6,269
-3
Probate Court
$222,100
$217,501
-$4,599
-2
Juvenile Court
$21,266
$18,023
-$3,243
-15.2
Sheriff
$1,578,274
$2,304,243
+$725,969
+46
Jail
$1,267,238
$1,595,828
+$328,590
+25.9
C.H.A.M.P.S.
$59,118
$57,654
-$1,464
-2.5
EMS
$1,713,387
$1,659,281
-$54,106
-3
EMA
$714,651
$714,651
0
0
Coroner
$32,900
$32,200
-$700
-2
E-911
$858,732
$800,391
-$58,341
-6.8
Animal Shelter
$78,000
$78,000
0
0
Vehicles
$614,350
$562,450
-$51,900
-8.4
Road Dept.
$1,113,834
$1,126,715
+$12,881
+1
Solid waste
$581,353
$531,458
-$49,895
-8.6
Solid waste recycling
$38,350
$30,550
-$7,800
-20.3
Keep MC Beautiful
$9,850
$7,040
-$2,810
-28.5
Health Dept.
$168,684
$168,534
-$150
-.001
Mental Health
$16,480
$44,317
+27,837
+169
DFCS
$29,000
$33,500
+$4,500
+15.5
Senior Center
$270,691
$270,605
-$86
-.0003
MC BOE
$31,802
$32,902
-$1,100
-3.5
Extension office
$16,451
$17,721
+$1,270
+7.7
Recreation
$594,894
$552,967
-$41,927
-7
Library
$173,995
$174,775
+$780
+.004
Forest resources
$4,453
$4,453
0
0
Building inspection
$166,052
$143,982
-$22,070
-13.3
P&Z commission
$17,030
$16,491
-$539
-3.2
P&Z admin.
$100,640
$89,287
-$11,353
-11.3
**Code enforcement
$117,256
$105,899
-$11,357
-9.7
2009 total budget: $14,191,063
2010 requested budget: $14,957,249
2010 projected revenues: $13,000,000
*The elections budget will increase dramatically because numerous elections will be held next year.
**The code enforcement office submitted a second option for the 2010 at $93,563.
Budget .cont’dfrom 1A
station, recreation depart
ment, probate court, regis
trar's office, coroner, plan
ning and zoning and build
ing inspections.
Those departments have
all trimmed their budgets for
next year, with the exception
of the registrar's office. And
the increase in that office is
due to the numerous elec
tions coming up in 2010.
Commissioners were
scheduled to meet with
Sheriff Kip Thomas
Thursday to discuss his bud
get requests, but he post
poned that meeting until
Tuesday. He then postponed
the Tuesday meeting. BOC
Chairman Anthony Dove
told commissioners Tuesday
that Thomas has requested a
meeting on Sept. 2. And the
board agreed to meet with
him at 4 p.m. on that day.
Thomas has requested an
increase of $1,054,559 for
the sheriff’s department and
jail. The county's requested
budget of $14.9 million for
next year is $800,000 more
than the 2009 county budget
of $14.1 million.
While the BOC's negotia
tions with the sheriff over his
budget will play a key role in
determining the 2010 bud
get, the county will still face
a shortfall even if the board
grants him no increase.
If the board keeps the
sheriff’s department and
jail budgets at 2009 levels,
awarding no increases in
2010, it will trim $1 million,
leaving $13.9 million in
requested funds for county
government operations. That
is still $900,000 more than
the anticipated $13 million
in revenues next year.
City of Danielsville
QUALIFYING NOTICE
For The November 2009 Election
The City of Danielsville will hold a Municipal
Election on Tuesday, November 3, 2009. The
following offices are scheduled for election:
The following seats are up for election, each with
terms from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2011:
Mayor - Incumbent: Walter Glenn Cross
Council Member - Seat 1 - Incumbent: Philip Croya
Council Member - Seat 1 - Incumbent: Barbara Dove
Qualifying will begin Monday, August 31, 2009 and
end on Friday, September 4, 2009 between the hours
of 8:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Those wishing to qualify
may do so during this time period at Danielsville
City Hall. Qualifying fee for Mayor is $82.19; for
Council Members $56.41.
The State of Georgia Municipal Election Code sets
the mandatory qualifying dates, times, and fees. The
deadline to register to vote in the November 2009
election is October 5, 2009. You may register to vote
at the Madison County Registrar’s office in the
Madison County Government Complex in
Danielsville or pick up a registration form at
Danielsville City Hall.
Oil Change
$i 495*
plus tax and environmental fees
6 quarts of oil ^Excludes Diesels And Specialty Vehicles
\)^ayne~Neol
ChewmOet
Hwy. 441 in Commerce
706-335-3196
800-798-7435
www.wayneneal.com
SERVICE HOURS:
M-F 7:30-6:00 • Sat. 8:00-4:00