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THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL THURSDAY. AUGUST 20. 2009 — PAGE 3A 635 assessment appeals filed in Madison County By Zach Mitcham zach@mainstreetnews.com Six hundred and thirty five Madison County property owners have appealed the assessed value of their property. But exactly how the appeal fig ures will affect the county tax timetable remained uncertain as of press time Wednesday. County officials are hoping to get 2009 tax bills out to prop erty owners this year. The appeal count is a crucial factor in meet ing that timetable. Officials have stated that if more than three percent — or 480 — of Madison County properties are under appeal, then the county cannot submit its tax digest — or over all property value — to the state government. The 635 appeals filed this year represents four percent of Madison County properties. If the three-percent threshold is required, then the county must whittle its total appeals below 480 before it can submit its digest — overall property value — to the state. However, chief appraiser Robin Baker has contacted the Department of Revenue to ask for clarification on whether the county must meet a three-percent or five-percent threshold. If the DOR says the five-percent thresh old is OK, then county taxpayers will most likely see their tax bills this year. If they say “no,” then they can expect their 2009 tax bills to come in 2010. Baker had not heard from the DOR as of press time. In related news, the chief appraiser said Wednesday that the new assessors had scheduled a meeting late that afternoon to name a chairman and to deter mine regular meeting dates for the board of assessors. The previ ous board met on the first and third Thursdays of the month at 6 p.m. Teens, parents, utilizing services of ‘Teen Matters’ By Margie Richards margie@mainstreetnews.com Madison County teenagers, many accompanied by their par ents, have been visiting the new Teen Matters clinic and counsel ing center in Danielsville and uti lizing its services, so much so that the health department will soon extend its operating hours. Madison County Health Department’s public health nurse Pam Smith told board of health members that the teen clinic has been a “huge success” and has had high numbers, even during the summer break. “The clinic is averaging 10 cli ents per day and many are com ing in for family planning,” Smith said, adding that she is pleased to see that quite a few parents are coming in with their children. Beginning Tuesday, Sept. 8, Teen Matters will be open Monday through Thursday from 1 to 6:30 p.m. RN Sonya Willard has also been hired to help out at the clinic and at the health department. “This means that most days there will be two nurses on duty at teen clinic,” Smith said. Teen Matters is located on Sam Groves Street in Danielsville. The next board of health meet ing is scheduled for Nov. 12 at 2 p.m. at the health department on Hwy. 98 West. Hull leaders hope to award paving contract in September By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews.com Hull city leaders will delay awarding contracts for three road projects until they re bid the jobs with a uniform set of specifications. The city hopes to approve bids at its September council meeting. Using SPLOST money, Hull plans to repave a pair of dead-end roads off Hwy. 72 — Yarbrough and Cornelia — which are deteriorating. “We need to address the problem now before it becomes a gully, wash-out type thing,” Mayor Paul Elkins said. Hull also wants to install speed breaks on Pope Miller Road, which the council says is a popular route for speed ers. The city has already col lected some bids on these projects, but the specifica tions for the jobs weren't all the same, so the council opted to re-bid. Councilman Wayne Melton said he's found one company that will accept material costs as a down payment and then finance the remaining bal ance at zero percent interest. The city would then make monthly payments out of its SPLOST fund until the work is paid off. Melton said Hull should consider asking all compa nies during the re-bidding process if they can offer a comparable deal. As for the speed break ers on Pope Miller Road, Melton noted that they must meet certain specifications to be eligible for future county repaving. The coun cilman pointed to speed breaks on Madison Street in Danielsville near Madison County High School as an example of county-standard speed breaks. He added that he's heard positive feedback regarding this project from residents on Pope Miller who feel endan gered by excessive speeders. “Every one of them is — See ‘Hull’ on 7A Qualifying for municipal elections ahead A number of municipal posts will be up for grabs in November in Madison County. Qualifying for those elections will begin Aug. 31. Here is a brief look at the county’s municipal elections: Colbert Three positions at the Colbert City Council table will be up for grabs Nov. 3. They are the mayor’s post, held by John Waggoner, and council seats cur rently held by Chris Peck and Roger Fortson. All offices are two-year terms begin ning in Jan. 1, 2010, and ending Dec. 31,2011. Those wishing to qualify for this election should file a notice of can didacy in the Colbert City Hall, 23 South 4 th Street, Colbert, with the elec tion superintendent between Aug. 31 and Sept. 2, between 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. The qualifying fee for the mayor is $111.20 and $45.20 for council seats. The deadline for voter registration for the November election is Oct. 5. Early voting will begin Oct. 13 and Oct. 30 during normal city hall busi ness hours and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on election day. Hull Elections will be held for two posi tions on the Hull City Council Nov. 3. Those posts include the mayor’s seat. held by Paul Elkins, and a council seat held by Paul Cook. Both offices carry four-year terms, which will run from Jan. 1, 2010, to Dec. 31, 2013. Those wishing to qualify for this election should file a notice of can didacy in the Hull City Hall, 1326 Old Elberton Road, with the election superintendent on Aug. 31 between 9 and 10:30 a.m.; Sept. 1 between 5 and 6:30 pm.; or Sept. 2, between 4 and 5:30 p.m. The qualifying fee for mayor is $37.50 and $19.50 for the council seat. The deadline for voter registration for the November election is Oct. 5. Early voting will be Oct. 13 and Oct. 20 from 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Hull Civic Club on Old Elberton Road. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on election day at the same location. Comer The city of Comer will hold munici pal elections Nov. 3, with the fol lowing offices on the ballot: mayor, incumbent William E. Burroughs, with the term beginning Jan. 1, 2010, and ending Dec. 31, 2011; councilper- son for District 1, incumbent Melissa Yarbrough, with the term beginning Jan. 1, 2010, and ending Dec. 31, 2013; and councilperson for District 4, incumbent Laquita Bridges, with the term beginning Jan. 1, 2010, and ending Dec. 31, 2013. Candidates for councilperson must be a resident of the district for which they qualify. Qualifying begins Monday, Aug. 31, at 8:30 a.m. and will close on Friday, Sept. 4, at 4:30 p.m. at Comer City Hall at 70 Hwy. 72. The qualify ing fee is $60 for mayoral candidates and $45 for councilperson candidates. Carlton All seats at the Carlton City Council table will be up for grabs Nov. 3. This includes the mayor’s seat currently held by Rufus Kidd and five council posts held by Robert Tucker, David Seawright. Mary Tucker, Claudia Thornton and Myron Hedgelon. All seats carry two-year terms, extending from Jan. 1, 2010, to Dec. 31. 2011. Qualifying will be held from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 1-3 at the Carlton City Hall/Fire Hall. The qualifying fee is $48.75 for mayoral candidates and $32.50 for council candidates. Danielsville Three posts will be on the ballot in Danielsville Nov. 3, the mayor's seat currently held by Glenn Cross, and two council posts held by Phillip Croya and Barbara Dove. Qualifying will begin Monday, Aug. 31, and end Friday, Sept. 4. between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Danielsville City Hall. The qualifying fee is $82.19 for mayor and $56.41 for council seats. New school hires to face drug screening By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews.com The Madison County School System will have to drug test all new hires to meet new guidelines required for “drug-free workplace” status. Madison County earned its drug-free status when Keith Cowne was super intendent, but the criteria to keep that distinction has since increased. Either the school system adopts the new requirements or loses the drug-free status and the savings that come with it. A “drug-free work place” dis tinction reduces school sys tem workers’ compensation costs by about 10 percent. "If you don’t do those things, you lose your work ers’ compensation dis count.” Madison County Schools Superintendent Mitch McGhee said last week. In addition to all new employees being drug screened, other instances for testing include acci dents requiring a workers’ compensation claim or if a supervisor suspects drug use is interfering with an employee’s job perfor mance. All drug tests are confi dential. The Madison County Board of Education (BOE) must approve a policy to meet these new guidelines. A 90-day employee noti fication, which started Aug. 12, is required before the BOE can pass this policy, however. The policy will be pre sented in September and voted on in October. "If we don’t do this, our workers’ compensation costs will go up at least 10 percent,” McGhee said. NO MOVE ON LAND YET The BOE is still mulling an offer on land it owns near the Madison County courthouse. The school system has been offered $20,300 for the .83-acre plot, but tabled action on the item last week to consider the proposal further. The party interested in buying the land originally offered the BOE $20,000 before raising the price $300. PERSONNEL APPROVED The Madison County Board of Education (BOE) approved all teaching sup plements for 2009-2010 and made the following personnel moves at its Aug. 11 meeting: •Colbert Elementary School — granted mater nity leave for teacher Kelly Brychell and approved Candace Bradley as her long-term substitute. •Comer Elementary School — hired Joshua Taylor as a custodian and approved leave without pay for paraprofessional Sandra Ash. •Danielsville Elementary School — hired Connie Babineau and Kimberly Bishop as food service assistants, approved Corie Young as a long-term sub stitute and terminated food services worker Julie Hill. •Hull-Sanford Elementary School — accepted the resignation of paraprofes sional Brenda Marti, hired paraprofessional Katia McElreath for six hours a day, increased paraprofes sional Norma Rodriguez’s hours from two to four a day, granted the trans fer of after-school worker Lauren Wood from Comer Elementary to Hull-Sanford Elementary, hired Chelsea Abbot and Brittany Wilkes as after-school workers. •Ila Elementary — hired Cindy South as a part-time paraprofessional, accepted the resignation of custodi an Arthur Coley, released teacher Gina Mayne from her contract, hired John Dobbs as a custodian, approved the internal trans fer of Tami Daniels from third grade to pre-K and increased teacher Melissa Ward’s hours from half time EIP to full-time for third grade. •Madison County Middle School — hired Toby Swindle as a custodian and accepted the resignation of custodian Joseph Ahern. •System — hired Walton Hill as a bus driver. 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