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THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL THURSDAY. AUGUST 27. 2009 — PAGE 3A
2009 tax bills expected this year
By Zach Mitcham
zach@mainstreetnews.com
Madison County taxpayers
can expect to get their 2009
tax bills this year, with offi
cials hoping to have tax bills
out by early November.
Chief appraiser Robin
Baker said he spoke with
Department of Revenue offi
cials last week and the state
has determined that the coun
ty’s appeal total is accept
able, meaning the county’s
digest — or overall property
value — can be submitted for
approval by the state.
“We’re good on our appeals
and so we’re moving for
ward,” said Baker.
The county appraisal office
received 635 appeals from
residents who disputed the
assessed value of their prop
erty. The appeal total is more
than three percent of the total
parcels in the county. And
Baker had expressed con
cern that the state would not
accept the county’s digest
with more than three percent
of properties under appeal.
He informed assessor board
members in recent months
that the three percent thresh
old is required unless a coun
ty is conducting a total reval
uation of values — which
only requires a five percent
threshold.
But Baker spoke with a
DOR official last week,
who informed him that the
county didn’t have to meet
the three-percent threshold,
which would have meant that
appeals couldn’t exceed 480.
BOC chairman Anthony
Dove said this is welcomed
news. He said one of his pri
mary goals in office this year
was to get tax bills out in
2009.
“We’ve been trying to get
back on schedule,” said Dove.
“It’s important for the citizens
and how they budget, espe
cially for people with escrow
accounts. And it’s important
for how the county budgets,
too.”
In a separate matter, Madison
County’s new three-member
board of assessors met briefly
Wednesday afternoon to set
meeting times and to name
officers. The group agreed to
reduce their monthly meeting
schedule from twice a month
to once a month. The BOA’s
regular meeting will be held
on the second Thursday of
the month at 5:30 p.m. The
group named Ralph McCay
as chairman and Janis Ellis
as vice chairman. Lynn Hix
also serves on the board. The
three members have 180 days
to complete their 40-hour cer
tification training. Baker said
classes are offered in October
and February in Hapeville
and Dahlonega.
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 elec
tions:
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 currently held
by Chris Peck and Roger
Fortson.
All offices are two-year
terms beginning in Jan. 1,
2010, and ending Dec. 31,
2011.
Those wishing to qualify
for this election should file
a notice of candidacy in the
Colbert City Hall, 23 South
4 th Street, Colbert, with
the election 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 reg
istration for the November
election is Oct. 5. Early vot
ing will begin Oct. 13 and
Oct. 30 during normal city
hall business hours and 7
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Founder’s
Comer
by
Buhl Cummings
WEEK...What a great first week
of school at Athens Christian
School last week. The teachers
were ready and the students
came back excited. The many
new students are already fitting
right in.
Our teams are practicing,
with the coaches giving them
plenty of water breaks. The
youth football (ages 5-12) is
also underway.
We sometimes call ACS
“the opportunity place”. If you
want your children to be in a
school with strong academics,
many opportunities in athletics,
cheerleading, music, and
drama, all in a caring Christian
atmosphere, ACS is the place
for you.
ATHENS
CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
“Affordable Quality Education Since 1970”
K3-12TH CALL (706) 549-7586
www.athenschristian.com
a.m. to 7 p.m. on election
day.
Hull
Elections will be held for
two positions 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 candidacy in the
Hull City Hall, 1326 Old
Elberton Road, with the elec
tion superintendent on Aug.
31 between 9-10:30 a.m.;
Sept. 1 between 5-6:30 pm.;
or Sept. 2 between 4-5:30
p.m. The qualifying fee for
mayor is $37.50 and $19.50
for the council seat.
The deadline for voter reg
istration 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
municipal elections Nov. 3,
with the following offices
on the ballot: mayor, incum
bent William E. Burroughs,
with the term beginning Jan.
1, 2010, and ending Dec.
31, 2011: councilperson 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 councilper
son 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 E during normal business
hours. The qualifying 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,
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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 candi
dates 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 coun
cil seats.
The
Madison
County
Journal is
your source
for local
news. Call
706-795-2567
to subscribe.
Furloughs to close
county DFCS office on
certain days in 2010
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
The Madison County Department of Family and Children
Services office will close on certain days as the state con
tinues to furlough workers under a tightening budget.
Department employees expected furloughs — unpaid
days off— in conjunction with Labor Day, Thanksgiving
and New Year’s holidays, but additional furloughs were
handed down recently.
One was added for Columbus Day, while the DFCS
office will close one Friday a month in January, February,
March and April and two Fridays a month in May and
June for furloughs.
There’s a chance DFCS may avoid the May and June
furloughs, however.
“Hopefully, something will be straightened out by then,
and we won’t actually have to do it,” Plank said.
The office will provide notice in advance regarding
which days DFCS will close. Any emergency calls to
DFCS during office closure days will be directed to 911.
“And then 911 has the on-call worker just like it’s after-
hours or on weekends,” Plank said.
While scheduling some of these furloughs on holiday
days will help. Plank still expects busy days following
furlough days. She said that’s already the case when the
office reopens after a three-day weekend.
“If we’re closed on a Monday, when Tuesday comes, it’s
just twice as many people,” she said.
But furloughs are better than the alternative. Plank
added.
“We’ll take furloughs if it prevents layoffs,” she said.
Meanwhile, the department continues to keep a close
watch on its expenses during the funding crunch.
Though July, it had spent only 33 percent of its budget
with 58 percent of the year complete.
“We’re doing pretty good for the year so far,” Plank
said.
In other DFCS news, the department finalized four
adoptions in July, according to Plank.
“We’ve got a lot of things moving in Madison County,
so I’m really pleased with that,” she said.
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