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THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. OCTOBER 22, 2009 — PAGE 3A
keeps tax rates steady
Madison Co. BOC
But homeowners will feel pinch from
state’s elimination of tax relief grant
By Zach Mitcham
zach@mainstreetnews.com
Though revenues are drop
ping, Madison County com
missioners kept tax rates
steady in 2009.
However, county homeown
ers can expect an approxi
mate $240 tax hike on their
upcoming tax bill, which
is expected to go out next
month, thanks to the state
government’s decision to dis
continue the Homeowners’
Tax Relief Grant.
County commissioners
met briefly last Thursday
to approve their tax rates.
They emphasized that the tax
increase property owners will
see on their bills is due to the
state government, not local
government.
“I’d like every citizen to
know that we had no con
trol over it (the ending of
the tax relief grant),’’ said
Commissioner John Pethel.
After weeks hacking away
at the county budget, com
missioners spoke happily
Thursday about avoiding a
millage rate increase. They
praised county employees,
department heads and finance
staff.
“The employees and
the department heads have
worked hard on their bud
gets,” said Commissioner
Stanley Thomas. “They
understand the financial cri
sis we’re in and they have
worked with us.”
CommissionerBruceScogin
also praised the employees.
“In essence, when they’ve
cut their budgets, they’ve said
we’re willing to work with
less and try to do more,” said
Scogin. “... We’re a lot better
off (financially) than some
counties. It’s because of the
people we’ve been blessed to
work with.”
Commission chairman
Anthony Dove noted that the
BOC managed to beat the
school board to the punch in
getting its tax rates set. The
BOE has set its rate well
before the BOC in recent
years. The school board set
its rate an hour after the com
missioners Thursday.
“I can’t remember the last
time that happened,” he said.
Though the 2010 budget
has not been finalized, it’s
expected to drop roughly
$900,000 from this year’s
budget, from roughly $14.2
million to $13.3 million.
Dove noted that the BOC has
reduced its budget approxi
mately $1.7 million over the
past two years, from a high
of approximately $15 million
two years ago.
“It’s been a tough road,”
said Dove. “... We’re not out
of the woods yet, but we’re
in pretty good shape at this
point to make it through one
more year.”
Dove urged citizens to
spend their dollars in Madison
County.
“Anything in the county
you can purchase helps us
out,” he said.
The board unanimously
approved the tax rate for unin
corporated (not in city) areas
of the county at 11.216 mills,
down from 11.158 last year.
The incorporated (in city) rate
remained steady at 12.156
mills. The county govern
ment will bring in $104,598
less in property tax revenue,
a 1.36 percent reduction, this
year compared to 2008.
Connor Boyett talks with a representative from
Georgia State University Friday at the Madison
County High School college day hosted in the
MCHS gym. Ben Munro/staff
Giving it the
old college try
Eighty percent of MCHS
grads applying to college
School millage stays at 16.99 for fourth year in a row
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
To no one’s surprise, the
Madison County school
board kept its millage at
16.99 for the fourth consecu
tive year.
A 16.99 millage rate will
actually create a tax decrease
for the second year in a row.
The county board of educa
tion (BOE) approved the rate
unanimously last Thursday,
also keeping its bond mill-
age at .826 for its annual
payment on Danielsville
Elementary School, which
was constructed back in
1993 through a voter refer
endum.
Superintendent Mitch
McGhee referenced the cur
rent economic woes as the
reason for not changing the
millage rate.
“I think it’s the right thing
to keep it steady at 16.99,”
he said.
School leaders had dis
cussed maintaining the same
millage rate and avoiding a
tax hike for several months
before voting. McGhee offi
cially made the recommen
dation to the school board’s
regular meeting Tuesday,
Oct. 13. The school board
then approved the rate at last
Thursday’s called meeting.
High school in talks with sheriff
regarding on-campus officer
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
Nothing is official, but there’s
been at least discussion between
Madison County High School and
the sheriff’s office about placing
an armed officer — known as a
“school resource officer" (SRO)
— on campus.
“I don’t have anything defini
tive yet ... but there have been
some very serious conversations
at that level about that,” Madison
County Schools Superintendent
Mitch McGhee said. "But for me
to tell you that it’s imminent would
not be true.”
This isn’t a new idea. In fact,
McGhee said school leaders have
discussed this for two or three
years now, but funding has been
an issue.
“Given the economic times
we’re in, we could not do that,"
McGhee said.
But Sheriff Kip Thomas said
the cost of the school officer can
be covered by the sheriff’s depart
ment.
"It would come out of our bud
get,” he said.
The officer would report directly
to the principal and would be pro
vided with an office, computer and
radio by the school.
"I’m sure the principal would
give him specific duties,” McGhee
said. “Parking lot, during arrival
and dismissal, lunch room. Your
main trouble areas."
The hope is that the officer’s
hours are flexible to allow him or
her to work at football games and
other major after-school events.
It’s McGhee’s understanding that
this officer would be armed, though
that isn’t the case in all schools.
When he worked in Newton
County, McGhee said one high
school there had an armed officer,
while the other didn’t.
"The reason he wasn’t armed
was that he might be breaking up
a fight, and when you’re breaking
up a fight with a bunch of kids, it
would be fairly easy to grab that
weapon,” McGhee said.
The discussion of an SRO isn’t
an indication that MCHS has dis
cipline problems or that the officer
would necessarily make the school
safer.
“We had put in for grants in
the past, years ago, for a school
resource officer, and were told
that we we’re not bad enough,”
McGhee said. "We were told we
did not have enough serious disci
pline. Which is a good thing."
In Madison County High
School’s case, McGhee said hav
ing an officer in the school is more
about perception.
“We will be able to deal with
some particular incidents a little
quicker,” he said. “It’s a percep
tion. And some kids may, if they
see a uniformed officer walking
around, they may be less likely to
try something."
Madison County Sheriff’s
Department Major Shawn Bums
echoed that sentiment, saying an
officer present at the school will
be a “proactive approach,” a way
to deter problems before they hap
pen.
“If you have an officer present,
it’s less likely that the kids will try
something,” said Bums.
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
Not only is Madison County High School graduating
more students, it appears that more are seeking enroll
ment in college.
Based on the number of transcripts being sent to two-
and four-year insti
tutions, 80 percent MCHS GRADUATES
of Madison County APPLYING TO COLLEGE
High School gradu- 30% - four-year schools
ates are pursuing 50% - two-year schools
postsecondary educa
tion.
Counselor Brittan
Ayers said that’s the highest percentage she’s seen in
her 10 years in the MCHS guidance office.
“I’ve seen it slowly creep up,” Ayers said. “It’s defi
nitely at an all-time high for my tenure here.”
Madison County High School — whose 70.3 gradu
ation rate is the highest in school history — hosted a
college day this past Friday in the MCHS gym. Twenty
colleges sent representatives to talk with prospective
students in the first Madison County High School event
of this scale.
“We had 20 tables; all of them were full,” Ayers said.
The school has no official data on how many students
end up attending colleges, but based on those projec-
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By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
A company has been select
ed and a contract has been
signed. All Hull needs now
before starting a SPLOST-
funded road improvement
project is a stretch of good
weather.
“I don’t think we’ve had
a dry day with the exception
of yesterday (Sunday) and
perhaps today (Monday),”
mayor Paul Elkins said. “The
guy is chomping at the bit.
He’s ready to go.”
The city is moving forth
with plans to resurface
Yarbrough Road and Cornelia
Drive and add speed breakers
to Pope Miller Road, but has
been delayed by recent rain.
The plan is to install the
much-needed speed breakers
on Pope Miller Road first to
deter fast motorists on that
route.
“It’s going to be interest
ing to see the reaction of
the folks when they’re haul
ing boogie down Pope Miller
Road,” Elkins said. “It (a
speed breaker) can poten
tially save a life.”
All road work is to be com
pleted by Nov. 1.
In other road matters, the
repaving of Easy Street is
still being considered by the
DOT. The department had
lost Hull’s original request,
so the city had to resubmit it.
The project scored a "50”
on a recent needs assess
ment.
“I’m not sure if that’s good
or bad,” Elkins said.
“It looks like a project they
believe, based on their scor
ing, that is needed,” attorney
Pat Graham added. “I just
don’t know it will match up
with the other projects.”
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A
CITY OF CARLTON
CURRENT 2009 TAX DIGEST AND 5-YEAR HISTORY OF LEVY
The Carlton City Governing Authority does hereby announce that the 2009 millage
rate will be set at a regular meeting of the Mayor and Council held at the Carlton
City/Fire Hall on November 3, 2009 and pursuant to the requirements of O.C.G.A.
48-5-32, does hereby publish the following presentation of the current year’s tax
digest and levy along with the history of the tax digest and levy for the past five
years.
Carlton 2009 Tax Digest and 5-Year History of Levy
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Real & Personal
$3,809,519
$5,283,606
$5,212,616
$5,661,732
$5,543,519
$5,338,141
Motor Vehicles
$549,720
$482,770
$462,990
$475,620
$490,110
$419,360
Mobile Homes
$31,423
$12,028
$3,301
$11,810
$11,457
$9,431
Less Exemptions
$0
($393,460)
($401,836)
($304,316)
($252,562)
($221,698)
Gross Digest
$4,390,662
$5,384,944
$5,277,071
$5,844,846
$5,792,524
$5,545,234
Gross Millage
6.4
6.4
6.4
6.4
6.4
6.4
Less Sales Tax Rollback
4.0
4.4
4.4
4.4
4.4
4.4
Net Millage
2.4
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
Net Taxes Levied
$10,538
$10,770
$10,554
$11,690
$11,585
$11,090
Net Taxes $ Increase
$173
$232
($216)
$1,136
($105)
($495)
(Decrease)
Net % Increase
1.67%
2.20%
-2.00%
10.76%
-0.90%
-4.27%