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The
JANUARY 9,2020
Merged with The Comer News and The Danielsville Monitor, 2006
MadisonJoumaITODAY.com
$1.00
Vol. 36 No. 47 • Publication No. 1074-987 • Danielsville, Madison County, Georgia 30633 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers Inc. • 16 Pages, 1 Section Plus Supplements
Red Raiders blow
out North Oconee
— Page 8
LEGISLATORS
2020 at the Gold Dome
Lawmakers talk about what’s in store for the legislative session
Long-time Rep. Tom McCall (R), who is not seeking
re-election, speaks to the Madison County Chamber
of Commerce at its Eggs-and-Issues breakfast Jan. 7.
By Margie Richards
margie@mainstreetnews. com
Expected state budget
cuts, medical marijuana
and the Georgia Renewable
Power (GRP) plant, were
on the minds of legislators
and audience members at
the Madison County Cham
ber of Commerce’s annual
Eggs and Issues legislative
breakfast this week at the
Ila Restaurant.
House Representative
Tom McCall, who is retir
ing at the end of the year
and State Senator Frank
Ginn made remarks on the
upcoming legislative ses
sion and Ginn took some
questions from the audi
ence afterwards. McCall
had a prior engagement in
Elberton and had to leave
early.
Rep. Alan Powell, who
also regularly appears at
Eggs and Issues, had com
mittee meetings in Atlanta
and could not attend.
Representative
Tom McCall
Rep. McCall thanked
Chamber members and oth
ers for allowing him to work
with them and for being his
friend over the past 25-plus
Rep. Alan Powell was
not at the "Eggs and
Issues" breakfast, but he
provides a legislative
overview on Page 6
years that he has been serv
ing the constituents from
the 33rd District, which
includes Madison County.
McCall will complete his
26th year on Dec. 31.
“One of the hardest things
we have to deal with this
year is that the governor has
called for across the board
cuts in the budget,” Mc
Call said. “When you look
at across the board budget
cuts instead of looking at
what’s working and what’s
not, that’s a different thing.”
McCall said he didn’t
mean to criticize the gover
nor but would prefer to look
at what is actually working
and what is not.
He said he hoped to see
more progress on medi
cal marijuana this year as
well. McCall reminded the
audience that he had a son
who passed away in 2000
and that if he knew that
cannabis or CBD oil would
have helped him. he would
have been “growing it in the
backyard.”
“I don’t know why we
would be backing up on
something that helps kids,
that helps anybody,” he
said.
Finally, McCall said that
99 percent of the calls he
is getting right now from
Madison County concern
the GRP plant in Colbert.
And most of those calls
are not from those wanting
to see the plant shut down,
rather they are from folks
worried about the crossties
being burned there, he told
the audience.
McCall said he did know
that crossties should make
up no more than 20 percent
of the material burned at the
plant for fuel.
“The EPD (Environmen
tal Protection Division) is
on top of it.” McCall said,
adding that he had spoken
with officials there the pre
vious day to make sure he
was up to speed on every
thing.
“They (GRP) can’t burn
crossties at start up or shut
See Issues, page 2A
INSIDE:
Index:
News: 1-3A
Opinions: 4-5A
Crime: 6A
Socials: 7A
Sports: 8-9A
Churches: 10A
Classifieds: 11A
Legals: 13A
Obituaries: 14-15A
Contact:
Phone: 800-795-2581
Mail: P.O. Box 658,
Danielsville, Ga. 30633
Web: MadisonJoumalTODAY.com
VOTING
Elections: what’s the schedule?
All eyes will be on the 2020 elections
this year.
Here are some key dates:
•March 24 — Presiden
tial preference primary
•April 21 — Special
election runoff
•May 19 — General
primary and non-partisan
elections
•July 21 — General pri
mary and non-partisan run
offs
•Nov. 3 — General election
•Dec. 1 — General election runoffs
•Jan. 5. 2021 — General
election runoffs for federal
races.
QUALIFYING SET
FOR MARCH 2-6
Qualifying begins at
9 a.m., Monday, March 2,
and will end at noon Friday,
March 6. Primaries and non
See Elections, page 2A
TAXES
Madison County Tax Commissioner Lamar
Dalton talks to county commissioners Jan.
6 about giving citizens a vote on whether to
provide some property tax relief for those
over 70.
Tax relief for
senior citizens?
Madison Co. voters to decide in May
By Zach Mitcham
zach@mainstreetnews.com
Do citizens over 70 deserve a little break on
their property tax bills?
That’s a question that Madison County voters
will decide during the May 19 primary elections.
Madison County commissioners voted 5-0 Mon
day to present county voters with a referendum
on some tax relief for senior citizens on prop
erty taxes. The board will soon ask the Georgia
General Assembly to give the go-ahead for the
referendum.
If approved in May, the exemption will take
effect Jan. 1, 2021. All county property owners
over 70 would receive an exemption of $8,000
off the assessed value of the value of their home
stead. That does not equal an $8,000 tax break.
It means the taxable value of the senior citizen’s
property will be reduced by that much.
Tax commissioner Lamar Dalton proposed
the measure, saying that giving senior citizens
some relief on their taxes is personally mean
ingful to him. He spoke of seeing seniors really
struggling, some getting by on just $400 or $500
a month.
He also said it’s an exemption that all citizens
might eventually be able to enjoy.
“Eventually everyone in the county, God will
ing, will be 70 years old,” he said.
Madison County’s total property value was
$692 million in 2019. The exemption would
subtract an estimated $400,000 off of the coun
ty’s overall property value. Those under 70
would carry the burden of the exemption for the
senior citizens.
Commissioner Lee Allen said it is a good
move, an effort to provide support to senior cit
izens in need.
Dalton also said he would help fund the ex
emption by moving the tax bill deadline up from
December to November.
MAILING LABEL
COURT
Hull man sentenced to jail time for drug trafficking
A Hull man was sentenced to jail
time on drug trafficking charges in
Madison County Superior Court
recently.
Michael Jason Massey was sen
tenced by Judge Lauren Watson to
serve 10 years, with the first five
to be served in confinement and
the remainder on probation on a
charge of possession of metham-
phetamine with intent to distribute
(trafficking in methamphetamine).
Charges of possession of hydroco-
done, possession of a Schedule III
Controlled Substance and posses
sion of marijuana were dismissed.
In another case, Joshua Eugene
Alexander, of Lavonia, was sen
tenced by Judge Jeff Malcom to
serve five years in confinement
on charges of fleeing or attempt
ing to elude a police officer, theft
by receiving stolen property and
driving while license suspended.
Charges of reckless driving, fail
ure to stop at a stop sign, driving
without headlights and improper
passing were dismissed.
Other recent action in superior
court included:
•Stacie Jo Plyler, of Comer, had
her charge of exploit/inflict pain to
deprive essential services moved
to the dead docket by Judge Wat
son pursuant to an agreement be
tween the state and the defendants.
•Joanne Weaver, of Comer, had
her charge of exploit/inflict pain to
deprive essential services moved
to the dead docket by Judge Wat
son pursuant to an agreement be
tween the state and defendants.
•Mark William Carithers, of
Winterville. was sentenced by
Judge Watson to serve five years
of probation on a charge of aggra
vated battery (reduced from aggra
vated battery-family violence).
•Xiampeer Izedeth Silva, of Col
bert, was sentenced by Judge Wat
son to serve five years of probation
on a charge of interference with
government property. Charges of
violation of street gang terrorism
and prevention act and criminal
trespass were dismissed.
•Sergio Ruiz Perez, of Athens,
was sentenced by Judge Watson
to serve five years of probation
and pay a $500 fine on a charge
of possession of marijuana (re
duced from possession of mari
juana with intent to distribute).
Charges of DUI (less safe/drugs),
possession of drug-related objects
and two counts of speeding were
dismissed.
•Randy Joe Evans, of Comer,
was sentenced by Judge Watson
to serve five years, with the first
year to be served in confinement
and the remainder on probation
and pay a $500 fine on charges of
entering an automobile and simple
battery.
•Randal Lee Daniel, of Colbert,
was sentenced by Judge Watson to
See Court, page 2A
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