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o O 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 14 14 4