Newspaper Page Text
AUGUST 10, 2023
Merged with The Comer News and The Daniclsvillc Monitor, 2006 4 MadisonJoumalTODAY.com
Vol. 40 No. 27* Publication No. 1074-987* Danielsville, Madison County, Georgia 30633 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers Inc. *12 Pages, 1 Section Plus Supplements $1.00
FATALITY
BOC
Accident
leaves
one fatality,
one arrested
A motorcycle accident
on July 31 at Hwy. 72 and
New Hope Church Rd. in
Comer has left one dead.
According to the Geor
gia State Patrol’s prelimi
nary report, a 1994 Honda
Civic was traveling south
and crossed into the path
of a 1994 Harley Davidson
around 8:05 p.m.
The driver of the Har
ley Davidson suffered fa
tal injuries and next of kin
was notified. The driver of
the Honda Civic, Madi
son Potts, was arrested for
vehicular homicide-first
degree, DUI and other
charges.
ARREST
Man arrested
after stabbing
Wayne Patrell Jackson,
38, 791 Clairmont Ave.,
Comer, was arrested on
Aug. 5 after he reportedly
invaded a family member’s
home and stabbed them.
It was reported that at
around 3:29 a.m. on Aug.
5 he went into his mother’s
home while she was asleep
and punched and stabbed
her. He then fled the scene
prior to the Madison Coun
ty Sheriff’s Office arrival.
Later the same day, Jack-
son was located, captured
and put in custody. He was
charged with aggravated
assault, aggravated battery
and home invasion.
EMS transported the
mother to Piedmont Athens
Regional for injuries.
Index
News — 1-3A, 5A
Opinions — 4A
Crime — 6A
Socials — 5 and 7A
Schools— 12A
Churches — 7A
Obituaries — 8-9A
Classifieds — 10A
Legals —11A
Contact
Phone: 706-367-5233
Email: hannah@mainstreet
news.com
Web: MadisonJoumalTODAYcom
MAILING LABEL
BOC rolls back millage rate to ‘historic lowest’
By Hannah Barron
hannah@mainst reet news. com
The Madison County
Board of Commissioners
voted Monday to roll back
its millage rate.
The county tax rate was
set at 9.777 mills for the
unincorporated areas and
10.928 mills for the incor
porated areas — both lower
than last year’s rate.
“It is the historic lowest
it’s ever been in this coun
ty,” BOC chairman Todd
Higdon said about the ad
opted FY23 millage rate.
He also reiterated from
the last public hearing that
taxpayers who have held
homestead exemption prior
to April 1, 2023, will see
a credit from Gov. Brian
Kemp’s Tax Relief Bill. It
will most likely appear on
taxpayers’ bills as an in
creased exemption amount
under homestead in the
amount of $18,000 off
See BOC, page 2A
SCHOOL
School bells ringing again in Madison County
Photos submitted
A school nutrition employee serves food to students on the first day of school.
A student celebrates the first day of school at Ila Elementary.
A staff member greets a student at morning dropoff. See more on 12A.
Students smile for the first day of school at Comer Elementary.
HULL
Litigation not yet finished in Hull mayoral battle
By Alison Smith
While a ruling to for
mally remove former Hull
Mayor Paul Walton came
in March, the city coun
cil recently voted to file a
motion against him for his
actions since that court de
cision.
After pausing for ex
ecutive session mid-way
through the meeting on
July 27, the council re
turned with three motions
related to events in the
case.
First, the council direct
ed newly hired city attor
ney Dale Perry to file a
contempt motion against the
former mayor. Perry said
Walton has failed to turn
over city property including
electronics and a cell phone.
Further, the council con
tends that Walton failed to
obey the order by perform
ing mayoral duties after the
March 23 date. The attor
ney said Walton purchased
an iPhone 14 from Verizon
on April 23, 2023, after the
ruling.
The council also voted to
have Perry write a request
to former city attorney Ne-
fertara Clark for refund of
payments she has billed
since November 2022. The
council and Perry believe
Clark had no authority to
act on behalf of the city
during the litigation because
the council did not have a
quorum nor ability to vote
to approve her actions in the
case. According to Perry,
Superior Court Chief Judge
Jeffery Malcom issued a
decision on April 23, 2023,
that said Clark’s participa
tion in the case was a con
flict of interest. It appears
Clark billed the city about
$20,000 before the court
ruling.
Finally, the council ap
proved Perry writing a letter
to Sophia Smith request
ing the return of any pay
ments from the city during
her employment in a role
the former mayor called
“executive assistant.” The
council, Perry and current
city clerk Sandy Pou say
their research has revealed
that Smith did not use her
city-issued computer, up
date the financial records,
nor complete compliance
reports since Pou was fired
in September 2022. The
council contends she did not
complete duties to maintain
city operation and had no
authority to complete the
same duties performed by a
clerk.
Perry also presented an
invoice to the city for about
98 billable hours in the case,
totalling almost $25,000.
The city’s general fund bal
ance is just under $22,000.
Therefore, the council vot
ed a good faith payment of
$5,326.82 to cover some of
his fees and all of Perry’s
out-of-pocket expenses. The
council will revisit payment
for Perry’s services as they
learn more about the overall
state of its finances.
See Hull, page 2A
COUNTY
County’s fixture projects explored, fist approved
By Hannah Barron
hannah@mainst reet news. com
The Madison County
Board of Commissioners
approved a FY24 list of fu
ture projects last week after
discussion at recent board
retreats.
While funds have not
been budgeted and costs
have not been set, the coun
ty is looking to use grants
and county reserves to fund
the projects.
The BOC voted to focus
on five priority projects,
which include an extension
of the Hwy. 72 water main
line for Comer; restoration
and renovation of the histor
ic courthouse; relocation of
the road department; a fire
training facility; and a new
911 center.
First, the county sees the
extension of the water main
line as “highest priority.”
The cost is projected to be
about $2.8 million. While
the county has not received
final award notice, county
clerk Christina Baxter said
that representative Mike
Collins has picked up the
project with a grant for
roughly $1.81 million with
a county match of $453,152.
Talks happened again
See Projects, page 2A
o