About The Madison County journal. (Hull, Ga.) 1989-current | View Entire Issue (June 25, 2025)
JUNE 25, 2025 Madison County Journal Merged with The Corner News and The Danielsville Monitor, 2006 • U MadisonJournalTODAY.com Merged with Vol. 42 No. 25* Publication No. 1074-987* Danielsville, Madison County, Georgia 30633 * A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers Inc. *16 Pages, 2 Section Plus Supplements $1.00 BOC hears 2026 SPLOST requests County departments make funding requests; SPLOST set to be voted on in November Rotary Club constructs ramp for Smith Family By Caleb Rollins caleb@mainstreetnews.com This November, voters will decide whether to con tinue a trickle of pennies that goes towards improvements across the county, as they cast their votes on the 2026 Special Purpose Local Op tion Sales Tax (SPLOST). Tlie SPLOST is a one per cent sales tax that provides funding for capital projects in the county’s various de partments as well as the mu nicipalities. The 2026 SPLOST would be a direct continuation of the 2020 SPLOST, which was approved for a six-year period in tlie 2019 election, and lias provided funding for the county’s sheriff’s de partment, emergency medi cal services (EMS), fire de partments, road department, recreation department and more. The 2026 SPLOST is a re newal of tlie same 1% sales tax that is already in effect for another six-year period. At a June 12 Special Called Meeting of the Mad ison County Board of Com missioners, leaders from the county’s departments made their funding requests for the 2026 SPLOST, ex plaining what projects they would use the funding for. The County must now consider the requests and decide how mucli of the 2026 SPLOST, if passed, it would allocate to eacli de partment. IMPORTANCE OF SPLOST Tlie 2020 SPLOST was estimated to provide $13.31 million over its six-year pe riod, wliicli the county dis tributed to its departments and the cities for a multitude of projects and improve ments. According to Commission Cliairman Todd Higdon, without SPLOST the county would “back up 30 years” in terms of funding for infra structure and services. Tlie SPLOST provides a way to fund crucial ser vices that the county pro vides witliout placing all the burden on property owners, but instead on anyone wlio makes a purcliase within the county. Since the county’s de partments serve everyone in the county, not just prop erty owners, some view the SPLOST as a fairer way to generate funding for tliose services. SHERIFF’S DEPT. AND E911 Under the current SPLOST, the Madison County Sheriff’s Depart ment has received $849,000 so far out of an allocated $885,000, wliicli lias gone towards new vehicles, equipment and improve ments to the jail. The E911 call center has also received $868,000 so far. For the 2026 SPLOST, Sheriff Micliael Moore is re- See SPLOST, page 3A by Submitted photo Members of the Rotary Club of Madison County and volun teers constructed their 985th handicap ramp, a 24-foot ac cess ramp on Thursday, June 12, for Joe Lewis Smith who lives on Double Branch Road in Danielsville. “Joe Lewis and his daughter, Ladeana with her three sons, Elijah, Malachi and Kaden recently moved to this area,” Rotary leaders said. “Unfortunately, Joe Lewis has suffered a serious stroke, leaving him confined to a wheelchair. Ladeana works as a private nurse. Elijah is a Junior at Madison County High School and presently, during the summer, cares for Joe Lewis and his brothers while his mother works. Elijah is an articulate and energetic young man who handles responsi bility well.” Joe Lewis and Elijah joined the ramp crew in the accompanying photo. The family attends the Mt. Zion Church. The volunteers and Rotarians in the crew for this ramp were Bruce Gandy, Ed Brown, Danny Dills, Gerry Car- roll, Alan Phillips, Don Sullinger, Walton Hill, Artry Bish op and Johnny Minish. Madison County Democrats help create Juneteenth community mural E - he = Index News — 1A, 3A, 5A Opinions — 4A Crime — 6A Socials — 2A, 8A Schools — 7A Churches — 3B Obituaries — 4B Sports — 1B Classifieds — 2B Legals — 6B-7B Submitted photos The Madison County Democrats helped create a Juneteenth community mural, designed by artist Breanna Jackson, at the Juneteenth Festival in Athens on June 19. Over 200 fed at June Sharing & Caring Meal MAILING LABEL 4879 1 4144 CONOLAREDD Madison County Democrats members work on the Juneteenth community mural. By Caleb Rollins caleb@mainstreetnews.com Nell Gantt Browne an nounced during the June 23 Comer City Council meeting that over 200 peo ple were served free plates of food at this month’s Sharing and Caring Com munity Meal. The monthly free meal, held on the third Saturday of the month at the Comer Community Center, also distributed free produce along with clothes from the Community Clothes Closet. Mayor Jimmy Yar brough thanked Browne and her team of volunteers for their work. WATER RATES The Comer City Council also approved an increase to water overage rates in the amount of $1 at the meeting. This changes the rate from $5.50 per every 1000 gallons over the ini tial 1500 gallons, to $6.50 per every 1000 gallons. All other rates remain the same. The increase is intend ed to help the city secure loans for water and sewer infrastructure, which can not be obtained without demonstrating the ability to repay the loans from water sales and sewer fees. OTHER BUSINESS In other business, the Comer City Council: • approved a motion to accept the city’s negotiat ed percentage of Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) rev enue at 6.26% of the total that would be collected by the county. The SPLOST, which would go towards funding capital projects in the county and its mu nicipalities, will be on the ballot this November. •discussed code viola tions at commercial prop erties. Council Member Ron Farren suggested that, to fully support local busi nesses, complaints should be handled on a case-by- case basis, beginning with letters or phone calls, and only using citations or the blight tax ordinance as a last resort. •denied a request to al low for the sale of alco hol at the 72 Que location during the city’s July 5 Independence Day Cele bration, citing that without obvious borders around the restaurant, it would be too difficult to keep alco hol out of the park. •heard a presentation from Madison County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jill Parham, who expressed her commitment to the continued partnership be tween the Chamber and the City of Comer. Mayor Yarbrough thanked her for the work she does to move economic development forward in the county. •heard a utilities report from Yarbrough, who stated that the utilities de partment had been busy clearing limbs from storm damage and installing new taps, along with regular seasonal grass cutting. He also explained that the city is seeking funding for pond improvements from the Georgia Environ mental Finance Authority (GEFA) and the Appala chian Regional Commis sion.
