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I u GA MAIN LIBRARY
I ATHENS, GA 30602 I
I avw«VS I
I Page 3A I
Houston Times-Journal
Volume 124 Mo. 93
1 Sections,B Pages
Inside
Today
Calendar 3A
Classifieds 7A
Death Notices 2A
Editorials 4A
Sports 7A
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July Fourth
closings
announced
So that employees of the Hous
ton-Times Journal may enjoy the
July 4 holiday with family and
friends, the newspaper office will be
closed on Monday.
The paper schedule will not be
disrupted, however, and all of next
week’s editions should be printed
and delivered as usual.
Other area offices closing for the
Monday holiday are:
•The Perry Post Office-regular
delivery and hours will be resumed
on Tuesday;
•All City of Perry offices in
cluding the landfill and utility de
partment;
•All Houston County offices
including the Houston County l
Perry Public Library and the Hous
ton County landfill;
•All Perry banks including the
Bank of Perry, Bank South of
Houston County, CB & T Bank of
Middle Georgia, Crossroads Bank of
Georgia and Trust Company Bank
of Middle Georgia;
•All State of Georgia offices in
cluding the Georgia State Labor
Department; and
•All federal government offices,
including Robins Air Force Base.
Various other businesses-partic
ularly service type establishments
in the Perry area will likely be tak
ing the day off, also. It’s best to
call ahead before attempting to con
duct any business this Monday.
Republican Jack Wylam is a candidate for county Post 2
Editor’s note: The following article on Republican Jack Wylam Is
the final of a six part series Intended to Introduce Houston
County voters to the like number of candidates running for
Houston County Commission Post Two. Four candldates-Demo
crat Ronald Wayne Ragln of Perry, Republican Nora Reese-
Laughlln of Warner Robins, Republican J.B. ‘Jim’ Carter of
Kathleen, Democrat Billy Hunter of Bonaire and Democrat Randy
Wynn of Warner Robins were featured In our May 4, May 14, May
18, June 4 and June 11 editions, respectively. Houston County’s
General Primary Elections are scheduled for July 18.
BY BRENDA THOMPSON
Staff Writer
When asked why he wants to sit
on Houston County’s board of
commissioners, commission candi
date John F. “Jack” Wylam doesn’t
hesitate at all.
His answer comes through loud
and clear.
He’s tired of wasting time and
waiting for someone else to get in
volved; to step up to the plate and
begin doing something about his
and the area’s many concerns.
“I’ve spent way too much time
waiting for others to take the initia
tive and have instead decided it’s
time to do it myself,” Wylam, a
Republican and 22-year Warner
Robins resident said this week.
“I’ve got a lot of ideas that could go
a long way in improving quality of
life for us all. I want to spread
those ideas and am confident this
county commission seat is a good
forum from which to do that”
Among his many ideas that have
drawn attention in recent months,
particularly since the start of his
first county commission campaign,
is the possibility of a “Farmers’
Market” at the Georgia National
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A treat from the heat!
What better way to beat the heat than to enjoy some tasty Ice cream. Here, Rachel Pop, the
four-year-old daughter of Sharon and Ron Pop of Perry, tops off her lunch with a cool treat
from the local Dairy Queen.
Fairgrounds and Agricenter.
As Wylam has told a number of
local and state dignitaries in his ef
forts, this type of facility would go
hand in hand with the Agricenter’s
purpose and theme and the location
right along Interstate 75 would
practically guarantee a constant
market.
Other ideas he has included on
his campaign platform include: im
proving the quality of life by im
proving education and jobs, the road
and utility system, the environment
and security; reducing the size of
government by reducing expenses
and not jobs, maintaining services
and ensuring disciplined spending
on prioritized projects; and finally
offering support and cooperation
with all Houston County residents
and employees, with Robins Air
Force Base and the 21st Century
Partnership as well as the people'
and officials of other counties, ci
ties and the state.
Wylam further promises to do
whatever he can to ensure the less
populated areas of the cpunty are
weighted so that they get an equal
voice in county services and gov
ernment.
Sports I
Page 6A
Official Organ For Houston County, City of Perry & State of Georgia
A native of Ohio, Wylam first
came to Houston County in 1972
as a member of the 19th Bomb
Wing at Robins Air Force Base. He
retired at the rank of colonel four
years later, decided to make his
home in Warner Robins and lauds
the area as “the best kept secret
around”.
After retiring from the Air
Force, Wylam, who holds a Bache
lor of Science Degree in mechanical
engineering from Ohio University
and has also done some post-gradu
ate work in business at Western
New England College in Spring
field, Massachusetts, went to work
as an engineer for Brown and
Williamson, Inc.
He remained with Brown and
Williamson for nine years and
while employed there also started
his own building and general con
tracting company. Wylam Enter
prises, Inc. in Warner Robins was
incorporated in 1977 and in a 10
year period was responsible for the
construction of more than 100
homes in the mid-state area. ,
Although he has taken a break
from this business for the past four
or so years, Wylam adds that he is
now in the midst of getting the
business cranked back up. His new
slogan his “The House That Jack
Built”.
Additionally, for the past two
years, Wylam has served as a build
ing inspector for Peach County.
He and his wife, Ann, have been
married for 42 years and have two
children and three grandchildren.
For News And Subscriptions Call 912-987-1823
Saturday, July 2, 1994
"I've got a lot of ideas
that could go a long
way in improving
quality of life for us all..
. and am confident
this seat is a good
forum from which to do
that."
—Jack Wylam
Their son, John, is an Air Force
major stationed at Langley Air
Force Base in Virginia and his
daughter Beth McCrary resides in
Macon. Their grandchildren are
Emily Wylam, 8, Andrew Wylam,
5, and Katie McCrary, 5.
He his an elder at First Presbyte
rian Church in Warner Robins,
where he has been a member since
moving here in the 19705, and is
also a member of the Air Force As
sociation, the American Legion, the
American Association of Retired
Persons, the Retired Officers Asso
ciation, the Shrine and the Masonic
Order. }
Wylam joins five others in the
race for the Houston County
Commission Post Two race—
Democrats Billy Hunter of Bonaire,
Ronald Wayne Ragin of Percy and
Randy Wynn of Warner Robins and
fellow Republicans James Carter of
Kathleen and Nora Reese-Laughlin
of Warner Robins.
The first round of the elections
comes on July 19 with the General
I Classified L
Page 7A
Abolishing
Freeport will
cost taxpayers
By VETOF. ROLEY
Staff Writer
While eliminating freeport taxes
may bring in new jobs, a report
given to Houston County Com
mission Chairman Sherrill Stafford
indicates that the move would cost
the county over SI million in the
next four years.
And, because of the tax cap, the
lost revenues could not be made up
in new taxes. "We would have lost
that $1 million forever," said
Stafford. "It would never be recov
ered."
Stafford said the county did not
know how it was going to make up
the lost revenues if it decided to
raise the freeport exemption to 100
percent. "That is the $63,000 ques
tion," he said.
Freeport taxes are taxes collected
on a business' inventory. Currently,
the county has a 40 percent freeport
exemption, which means that 60
percent of a company's inventory is
taxed.
The chamber has told the com
mission that Houston County was
the only county south of Atlanta on
Interstate 75 that collected freeport
taxes, costing the county jobs since
inventory intensive businesses,
such as distributors, would not lo
cate in the county.
The amount of freeport taxes the
county would lose in the next four
years is determined by a formula
under the tax cap. According to the
report given to Stafford, if the
commission raised the exemption
to 100 percent, the county would
lose $2,400 in fiscal year 1996,
$51,000 in fiscal year 1997,
$910,000 in 1998 and $156,000 in
1999.
And, new growth because of new
jobs brought into the county by the
elimination of freeport taxes might
not make up the loss in revenue,
said Stafford. Under the tax cap
( a§ BmhKS
Primary Elections during which
voters will elect one candidate from
each of the Republican and
Democratic parties.
Perry, Georgia >SO Cents
formula, the county receives less
money if it grows by seven percent
than if it grows by three percent.
Stafford said that in order to
make up the lost revenue, the
county would have to cut the bud
get, meaning a cut in services, or
raise fees for county services such
as building permits, licenses, etc.
and fines.
"The way we would like to do it
is through a sales tax,” said
Stafford. However, the tax cap pro
hibits the county from raising
money through a sales tax, with
revenue from a sales tax being used
to roll back property taxes.
Stafford said that county had to
make a decision on freeport by De
cember. He also said the report was
preliminary, adding that before the
county made a final decision, the
freeport exemption would be looked
at closely. "We won't wait until the
end of December (to start looking at
freeport)," he said.
Stafford said the county had re
ceived one comment from the pub
lic on the matter, and that comment
was negative.
Big*Bang*Boom
comes to Perry
Agricenter today
Enjoy a fun-filled day with the
family today at the Georgia
National Fairgrounds and Agricenter
as Big*Bang*Boom comes to town.
The fireworks extravaganza kicks
off at 9:30 p.m. and will be
preceded by boat rides, arts and
crafts, bake-offs, hot dog eating
contests and more.
Admission is $5 per carload, with
a $1 discount with a bag of Lay's
K.C. Masterpiece potato chips or
an empty 12-oz. can of any Coca-
Cola product.
Jack Wylam
If necessary, a run-off will fol
low in August with the final Gen
eral Election scheduled for Novem
ber 8.