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Obituaries Houston Itm-JomXt
Jesse Graham Nicks Jr.
Services for Jesse Graham Nicks Jr., 75, who died
March 20, 1996, were held March 22, 1996 at
Watson-Hunt Funeral Home with burial in Perry
Memorial Gardens.
Bom in Swepsonville, N.C., he had lived in Perry
seven years, moving from Hampton, Va. He was a
Navy veteran who served in World War II and was a
welding supervisor, retired from Newport News
Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. after 20 years of ser
vice. He was the widower of Dorothy L. Nicks. He
was a member of the American Legion and professed
the Presbyterian faith.
Survivors include his children, Judy Cannon of
Perry, Kermit Nicks of Augusta, and Freeman Nicks
of Newark, Del.; sisters, Anna Pickard of Graham,
N.C. and Mary Remishofsky of Winston-Salem, N.C.
and five grandchildren.
Andrew J. Mitchell Jr.
MARSHALLVILLE Services for Andrew
James “Sugar Boy” Mitchell Jr., 46, who died March
26, 1996, wili be held April 4, 1996. at 2 p.m. in
Bethel Baptist Church with burial in Marshaliville
Cemetery.
He was employed by Blue Bird Body Co. and was
a member of St. James CME Church.
Survivors include his wife, Rosemary Mitchell;
and children, Marion Mitchell and Corey Livingston,
both of Marshaliville; mother, Mary Mitchell of
Marshaliville; and brothers and sisters, Norman
Warren and Myrtice Mitchell, both of Marshaliville,
Charles Mitchell of Perry, Joann Hawk of Orlando,
Fla., and Joyce Mitchell of Americus.
The family may be contacted at 312 Plum St.,
Marshaliville.
Edwards Funeral Home in Fort Valley has charge
of arrangements.
Bernice N. Brown
SOPERTON Services for Bernice Newsome
Brown, 78, who died March 26, 1996, were held
Changes to property tax
valuation coming in May
Value should go up but tax rate come down
By EMILY JOHNSTONE
and Jj JOHNSON
Times-Journal Staff
Local tax officials have been busy re-evaluating
each parcel of property in Houston County for the
past year. And, come May 3 notices for property
appraisals will be trekking through the postal service
toward landowners who may or may not agree with
what the tax man says.
Ron Grace said the Board of Tax Assessors will be
meeting to review these appraisals at the end of this
month prior to sending the notices.
“There will be a total review. Once they approve
all values they are required to mail out the notices
within five days,” he said.
Grace said there will be some 35,000 notices
mailed.
“We do anticipate the overall millage rate to come
down,” he added.
If property owners disagree with the numbers they
receive, they have the right to appeal to the Board
within a 45-day period.
Grace said reasons that are considered legitimate
by the Board are not agreeing with value, belief that
the numbers are not uniform and belief that the prop
erty may not be taxable.
“Just because there is an increase or decrease in
numbers, that is no reason to appeal,” he said.
The re-evaluation is required by Georgia law,
according to County Commission Chairman J.
Sherrill Stafford.
Georgia law requires that property be taxed at 40
percent of fair market value. During recent years, that
level has slipped in Houston County.
“Last year, our property tax digest came in with
property owners paying about 36 percent of fair mar
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Page 2A
Wednesday, April 3, 1996
March 28, 1996 in Sammons Funeral Home in
Soperton with burial in Fowler Cemetery.
A lifelong resident of Truetlen County, she was the
daughter of the late Morris and Florence Newsome.
She was a retired schoolteacher and a member of the
Truetlen Retired Teachers Association and Lothair
United Methodist Church.
Survivors include her husband, W.C. Brown; chil
dren, Mike Brown of Soperton, Cleon Brown of
Swainsboro, and Suzanne Buchanan of Perry; sister,
Mildred Kea of Soperton; seven grandchildren; and
two great-grandchildren.
Hugh D. Slaton Sr.
DE SOTO Services for Hugh Dorsey Slaton Sr.,
79, who died March 28, 1996, were held March 30,
1996, in De Soto Baptist Church with burial in De
Soto Cemetery.
He was a retired farmer and a member of De Soto
Baptist Church, the American Legion, Forty and
Eight, Lodge No. 13 F&AM and the Americus Shrine
Club.
Survivors include his wife, Willie Mae Slaton;
children. Sherry Vamum and Hugh D. Slaton Jr., both
of DeSoto; brother and sister, Hal Slaton of
Milledgeville, and Beatrice Davis of Perry; and eight
grandchildren.
Harvey’s Reese Park Chapel Funeral Home had
charge of arrangements.
Fannie Gibson
WAYCROSS Services for Fannie Gibson, who
died March 31, 1996, were held April 2, 1996 in the
chapel of Music Funeral Home in Waycross with bur
ial in Oakland Cemetery.
Survivors include sisters, Geraldine Graham of
Perry, Ruth Blizzard of Columbus, Betty Jowers of
Fitzgerald, Ga„ Loretta Jones of Jacksonville, Ga.
and Jo Ann Harper of Broxton; children, Erma
Wilson of Waresboro and Dianne Gore of Oxford,
Ga.; and four grandchildren.
Music Funeral Home had charge ol arrangements.
ket value,” Stafford said.
Before recent changes to the law, counties would
have added a “factor” to the tax digest, raising the
property value of every property on the digest by a
certain percentage to get the digest within compli
ance.
Because the law was changed about five years
ago, now counties must re-evaluate their property on
a regular basis.
Stafford said when the digest is approved, it
should reflect a 40-percent fair market value for all
property in the county.
“Many property holders may see their value go up,
some by a good bit,” Stafford said. “However, the
Houston County property tax cap law requires that
the millage rate come down to keep the tax money
collected the same.
“Additionally, the three incorporated cities and the
Houston County Board of Education will have to
reduce their tax rates to keep their income in line,”
Stafford said.
The present tax millage rate in Houston County on
unincorporated property is 24.94 mills. Of that, 13.87
mills is for school use and payment of school con
struction. One-fourth of one mill goes directly to the
state of Georgia, Stafford said.
The remaining amount is used by the county com
mission for operations.
Because of rapid growth, Stafford said the county
will add new properties to the digest but will not see
significant increases in the amount of money the
digest produces because of the way the tax cap
works.
Lower growth rates produce more income increas
es than large amounts of growth, according to
Stafford.
_TL
Commissioners explain various duties
• •
Warner Robins Chamber members hear all five county commissioners
By Jj JOHNSON
Times-Journal Editor
WARNER ROBINS
Members of the Houston County
Commission explained various
duties of the panel to members of
the Warner Robins Chamber of
Commerce March 30.
They also made several refer
ences to and praised the leader
ship of Calvin Maye, who has
announced he will not seek re
election to the board during the
July 9 general primary. Maye has
served one term on the board.
Long-time commissioner Jay
Walker said the body had become
a great team and that while they
sometimes disagreed, they would
reach a consensus and proceed.
He said that effective July 1,
the county would have one full
time juvenile court judge instead
of the two part-time judges now
employed.
Walker said the number of
cases in juvenile court continues
to grow rapidly.
Walker reported the Perry-
Houston County Airport is on the
brink of growth, thanks to
$150,000 in legislative grants
which will help with construction
of a terminal facility.
Additionally, several T-hangars
for storage of airplanes will be
built.
Larry Snellgrove said the
county water system, which com
missioners were considering sell
ing six years ago, was in much
better financial condition and
physical condition.
He said the system is expand
ing, and that he anticipates an
agreement with the city of Warner
Robins concerning service areas
outside incorporated areas soon.
During the past six years, the
system has experienced a 60-per
cent growth rate and is adding
about 640 new customers per
year.
Maye told the chamber mem
bers the county landfill continues
to win awards and to be a model
landfill.
“We scored a perfect score on
the last seven surprise inspec
tions,” he said.
Maye praised County Public
Works Superintendent Tommy
Stalnaker for his efforts to main
tain the high standards at the land
fill and in other public works pro
jects.
Maye said the county is con
sidering new trash service includ
ing curbside collection for the
more urbanized parts of the unin
corporated area.
He said a decision on that type
of service would likely come
before winter.
Commissioner James Carter
reported the commissioners had
hired Peggy Bledsoe to head the
County Extension Service,
replacing Duren Bell who
resigned to go to Dodge County.
Bledsoe has begun her duties.
Carter also told chamber mem
bers Houston County features one
of the lowest property tax rates in
the state, especially among larger
counties. The county spends
about 38 percent of the money it
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——
JAMES CARTER
Newest commissioner
I
1 W\ \
I / I
LARRY SNELLGROVE
Water system better
■Filf r"
JAY WALKER
Praises Maye
receives on public safety.
Commission Chairman Sherrill
Stafford said county residents will
begin receiving new tax evalua
tion forms during May. He said
that while the property value will
go up, the taxation rate will go
down, as required by the Houston
County property tax cap.
Stafford said the three incorpo
rated cities and the Houston
County Board of Education
would also reduce their millage
rates to keep property taxes at the
same level after the new property
values are approved by the state
of Georgia.
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CALVIN MAYE
Retiring this year
—
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Chairman of Commission
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