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Viewpoints
Great news
The announcement earlier this week that
Northrop Grumman had earned a competi
tive bid contract from Boeing Cos. to assem
ble commercial aircraft doors was exciting
news.
The best part of the news is that some 450
midstate residents, including many Perryans,
won’t have to be faced with moving or los
ing their jobs. Not only that, but based on
performance, their jobs are guaranteed for
some time to come.
Naturally, Houston Countians would like
to see the plant remain in this county. After
all, the plant is worth more than $600,000
per year in property taxes alone. The city of
Perry earns thousands of dollars through
selling utilities to the plant, which is located
in the Perry city limits.
Whether or not local officials will be able
to convince Northrop Grumman to remain in
the county is debatable. There is little time,
Northrop hopes to make a decision on the
location of the midstate aircraft plant within
days. The firm has an option on a suitable
facility in eastern Bibb County already.
While we remain optimistic that Northrop
Grumman officials will decide to remain in
Houston County, we are ecstatic that the jobs
are preserved for this area.
Certainly midstate officials, elected,
appointed and volunteer, are responsible for
this good news. Remember to thank them.
Remember to register
In a column elsewhere on this page,
Houston County School Superintendent
Tony Hinnant lobs the first volley in the
effort to entice voters to support a one-per
cent special local option sales tax to finance
school construction.
Voting on the matter will take place March
18. Persons who hope to participate in this
election must be registered by Feb. 18.
In Perry, registration may be completed at
the Board of Eleptionsjioffipp at thesTommie
Hunt Annex building br at Perry City Hall
along Washington Street. These two offices
are open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. each Monday through
Friday.
Additionally, applications may also be
obtained at the Houston County Courthouse
and at the Perry-Houston County Public
Library.
There are several locations in northern
Houston County for voter registration. Voters
can pick up applications at the Houston
County Annex building on Carl Vinson
Parkway, Warner Robins City Hall on
Watson Boulevard - 8:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m.
Centerville City Hall on Houston Lake
Boulevard, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Applications may also be obtained at the
Nola Brantley Library on Watson and the
Centerville Public Library on East Church
Street.
With all those locations, and with 13 days
remaining, we urge every Houston Countiari
who meets the requirements to be a voter to
prepare to vote in this important election.
Good selection for honor
The selection of Perry Mayor Jim Worrall
as the Seabie Hickson Community Service
Award winner for 1997 is, in our opinion, an
excellent one.
Worrall, who has been Perry mayor for
seven-plus years, has been an active member
of this community almost his entire adult life.
He was a public school educator, coach and
principal before becoming involved in private
school administration.
He has been a leader in his church and his
civic club, and in many other worthwhile
causes in the community. He worked tireless
ly for the renovation of the Perry
Consolidated School, which is now the
offices of the Houston County Board of
Education.
Jim Worrall fits the description of a com
munity servant. The Chamber did itself proud
in honoring Worrall this year.
Houston Times-Journal
P.O. Drawer M • 807 Carroll St. • Perry, Ga. 31069
(912) 987-1823 • (912) 988-1181 (fax)
e mailjjedit@hom.net
Bob Tribble President
Jj Johnson Editor and General Manager
John Smalley Advertising Sales
News- Emily Johnstone. Pauline Lewis, Rick Johnstone; Sports: Phil Clark, Classified
Some good reasons to support sales tax referendum
In September of 1996, the voters of
Houston County approved a Bond
Referendum in the amount of
$33,950,000 for renovation of existing
school facilities and the building of
three new schools. During the cam
paign for the Bond Referendum, the
Houston County Board of Education
promised that they would seek a 1 per
cent Special Local Option Sales Tax
(SPLOST) to relieve property owners
of the millage burden of all bonded
indebtedness both the new 1996
issue and the existing 1993 issue.
In November of 1996, Georgia vot
ers approved anew law which allows
local boards of education to call for a
local referendum approving a 1 percent
special local option sales tax for the
purpose of building or renovating
school facilities or for retiring out
standing bonded indebtedness which
funded previous renovation and facili
ty improvements.
On March 18, voters will have the
opportunity to approve a 1 percent
sales tax for the Houston County
School System and thus eliminate
future property taxes on both the 1993
and 1996 issues.
Naturally, any vote of this magni
tude should and does generate impor
tant questions which warrant clarifica
tion. Answers to these questions
address what we think are the critical
concerns that voters might have
regarding the collection and imple
mentation of this 1 percent sales tax.
What is the maximum amount of
VL PEANUT6MLtRY~j
—r utvi vmnwwl
* GINGRICH SHWW
BE CALMER MWfSS
\e>A4U*H '97
Froehlich: A $223 million impact
iDITOR’S NOTE: These are the
rks given by Michael Froehlich
appearance before a joint hear
ing of the Georgia House and
Senator Appropriations Committee.
Froehlich is the executive director of
the Georgia National Fairgrounds
and Agricenter in Perry.)
I am Michael Froehlich, Director of the
Georgia Agricultural Exposition Authority,
better known as the Georgia National
Fairgrounds and Agricenter in Perry and
more commonly called the Agricenter.
The usage and impact of the
Fairgrounds and Agricenter continue to
grow. Someone from every county in
Georgia has competed in an event at the
Agricenter. Competitors have come
from all 50 of the United States. Visitors
have come to see the Agricenter from 46
countries. Last year, a delegation from
Australia representing the Sydney 2000
Olympic Co-Ordination Authority visit
ed the Agricenter.
Attendance for all events at the
Agricenter during 1996 was 743,943.
Our cumulative attendance since open
ing in June of 1990 exceeds four mil
lion people.
During 1996, we hosted 197 events,
representing 361 event days. These
events ranged from cattle to computer
shows, from antique shows to annual
k
Ads and Composition: Chad Lewis; Circulation and Photography: Eric Zellars;
Bookkeeping: Paula L. Zimmerman.
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Unsigned editorials appearing in larger type on this page under the label of Our Views
relics' ihc position of the Houston Times-Journal. Signed columns and letters on this page
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Page 4A
Wed., Jan. 8, 1997
Tony
Hinnant
County School
Superintendent
sales tax to be collected?
To retire the 1993 Bond issue
$8,737,100.00 is needed for principal pay
ments and $1,926,490 for interest pay
ments. To retire the 19% Bond issue,
$33,950,000is needed for principal pay
ments and $9,291,725 for interest pay
ments. The total for both issues is
$53,905,315. This is the maximum
amount of sales tax money to be collected.
How long can the Houston
County Board of Education collect
this special tax ?
By law, the maximum duration of
this tax is five years. Collection would
begin in July of 1997 and end in June
of 2002. However, the maximum
amount of sales tax to be collected is
the amount needed to pay off the bond
ed indebtedness.
Using an estimated growth rate of 5
percent, it is anticipated that the maxi
mum tax collection required to pay off
both issues will be reached in four
years. At that point, the Georgia
Department of Revenue will cease col
lecting this tax. This is stated in the law
How can this SPLOST be extend
ed?
Letters to
the Editor
P.O. Drawer M
Perry, Ga. 31069
meetings and conferences, from RV
rallies to Rodeos, to the annual Georgia
National Fair.
Last year, we hosted the Family
Motor Coach Association’s 21st
Annual Winter International
Convention at the Agricenter. Some
6,632 motor coaches were parked on
the Fairgrounds. The economic impact
from this event for the state of Georgia
was greater than S2O million.
Last summer during the early morn
ing hours of July 13, 15,000 people
gathered at the Agricenter to welcome
the Olympic Torch.
Also, this past November, the
Agricenter was the host for the State
Baptist Convention. This three-day
event was attended by more than
14,000 people.
These events highlight the multipur
pose aspect of the Georgia National
Fairgrounds & Agricenter.
A major event on the books for the
Houston Times-Journal
The issue to be voted on in March of
1997 authorizes the SPLOST to be col
lected for five years or a maximum tax
collection of $53,905,315 whichever
comes first. In order for sales tax to be
extended beyond June of 2002, the
voters and taxpayers would have to
approve another local referendum
authorizing an extension.
What would be the overall savings
to taxpayers of Houston County?
The 1993 bonds were sold as a 15-
year issue which would be paid off in
March of 2008. The 1996 bands were
sold as a 20-year issue to be paid off in
March of 2016. The total pay off over
the next 20 years for both issues is
$67,525,528.
By using the 1 percent sales tax and
paying off both issues early at a cost of
$53,905,315, the taxpayers of Houston
County will save $13,620,212.
What are the advantages of a 1
percent special local option sales tax
to the citizens of Houston County?
As mentioned above, a net savings
of $13,620,212 as well as an early pay
off of both issues. Everyone will con
tribute to the payment of these issues,
not placing the total burden on just the
property owners. Even the tourists who
spend money in Houston County will
contribute to this payment.
What are property owners cur
rently paying in property taxes for
bonded indebtedness?
For the tax year 1996, one mill was
levied on property owners to generate
funds to make the principal and inter
Agricenter this year is the Junior.
National Angus Show. This July event
will have approximately 1,000 head of
cattle in competition. It is one of the most
prestigious livestock shows in the nation
Other new events this year include a
Monster Truck Show, the Air Force Jr
ROTC Military Ball, the Region 3
Airstream RV Rally, and the National
Dwarf Specialty Rabbit Show.
Last year, an 87,000 square-foot
Multipurpose Livestock/Exhibit
Facility was completed. And a 32,000
square-foot Sheep/Swine Building
Expansion is under construction.
With the addition of these buildings,
the Agricenter becomes one of the pre
mier livestock and horse facilities in
the country. Our reputation as a first
class facility has reached the point
where we are competing with Denver,
Fort Worth, Kansas City, and
Louisville for large national horse and
livestock shows. And the good news,
we are winning as evidenced by the
increase in the number of national and
regional shows being scheduled at the
Agricenter, bringing new dollars into
our state.
Since its opening in 1990, the esti
mated economic impact of the
(See FROEHLICH, Page SA)
ff>
ji- "2
ft
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ing counties by Houston Publications Inc., Perry, Ga. Our goal is to produce quality, prof
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Times-Journal, P.O. Drawer M, Perry, Ga. 31069. ISSN: 1075-1874.
est payments on the 1993 issue and
interest payments only for the new
1996 bond issue. On a SIOO,OOO home,
one mill equals S4O in property taxes.
Should the local option sales tax
referendum fail, what will property
owners be paying in property taxes
for bonded indebtedness next year?
For 1998, $3,774,626 will be due in
principal and interest payments on
both the 1993 and 1996 issues. It is
estimated that 2.5 mills will be needed
on the 1997 property tax digest to gen
erate the needed funds for this pay
ment. On a SIOO,OOO home, 2.5 mills
would equal SIOO in property taxes.
When the 1 percent special local
option sales tax passes, what will
property owners be paying in prop
erty taxes for bonded indebtedness
next year?
Nothing. The 1 percent sales tax
collection will make all future pay
ments for both the 1993 and the 1996
bond issues.
The referendum on March 18 is a
win-win proposition for everyone. It
puts the burden of payment on every
one, offers an opportunity for tax sav
ings to property owners, and gives the
voters the right to extend the collection
should there be a need when these two
issues are paid off.
Please remember to vote on March
18 in support of the Special Local
Option Sales Tax.
(Tony Hinnant is superintendent of
the 20,000-student Houston County
public school system.)
Phil Clark
Times-Journal
Sports
How come there are
no women managers?
Given the fact that there are so few
women head coaches on any level of
athletics, I suppose it’s kinda stupid to
ask this question, but ‘how come there
are no women managers in baseball?’
That day will probably never come,
not in my lifetime. The Colorado
Silver Bullets, the only professional
women’s baseball team in America, is
managed by a man, so that should tell
you something.
There are a few women head
coaches in middle Georgia, but aside
from softball and tennis, you can
count them on one hand. Maxine
Cherry at Peach County; Sydney
Hughes at Macon County; Evelyn
Wright at Americus; Elinor Goode at
Dublin and Cassandra Wilson at Mary
Persons are head basketball coaches
who come to mind.
This is not to say that the men who
are handling girls’ basketball aren’t
doing a good job. It’s hard to question
Max Vickers at Perry, Dick Kelly at
Dodge County, Tommy Mobley at
Warner Robins and a few others. And
I don’t think there is a finer girls’
coach anywhere than Casey Jones at
Houston County High.
But this story isn’t about men who
coach women’s sports, it’s about
women who don’t, and the fact there’s
no woman manager in baseball. This
story is about baseball and my belief
that there might be a few women out
there who could have, ot could, han
dle a baseball manager’s job.
I’ll tell you about one. Janet
Jackson of Cordele married Oscar
Williams and moved to Montezuma in
1948. Since Oscar was always a part
of the baseball team in Montezuma, I
can’t ever remember when Janet was
n’t around the ball field. The “town”
team in Montezuma was her team.
She took part in all of the activities.
She was sharp, too. She knew the
players on her team inside and out.
She knew more about making out a
lineup against a particular team or
pitcher than anyone who managed the
team over the years. In fact, when
managers would make out a lineup,
they would ask Janet if she thought is
was alright!
(See CLARK, Page 7A)