Goodger casts only “no” vote on fiscal year 2019 budget that will likely increase millage rate

News

CLEVELAND, Ga. – On a 4-1 vote, with Commissioner Terry Goodger opposed, the White County Board of Commissioners approved a fiscal year 2019 total budget of $23,663,399 Monday that will likely mean the first tax increase for citizens in four years.

The new spending plan calls for an increase of $2,509,954 in the total budget since last year. Also included is the addition of six new full-time and three part-time employees and a $2 per hour pay rise for employees other than law enforcement, which received a pay raise earlier this year.

It was the fact that the pay raise for other employees was included in the budget without a vote of the Board of Commissioners that drew Goodger’s strong opposition.

“I don’t recall that we had a formal vote saying we were going to give a pay raise,” Goodger stated. “If we pass this budget, it will be in there but we never really had a discussion on the Board about that. I know we have got to pass a budget but it strikes me as wrong that we may pass a budget with a big millage increase because we have got to give a pay raise.”

In presenting the budget, County Manager Michael Melton said, the proposed general fund budget is $18,925,734 and balancing the budget would require some use of the fund balance and “more than likely” a millage increase. Public Safety will receive the biggest slice of the budget, approximately 48.7 percent, followed by General Government 23.2 percent.

Separate funding makes up $4,734,665 of the overall budget with E-911 getting the most at $1,051,582.

Commissioners approved a contract with Charles Black Construction in the amount of $121,885 for finishing the football field at Yonah Preserve and a lighting services agreement with Georgia Power in the amount of $107,406 plus $632.46 monthly.

The Board also approved revisions to the special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) road projects that will allow Stanly Nix Road, Mauldin Road, Bonnie Pearl Lane, Hawthorne Drive and Cedar Hollow to be paved by August 31.

 

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BOC approves lower-than-expected millage rate

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CLEVELAND, Ga. – The White County Board of Commissioners struggled to set the new millage rate during a third and final public hearing Monday. Commissioner Craig Bryant’s initial motion called for a rate of 11.25 mills. That was quickly voted down by Commissioners Terry Goodger, Edwin Nix and Lynn Holcomb. Bryant tried again with a motion of 11 mills. That too failed. Finallly, Commissioner Lynn Holcomb’s motion for 10.75 mills gained unanimous approval.

But the lower millage rate led to another struggle. The budget the Board tentatively approved last month was predicated on setting the millage rate at 11.25. But now that the 10.75 rate has been approved, county staff must find approximately $683,000 in spending cuts to balance the budget.

Commission Chairman Travis Turner strongly opposed withdrawing money from county reserves to help balance the budget. The Association of County Commissioners Georgia recommends counties keep three months of operating expenses in reserves to use in an emergency like the tropical storm that blew through White County last month. The county now has the equivalent of about 1.8 months in its reserves.

“For 10 years, the county has received a strong financial rating by carrying two to three months or more in our fund balance,” he said. “I feel like we’re playing with fire (by considering a reduction in the fund balance.”

Commissioners then turned the work over to county staff to find the necessary cuts and bring its recommendation back to the Board as soon as possible.

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

Commissioners approve new vehicles for sheriff’s office

News

CLEVELAND, Ga. – The White County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the purchase of two new replacement vehicles from Jacky Jones Ford for the Sheriff’s Office during a morning called meeting Monday.

The two fully-equipped police vehicles are a 2019 Dodge Durango and 2019 Ford Taurus that will replace a 2013 Taurus with 180,000 miles and a 2010 Crown Victoria with a total 190,000 miles.

The older vehicles will remain in the sheriff’s office pool as backup cars until the county decides to surplus them.

Commissioners have discussed the possibility of switching from a fiscal year budget that ends June 30 to a calendar year budget that would end Dec. 31.

Clay Pilgrim of Rushton and Company, the county’s audit firm, gave the commissioners a presentation, outlining the pros and cons each.

One advantage of ending the budget year on June 30 is that it matches the state’s year-end budget. “That doesn’t sound like a huge deal, but it can be in regard to grants and other state funding,” Pilgrim said.

One disadvantage, Pilgrim pointed out, is that the budget must typically be approved prior to the approval of the millage rate and digest.

The advantage of a Dec. 31 end to the budget year is budget is approved after the approval of the digest and millage rate, which removed much of the guessing game as far as how much revenue is available for the next year’s budget.

The disadvantage, he said, is “The audit process would begin in Dec. which is not good timing for staff since there are a lot of of items around the year end on finance staff like W2s and 1099s and generally closing out a calendar year.”

Commissioners left a decision for a future meeting.

Commissioner Terry Goodger made a motion, which was unanimously approved, to keep Yonah Preserve open seven days a week instead of the previous five. The new hours will be from 8 a.m. through 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday. On Thursday through Sunday, it will be open from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Chairman Travis Turner announced the county will host the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission meeting on Sept. 27 at 6 p.m. at Babyland General.

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

Commissioners agree to give cities 20 percent split of proposed 2020 special purpose local option sales tax

News

CLEVELAND, Ga. – The White County Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 during a called meeting Thursday to divide the revenue from a proposed 2020 special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) with the cities of Cleveland and Helen on a 60-20-20 basis.

Before it can be collected, however, voters must approve an extension of the one-penny tax in a November referendum.

In a recent work session, Helen Mayor Jeff Ash and Cleveland Mayor Shan Ash requested their cities receive 23 percent each. County officials, however, only seemed willing to part with 13 percent. Put to a vote Thursday, Commissioners Terry Goodger, Craig Bryant and Lyn Holcomb voted in favor of awarding the cities 20 percent each.

“I thought it was fair,” Goodger said. “Several years ago, they had a bigger split. They moved down to 13 percent to help us bond the jail and now they want to go back to 23 percent.”

Commissioners originally estimated a six-year SPLOST would generate about $24 million. However, Goodger said collections have been stronger than anticipated the last few years. “Collections remained strong even during the bad times of the economy,” he said. “With two or three percent growth, over the six years of the SPLOST we could collect closer to $28 million.”

Both mayors said projects they would like to undertake would cost about $5.5 million.

Helen Mayor Ash said an expensive upgrade of its wastewater treatment facility would cost about half that. “We have 93 million gallons of sewage that has to be lifted and put in that pond (for treatment). We need a new lift station and those things aren’t cheap,” he said earlier this month.

The city of Cleveland wants to use its share of the revenue for improvements to the city courthouse, infrastructure, public safety facilities and roads and bridges.

Commissioners also approved a joint resolution with Lumpkin County that calls for Ga. 400 to be extended 16.2 miles from its intersection with state Route 60 in Lumpkin County to the new Appalachian Parkway in White County.

Ga. 400 has been an important catalyst for commercial, industrial and economic growth in the counties it runs through. Tourism is one of the top industries in White and Lumpkin counties, hosting about 1.2 million tourists each year. A major four-lane divided highway would make the counties more accessible to tourists. The counties will now present the resolution to state Senator Steve Gooch (R-Dahlonega).

“Senator Gooch will bring it to the Georgia Department of Transportation to see if they will put it into their bucket of things to do,” Goodger said. “It’s going to happen eventually. We just want to be proactive rather than reactive in trying to get this on the table now.”

 

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

 

Commissioners Approve Rehabilitation Work on County Bridges

News

CLEVELAND, Ga. — The White County Board of Commissioners approved  rehabilitation and improvement work on the Town Creek Road bridge and two bridges on New Bridge Road as part of the 2017 Local Maintenance Improvement Grant from the Georgia Department of Transportation during Thursday’s called meeting.

The grant is for $382,326.74 with a match of $114,694 from the county.

The board also approved a professional services agreement with Sastry Associates, Inc. for engineering work in conjunction with the LMIG project.

Commissioners then held a discussion, but took no action on, a proposed amendment to the White County Land Use Regulations that would permit a full-time child care facility to be built within agricultural and residential single-family districts.

The three commissioners who were present for the meeting (Chairman Travis Turner, Terry Goodger and Lyn Holcomb) indicated they could support what essentially would be a foster home with a limited number of children. However, they also said they want the request to go to the Planning Commission first and since that had not been done, they took no decision.

Commissioners Shoot Down Shooting Range

News

CLEVELAND, Ga. — The White County Board of Commissioners unanimously rejected a rezoning request by Caleb Huiet and Josh Wofford that would have allowed a private outdoor shooting range to be built on Hwy. 75 Alternate during Monday’s regular meeting.

Once again, the meeting room was packed by those for and against the shooting range. Commission Chairman Travis Turner asked and received restraint from the audience when the decision was announced.

At a recent public hearing on the issue, those supporting the request said they would like to have some place where they could teach gun safety to their children and grandchildren. Opponents said the range would disturb the tranquility of the area reduce property values.

Tammy Dean, who said her family has lived near the proposed facility for several generations, made the most compelling argument on behalf of her special needs daughter during that public hearing. Dean said her daughter suffers from epilepsy and is prone to seizures that can be brought on by loud noises.

“We have to take precautions at school,” Dean said. “She is not allowed to be in the building when a fire alarm goes off. We have had instances where we have had to call an ambulance and White County ambulances know when they come to pick our daughter up they can’t use their sirens. We have also had to take her somewhere else during the times when these gentlemen (property owners) have been shooting.”

In other decisions Monday, the Board tabled Shirley Van’s application for redistricting her property at 5642 Hwy. 115 West from single family residential to highway business district until several code violations have been rectified.

Commissioners unanimously denied a request for a variance from land use requirements for residential lot sizes of less than one acre by Tanvor, LLC.

In a 3-2 vote, with commissioners Terry Goodger, Edwin Nix and Lyn Holcomb in favor, the Board chose to go with a lease from Caterpillar for heavy equipment for the Road Department.

 

 

 

White County’s Probation Service Provider Target of Multiple Lawsuits

News

CLEVELAND, Ga. Sentinel Offenders Services, the company that handles misdemeanor probation cases for White County, has been sued more than two dozen times, including a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of two White County women and hundreds of others.

Southern Center for Human Rights filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in February alleging her clients were subjected to unsanctioned and forced drug tests to enhance Sentinel’s profits.

In a statement to the Florida Times-Union, Sarah Geraghty, the Center’s attorney, said, “Sentinel’s predatory practices have nothing to do with public safety and everything to do with turning a profit. Public confidence in the courts will be seriously undermined if these abusive practices are allowed to continue.”

Rita Luse and Marianne Ligocki are the White County plaintiffs. Luse is a 62-year-old grandmother. Ligocki is a 45-year-old mother of nine. Their crime: Driving on an expired license tag and being unable to afford to pay the fine when they went to court.

The women pleaded guilty in White County Probate Court and were sentenced to 12-months on probation. According to the lawsuit, Sentinel probation officer Stacy McDowell Black ordered them to submit to drug testing for which they had to pay Sentinel even though the judge did not order the drug test. The women say McDowell Black threatened to have their probation revoked if they refused.

Another White County woman, Kathy Thompson Cochran said she also was threatened and intimidated by McDowell Black.

Cochran said her 5-year nightmare started with the open records request she filed with the Enotah Judicial District Public Defender’s Office in 2011. Instead of receiving information, Cochran said she was charged with Computer Forgery, a charge that was dismissed two years later.

“Those are very common charges when one files an open records request on a state agency,” said Cochran, a paralegal. “I’ve never had a problem with obtaining local government records.”

Next, she was accused of Computer Invasion of Privacy and Identity Fraud. In 2014, the court ordered the charges dead docketed, a device by which prosecution is postponed indefinitely.

Both charges are felonies and Sentinel’s contract with White County clearly states, “In no event will Sentinel be charged with the responsibility of supervising a felony sentence unless authorized to do so.”

But Cochran had not been arrested, convicted or sentenced. Still, she was ordered to report to Sentinel’s Cleveland office. There, she says she was ordered to undergo drug testing, perform community service and attend a pre-trial diversion program for shoplifting. Shoplifting? Cochran was not accused of shoplifting. Cochran said McDowell Black threatened to have her jailed if she refused any of the orders.

Last month, Cochran’s attorney Barbara Cole filed a motion in White County Superior Court seeking to have all charges against her client be dismissed. That case is now pending and could be decided this month.

Fetch Your News attempted to talk to either Sentinel or McDowell Black, but our calls were not returned.

White County awarded Sentinel the contract to provide probation services in 2005. It was signed by then County Commission Chairman Chris Nonnemaker and Chief Magistrate Judge Joy Parks and has automatically renewed annually.

County Commissioner Terry Goodger said he expects commissioners will review the contract in the near future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commissioners Adopt 9.998 Millage Rate

News

CLEVELAND, Ga. – The White County Board of Commissioners voted to raise the millage rate by .89 mils to 9.998 Monday and the only complaint heard during the third and final public hearing was from citizens who thought the increase should have been bigger.

Elizabeth Wells, one of five people to make public comment, said she would be willing to have a bigger tax increase if commissioners would approve a pay raise for public safety personnel.

“We all know the importance of our public safety employees and the tensions that have arisen,” she said. “Now that our population has reached 33,000, their job is even more important. I’d like to see them paid more to stay here.”

Sheriff Neal Walden has spoken often about the high cost of training replacements when experienced deputies leave to accept higher paying law enforcement jobs in other counties.

Russell Mobley said, “No one wants to pay more taxes, but I strongly support the Board of Commissioners in raising the millage rate.”

Laurie Lee said, “I too support the commissioners and commend them for doing of this.”

Chairman Travis Turner and Commissioners Terry Goodger and Lyn Holcomb voted for the increase while Commissioners Craig Bryant and Edwin Nix opposed it.

Turner said, “Raising taxes is not what I’m all about but when you milk a cow, there is only so far you can go. We have to look ahead.”

The millage rate was 8.19 in 2006 and ’07 then increased to 9.19 in 2008 and remained there until it was lowered to 9.168 from 2014- ’16.

Commissioners OK Wrecker Impound Lot Despite Pleas of City, Area Residents

News

CLEVELAND, Ga. – The White County Board of Commissioners approved a very unpopular zoning change Monday that allows a wrecker impound lot to be built on 2.24 acres at the end of Helton Street, part of which is located in the City of Cleveland.

Property owners Don Payne and Terry Kimbrell requested the change from R-1 Residential to C2 Highway Business District in an area that does not have the highway access called for in the C2 classification. Although the property backs up to the Appalachian Parkway, it does not have access from that road.

Commissioners held two public hearings on the issue and at one, the meeting room was filled with area residents who strongly opposed the rezoning. Opponents said it would increase truck traffic in a residential area and endanger children. They also voiced concern that the business would eventually become a junkyard that would have a negative impact on property values.

The City of Cleveland has also voiced its opposition to the reclassification.

The vote to approve the zoning change was 4-1 with Commissioner Terry Goodger opposed. When the final vote was announced, one angry area resident registered her protest and stormed out of the meeting.

There were some conditions attached to the approval. The owners will have to use Campbell Street off Highway 115 West to access the property and if the property is sold and the usage changes the issue would have to come back to the county for a review. Also, commissioners said the lot can never become a junkyard.

White County Commissioners Will Advertise Millage Increase

News

CLEVELAND, Ga. — The White County Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 during a called meeting Tuesday to advertise a millage rate increase to 9.998 mils to support the Fy 2017 budget. Public hearings are scheduled for Aug. 1st and Aug. 4th at 8 a.m. and Aug. 8th at 6 p.m.

The advertised rate represents an increase of .89 mills.  The proposed tax increase for a home  with a fair market value of $160,000.00 is approximately $56.96 and the proposed tax increase for non- homestead property with a fair market value of $130,000.00 is approximately $46.28.

Commissioners had projected a tax digest of $863,623,546 when they approved the FY 2017 budget but on Thursday they received the bad news that the digest was about $3 million below that projection.

As a result, commissioners were faced with the difficult decision to raise the millage rate or lower the county’s fund balance in order to balance the budget. The Association County Commissioners of Georgia recommends that counties keep at least a three-month fund balance in case of emergencies.

Reluctantly, Commissioner Terry Goodger proposed a millage rate of 10.108 in order to preserve a three-month fund balance.

“This Board has worked hard and been frugal with the taxpayers money,” he said. “This will be the first time in my six years on the board we’ve needed to raise taxes. But I’ve looked at the future and I don’t see the tax digest getting any better in the next two or three years. So I think we need to step forward and take care of this now.”

The motion failed 2-3 with Chairman Travis Turner voting with Goodger.
After a lengthy discussion, Goodger motioned for a millage rate of 0.966 which would have balanced the budget, but kept only about two-and-a-half months in the fund balance. That motion also failed 2-3.

Lyn Holcomb finally made a motion to advertise for a 9.998 millage rate and that was approved 3-2 with Craig Bryant and Edwin Nix opposed.

 

Commissioners Hold First Public Hearing on FY 2017 Budget

News

CLEVELAND, Ga. — The White County Board of Commissioners held the first public hearing on a FY 2017 proposed General Fund budget of $16,161,230 Thursday morning. The next public hearing is set for June 30.

The budget is about $127,000 higher than last year’s mid-year amended budget request of $16,034,021.

About 49.2 percent of the proposed spending plan will go to public safety, with 21,3 percent earmarked for general government.

Commissioners have budgeted $3,072,567.54 for the Sheriff’s Office, $2,114,003.53 for the Detention Center and $1,047,373.19 for the Fire Department.

At last week’s meeting, commissioners anticipated the need of a possible one-half mil increase to balance the budget. If they were expecting angry constituents to rise up in protest at Thursday’s meeting, they must have been pleasantly surprised.

“I think when you’re honest with people and do the best you can, they understand,” said Commissioner Terry Goodger.

With about a dozen people in attendance, only two rose to speak. One thanked commissioners for their hard work. The other said, he would not have complained even if the increase had been larger.

Carl Noon, a White County native who returned home to north Georgia recently, is retiring as a police officer in Houston Texas.

Noon said, “I’m concerned that, yes, you do need to be business-like, but there are some things government can do that nobody else can do. If you don’t budget enough, fire is affected, police is affected, ambulance is affected.”

A 35-year law enforcement veteran, Noon added, “I found out there are police officers here making the same salary from their first year on the job through their eighth year, it’s $14 an hour. You can go to Jiffy Lube an get 15 bucks. I don’t see how you can keep them in the future. You’re training people to go to other locations.”

Noon suggested that a grant writer could help the county increase revenue.

“They could go after grants from the Georgia Tourism Board and state highway funds,” he said.

Annette Boswell, who works with Family Connection, said, “I just wanted to say thank you from Family Connection, but most of all thank you from the children we serve. In my first year, we served 400 children. Last year, we served 1,700. I personally thank you for keeping us and I promise we will do our best to do everything we can for the kids.”

Commissioners Look for Budget Cuts to Avoid Millage Increase

News

CLEVELAND, Ga. — In a marathon two-and-a-half hour called meeting Monday, the White County Board of Commissioners grappled with the inevitable, a slight millage increase in the FY 2016-17 budget. Currently, it looks like the increase will be one-half mil which translates to about $20 annually on a $100,000 home when the proposed budget is adopted in July.

Commissioners authorized County Clerk Shanda Murphy to advertise public hearings for 8 a.m. June 23 and 30.

At the start of the meeting, the Board was battling a $800,000 differential between proposed revenue and expenditures in the proposed $13.4 million spending plan and they looked for cuts anywhere they could find them.

The biggest cut came in funding for the YMCA. Commissioners voted 3-2 with Chairman Travis Turner and Commissioner Terry Goodger discontinue the agreement with the YMCA and bring those services in house. The proposed budget for the YMCA had been $575,000. Commissioners will give those responsibilities to Parks and Recreation and reduce the budget to $500,000, a savings of $75,000.

The Board’s decision to end its agreement with the YMCA was not just about the money, however. Commissioner Lyn Holcomb cited a lack of communication and failure of the YMCA to develop a feeder system for the middle school and high school. Commissioner Edwin Nix said he had fielded numerous complaints from citizens about the YMCA, including failure to open concession stands during hot summer months so people could buy cold drinks.

The Board also found an additional $61,000 in savings by reducing the amount of the hotel/motel tax it distributes to organizations like the Chamber of Commerce, Convention and Visitors Bureau, Sautee Nacoochee and the Historical Society and another and by reducing its payments to the Health Department by $25,000. But, in the end, it wasn’t enough.

“I was hopeful we wouldn’t have to raise taxes,” Holcomb said.
Turner said this is the first time since he’s been on the Board that taxes had to be raised.

“I don’t want taxes to go up,” he said. “Nobody on this Board does.”
Nix said, “People here can’t say we haven’t beaten ourselves up over this.”

The Board also awarded bids to two contractors to do the preparation work associated with the paving of a portion of Mt. Pleasant Church Road, Gene Nix Road, Yonah Valley Road and Barret Mill Road. The votes were unanimous, however, Commissioner Craig Bryant recused himself from the discussions because he had a relative who is one of the bidders.

The prep work Gene Nix Road and Yonah Valley Road was awarded to the low bidder Crumley Creek Construction in the amounts of $56,163 and $45,258 respectively.

The prep work for Barrett Mill and Mt. Pleasant roads was awarded to the low bidder Nelson Construction in the amounts of $95,631 and $44,727 respectively.

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