Click here to view the rest of the gallery.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Tax increase adopted in Forsyth
County property taxes will be increasing following a recent 3-2 vote by county commissioners approving the measure. Commissioners David Richard and Linda Ledbetter voted against.
The county Maintenance and Operation rate remains at 3.834. The Fire rate remains at 1.765.
The Bond rate is 1.196 mills, up from 0.446 mills in 2007. This represents a total millage increase of 0.75 mills.
The increase in the Bond property tax rate is due to the approval of the $100 million parks, recreation and green space bond measure approved by voters in February. The county intends to issue these bonds in September or October.
Some local residents addressed commissioners Aug. 21 to express their concern over county expenditures and raising taxes during this slow economy. One such resident was Cumming Mayor Ford Gravitt.
"I am in opposition to any tax increase," he said. "During the last 10 years, we've had an average growth in the tax digest of over a billion dollars a year. I don't see how the county couldn't tighten their belts like everyone else."
Gravitt said local residents could be facing additional taxes from the schools and a potential new county detention center that will be placed before voters this November.
"You are throwing around tens of millions of dollars like it's nothing," he said. "I believe the jail should have been funded by SPLOST. I wish we could consider not raising taxes and think about saving money instead."
However, Commissioner Jim Harrell said the county has spent tax dollars exactly the way voters have asked.
"SPLOST 6 was about transportation," he said. "We heard that need from voters loud and clear. People said they were not interested in paying for a jail. We have nothing to do with the school tax. The only increase in the millage rate is the one approved by voters."
But Richard said the growth in the tax digest without lowering taxes "is considered an increase."
Richard said the county needed to "tighten its belts" and should review its budget procedures.
"I don't think we've looked hard enough last year at cutting areas we could cut," he said. "We should be approving the increase in the bond rate, but we should be also lowering the county millage rate to start saving tax dollars."
Richard said some county departments have not cooperated in making necessary cuts.
"I hope we take a hatchet rather than a surgical knife to some of these departments that are not playing ball the way they should," he said.
The Board of Commissioners held three public hearings to allow the public an opportunity to express their opinions regarding the increase.
- www.northfulton.com
Forsyth offers Computers 4 Kids
For the second year, Forsyth County School System is offering used computers for sale on a first come, first serve basis to all of its students.
The Computers 4 Kids program will sell Windows XP computers used in Forsyth County schools well below market value. They cost $83.50 plus tax. The 17-inch monitors will sell for $30 plus tax.
The sale will only be for FCS students. For more information visit www.forsyth.k12.ga.us, news.
- www.northfulton.com
Friday, September 5, 2008
Forsyth fires county manager
Forsyth County is now searching for another county manager.
The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 Sept. 4 to terminate the current county manager contract with Rhonda Poston-O'Connor effective immediately. Deputy County Manager Doug Derrer was named at the interim county manager.
Commission Chairman Charles Laughinghouse and Commissioner Jim Harrell voted against.
Poston-O'Connor immediately left the meeting.
Poston-O'Connor recently came under the scrutiny of Commissioners Brian Tam, Linda Ledbetter and David Richard as a result of the county's current approximate $6.9 million budget deficit combined with the potential neccessity of drawing $5 million from reserves to balance the budget.
Laughinghouse and Harrell postponed a decision last Thursday. Richard described the Aug. 28 meeting as a "kindergarten session."
To prevent another postponement Sept. 4, Richard said another meeting was called for 10 a.m. Sept. 5 as "insurance." The Sept. 5 meeting will now probably be canceled.
- www.northfulton.com
Thursday, September 4, 2008
One dead in Milton double stabbing
One woman is dead and a man is in critical condition after a double stabbing that police said started as a domestic argument Sept. 4 at the North Park Estates apartments on Deerfield Parkway.
Police are not releasing the identities of anyone involved in the incident until their families are contacted. They are described as being in their early 30s. Lt. Shawn McCarty of the Milton Police Department said the female victim's 5-year-old son was at the scene and is in protective custody. He was not injured in the attack.
"He saw a large portion of it," said McCarty.
McCarty said a neighbor called Milton police shortly after midnight to report he could hear people arguing outside an apartment in the complex. That same neighbor called back a few minutes later to report he'd seen them bleeding, said McCarty, and the call was changed to a stabbing.
By the time Milton police arrived on scene at 12:11 a.m., the woman was dead.
She was found with the male, who police believe to be the main suspect in the stabbing, in the breezeway of the 1000 building. A single knife was found on scene, said McCarty.
The man was taken to North Fulton Regional Hospital, where police have yet to speak with him.
Because he is unconscious, investigators have not determined the cause of the argument or the couple's exact relationship. In addition, McCarty said it is unknown how one knife was used to stab two people.
"We won't know until we can get a chance to talk to him," he said.
McCarty said Milton police have not been called to the residence before for domestic problems.
This is the first homicide in Milton since last October, when two men were found dead inside a home on Harmony Court in Avensong. Their alleged shooter, Allan Hall, 27, of Buffalo, N.Y., was arrested for the crime Nov. 1.
Milton has had four deaths since incorporation, all near the vicinity of Deerfield Parkway.
- www.northfulton.com
NOW PLAYING with Scott Sowers
Last weekend was one of the most important weekends of the year: it signaled that we won't be without football during the weekend until early next winter. But still, something felt a little empty, namely that Sunday was devoid of any NFL action. Not anymore.
This week marks the start of the 2008 NFL season and I couldn't be more excited. Now this weekend we'll have the delightful marriage of Saturday college games and Sunday pro games (not forgetting Monday night as well).
This will surely be another exciting season for the league with tons of stories coming out of nowhere and the potential for an upset or two along the way. Remember how the Patriots were the team of destiny to go undefeated but the unheralded Giants came out and completely upstaged the Pats' coronation? Remember how Brett Favre was left for dead by nearly every fan and pundit in the country but instead had one of his best years ever?
That's the kind of stuff I'm talking about.
The Brett Favre saga continued to be the league's major storyline well into the offseason and practically the only thing ESPN covered until a few weeks ago when Green Bay thankfully cut the cord and sent him to the Jets so we were mercifully treated to having the airwaves (virtually) Favre-free.
Does he still have any magic left in the tank after last year's shocking run up to the NFC title game? I say no. I thought he was beyond done until last year as he kept looking older and slower out there. He might be able to have a decent season, but the guy isn't getting any younger; his decline was just on break last season.
Still, he's given Jets fans plenty to be excited about, and rightfully so. They got one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time to maybe shore up a position that's been dreadful for years at the Meadowlands.
But enough about Favre, because personally I couldn't care less about this story after it was beaten into my brain over and over this summer.
This year looks to be a "status quo" year if you will in the NFL because all of the major powers are predicted to make the playoffs again with few surprises thrown-in. Most of the division races seem formalities, as teams like the Patriots, Seahawks, Chargers and Colts merely have to keep doing what they're doing to make it to the postseason.
Very few divisions seem in doubt, with most of them coming in the NFC. The one pundits will most readily point to (which, given the geographic locations of the teams, makes sense) is the NFC East, long thought of as the center of power in the conference. And why not? The Giants won the Super Bowl, and it contains the supposed greatest rivalry in the game in the Cowboys and Redskins. Three of their teams made the playoffs last season, and the fourth, the Philadelphia Eagles, are a sexy pick to not only win the division, but the conference as well.
Personally, I'm not sold on the Eagles nor the Redskins as I think that Donovan McNabb will once again go down with a season ending injury, and the Skins' defense may be on shaky legs after losing several players in training camp to injuries and Jason Taylor, who they brought in at the last minute, might not last long either.
Another interesting race, but one the media seems to be overlooking, takes place right here with the NFC South. The Falcons are still a few years away but appear headed in the right direction with the Matt Ryan/Michael Turner combination in the backfield, but you've got the Saints who look to repeat their miracle run of two seasons ago, and the Bucs and Panthers out to prove they have what it takes.
The Saints addressed a lot of issues in the offseason by bringing in guys like Jeremy Shockey and the great Jonathon Vilma from the Jets at linebacker. They are absolutely the favorites to win the division and Drew Brees is a legitimate MVP contender. Down in Tampa, the Bucs are looking to repeat their success of a year ago, but if history is an indicator, this won't be their year because Jon Gruden has never had two winning seasons in a row there. Still, with Jeff Garcia under center and one of the best defenses consistently in the game, they're always in the mix.
Finally, there's the Panthers, my team and a total enigma. On the one hand they addressed a lot of offseason questions by bringing in help on all sides of the ball from drafting running back Jonathon Stewart in the first round to bringing receivers DJ Hackett and Muhsin Muhammad and linebacker Landon Johnson. With Jake Delhomme back from Tommy John surgery supposedly throwing the best ball of his career, this team could be dangerous, but I'm cautiously optimistic saying they'll muster eight or nine wins and be on the outside looking in.
The NFC North will be wide open as well, but there's just too much suck going on to merit much written about it. I guess the Vikings will come out on top.
The playoffs will feature the usual suspects in the AFC and NFC with perhaps little surprise. Division winners in the AFC will include the Patriots (top seed), Colts, Chargers and Steelers with wildcard team Jaguars and Browns while on the flip side it will be the Cowboys (top seed), Saints, Seahawks and Vikings with the Giants and Bucs rounding things out in the wildcard.
This year may be the Chargers' year (and I'm tired of the Patriots anyway) so I have them ousting New England in the AFC Championship and then defeating the Saints in the Super Bowl, who themselves will defeat the Giants in the NFC title game. MVP will be Drew Brees while Brad Childress up in the Land of 10,000 Lakes will take home the Coach of the Year Award.
Enough of the talk, let's get the games started.
- www.gwinnettherald.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
