Commission levies 2007 taxes; recognizes Williams for service

Virginia Williams, who has retired as executive director of the Lincoln County Board of Elections and Registration, was presented by the county commission with a plaque of appreciation for her 12 and onehalf years of service to the people of the county. Pictured with Williams is Commission Chairman Walker Norman.

The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners approved its final FY 2008 General Fund Budget and set the tax levy at its regular monthly meeting held Thursday, August 9.

The $6,269,050 budget reflects a 3.38 percent increase ($205,247) over last year's budget of $6,063,803.

According to Commission Chairman Walker Norman, "We were about a quarter of a million dollars short when we began the budget process. To increase spending by only $200,000 while working with a $6 million budget was a significant achievement. I think we're in pretty good shape for FY 2008."

For the most part, the increase will cover raises for county employees, the first payment on the purchase of a new motor grader for the Public Works Department, and the purchase of a new, fully-equipped patrol car for the sheriff's office.

In related item of business, the commission approved the final FY 2008 Miscellaneous Fund Budget of $2,487,097. This budget includes the Hotel/Motel Fund; the SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) Fund; the E-911 Fund; the Family Connection Fund; the FAST START Grant Fund; the Drug Education Fund; the Jail Fee Fund; the Solid Waste Fund; and the Water Fund.

The commission also approved the tax levy for 2008. The millage rates are as follows: County Government, 10.00 mills; School Maintenance and Operations, 12.882 mills; the Development Authority, 1.00 mill; and the State, 0.25 mills, for a total of 24.132 mills.

In other business, Al Bean addressed the commission on "the burden of rising property values."

"Lincoln County's trend of overappraising property values is creating growing dissatisfaction among property owners, especially senior citizens who are on a fixed income," stated Bean. "Property taxes have outpaced the rate of personal income growth by at least 100 percent, and the burden has shifted to the people on the lake."

He noted that it is time for the county to take advantage of the homestead valuation freeze, which would help ensure that older property owners could continue to live in Lincoln County.

"Several senior citizens have left Lincoln County, not by choice but only because they could no longer afford to pay the taxes," said Bean. "If the county hopes to continue to grow and attract the retiring baby boomers, then we have no choice but to offer a tax incentive."

He went on to say that 95 percent of the Georgia counties that have implemented the homestead valuation freeze have experienced a significant growth in population.

In further comments, Bean referred to the flood of "property flipping" currently taking place in the county. "When a property owner receives a tax notice that is out of line, he will no longer stay. This is one of the reasons why other counties, located near a lake, have taken the steps to enact a property valuation freeze thus making it possible for property owners to stay."

He concluded his comments by saying it is time for the board of commissioners to address these problems and concerns.

In response to Bean's remarks, Chairman Norman indicated that the assessment of property is not a function of the county commission. The commission only funds the tax assessor's office.

The chairman then stated, "There is no question that property values have increased. Lincoln County is within less than one percent of where it should be as far as the assessment level required by the state is concerned. The tax assessor's office has to follow state law or the county is penalized for it.

"The only way to control property valuation is for people to quit paying exorbitant prices for land," Norman continued. "Moreover, 50 percent of the property in Lincoln County is in the conservation use covenant - we have no control over this.

"However, as the tax digest has increased, the county has lowered the millage rate by over four mills during the past seven years - in fact, we decreased it by .40 mills tonight."

In other comments, Chairman Norman said, "This past January, we considered implementing a homestead valuation freeze; we have also been looking at increasing the homestead tax exemption for our low income residents. I, personally, do not support a homestead valuation freeze. Nevertheless, I would be in favor of helping those with low or fixed incomes by raising the homestead exemption amount.

"But all of this has stopped as far as I'm concerned," the chairman stated. "Next year, the General Assembly will be asked to repeal all property taxes statewide. If this passes, these tax issues will be moot at the local level. If it doesn't pass, I will support raising the homestead exemption from $4,000 to $10,000 or $12,000. I will support anything that will ease the tax burden on those in the low income bracket. I don't want anyone to lose their home because of taxes."

In further business, the commissioners recognized Virginia Williams, who recently retired as executive director of the Lincoln County Board of Elections and Registration after 12 and one-half years of service.

On behalf of the board of commissioners, Chairman Norman presented Williams with a plaque in appreciation of her service to Lincoln County.

"Mrs. Williams has done an excellent job in moving our elections board into the 21st century," said Norman. "When she started, she was working with paper ballots; now, almost everything is computerized. She will be missed by all of us, and we wish her well in her retirement."

Commissioners Allen Walker and Mike Hawkes expressed their appreciation to Williams for "always being there when we needed you."

In her comments, Williams said she has enjoyed working with the elections board in spite of the paper ballots and long, sleepless nights. She then thanked the board of commissioners for the plaque and their thoughtfulness.

The new executive director of the board of elections and registration is Kelvin Williams, Williams' son.

Also during the meeting, the com- mission:

.. Voted to install a panic button system at a cost of $9,147.50 to comply with a statewide initiative promoting courthouse safety. The wireless duress buttons will be purchased from SecureTech Systems, Inc.

The system will feature 25 panic buttons, which will be located in county offices in the courthouse and adjacent buildings. When the button is pushed, a pre-recorded voice message is sent directly to emergency personnel via radio; there is no "dispatch delay."

.. Was presented with an Employee Wellness Incentive Grant by Sherea Robinson, representing the ACCG (Association County Commissioners of Georgia) Local Government Risk Management Agency.

The grant will promote worksite programs designed to enhance the health of county employees and their family members.

.. Heard the Department of Public Safety Report given by Director Ernie Doss, who indicated that the ambulance service responded to 127 calls for emergency assistance during the month of July. "Our call volume was up 19 calls from July of 2006," he said.

Concerning the E-911 center, operators handled 924 emergency calls last month, monitored 7,315 radio transmissions, and dispatched a total of 639 public safety, law enforcement, and fire calls.

Director Doss further noted that Verizon has installed the routers for Phase II of the E-911 project, which will enhance the county's ability to locate wireless 911 callers.

"We plan to start live testing August 13," said Doss, adding that he will update the commissioners on the center's progress at the group's next meeting.

.. Heard the Water Department Report given by Director Roby Seymour, who said his office billed 1,587 water customers for a total of $50,453.31.

Concerning roads, the director reported that his staff has been busy replacing signage, bush-hogging, installing driveway pipe, hauling crush and run, scraping various roads, and pave Ebenezer Church Road, Colvin Kennedy Road, Julia's Way, roads in the Montego Point subdivision, and roads at Broad River.

In a related item of business, each commissioner was asked to add two roads to the LARP (Local Assistance Road Program) list. The DOT will select a road or roads from the list for paving.

At the present time, the list includes: District 1 - Prater Road, Midway Church Road, and Firetower Road; District 2 - Crook Road; District 3 - Jones-Martin Road, Amity- Woodlawn Road, and Leathersville Road; and District 4 - Dixie Lane, Indian Road, Ashmore-Barden Road, Comanche Circle, Murray-Jones Circle, Turner Drive, and Chamberlain's Ferry Road.

.. Voted accept a right of way deed from Tennent Houston. The county paid the Houston Family Partnership $2,160 for 0.36 acres of right of way on Nathania Farm Road.

.. Voted to accept a right of way deed, encompassing 6.13 acres on Lisbon Road, from Edwin R. Drinkard, Jr. and James E. Belger, Jr. The county paid the men a sum of $1 for the land.

The acreage will ensure that the road meets the county's minimum width requirement of 80 feet.

.. Heard the Recreation Department Report given by Director Kathie Davis, who indicated that four teams are playing in the adult coed softball league. With games on Tuesday and Thursday nights, the season is expected to come to a close around the end of August or the beginning of September, depending on the heat.

The director went on to report that soccer registration will continue through Friday, August 17, with the season set to begin the week of September 4.

In other items of information, Davis said it will cost a total of approximately $8,000 to put new fencing around Bryant Field and Elam Field and $12,000 for Burke Field. The matter will be taken under consideration by the county's Finance Committee.

.. Heard the Finance Department Report given by Director Traci Bussey.

.. Heard the Planning and Zoning Department Report given by Director Meg Burg, who indicated that her office issued five business licenses during the month of July for a total of $210.

Regarding code enforcement, 42 building permits were issued last month for a total of $2,246. In addition, 182 building inspections were conducted, and 41 manufactured housing decal citations were issued.

.. Voted to grant a request made by Arlesia Hawes to rezone 4.58 acres of land on the Elberton Highway from A-1 (Agricultural) to C-1 (Neighborhood Commercial) to accommodate a taxidermy business. The building in question was formerly known as the Three B Pool Hall.

.. Voted to grant a lot/depth ratio variance request on 15 acres of land located on Lisbon Road, owned by Edwin R. Drinkard, Jr. and James E. Belger, Jr., to accommodate a minor subdivision.

.. Voted to revise the bond for Charleston Bay on Tabernacle Church Road to reflect a change in the development plan for the subdivision. The owner, Larry Courtney, has requested that he be allowed to construct the subdivision in two phases.

The first phase will feature 49 lots and will require a bond amount of $1,146,830. Phase II, which will consist of 26 lots, will be brought before the commission at a later date. The overall subdivision plan will remain the same.

.. Voted to approve a contract with Georgia Food Services, Inc. for meals for the county's Senior Citizens Program. In the previous contract, the cost of the meals was $4.45; the cost outlined in the new contract is $4.25.

.. Voted to adopt the State of Georgia's mileage reimbursement rate, which is set at $0.485 at the present time. The current mileage rate paid by the county is $0.32.

In the future, the county's mileage reimbursement rate will match that paid by the state.

.. Re-appointed Bobbie Wilkinson to represent District 4 on the Lincoln County Department of Family and Children Services Board.

.. Heard Chairman Norman recognize Bobby Faust, who was visiting Lincolnton from Foley, Alabama.

The next regular meeting of the commissioners will be held Thursday, September 13, at 5:30 p.m. in the courtroom at the Lincoln County Courthouse.