The Blue Group

story by Janice Daniel

City of Carrollton mayor and council met on Monday, January 9, 2023, 6:00 p.m. for their first Regular Meeting of 2023.

A Special Recognition Certificate was read for James “Jim” A. Gill for his public service to the city: president/CEO of CB&T/Synovus, chairman, River City Bank, and UWG Foundation Office (retiring 2015). He headed a three-year fund raising campaign that raised over $1,000,000 for the new Tanner Medical Intensive Care Unit, and he was on the Carrollton Payroll Authority for 30 years.

Mayor and Council comments and announcements mostly revolved around the Georgia Dawgs football game, and they wished everyone a Happy New Year.

Council approved minutes of December meetings, and amended the agenda to include the Mayor Pro Tem vote and an Executive

Session for the purpose of discussing litigation.

Mayor named Bob Uglum as the 2023 Mayor Pro Tem, which was approved unanimously.

Erica Studdard presented rezoning requests which were approved by council unanimously. Council also approved the addition of a technology fee for police department fines going through the Municipal Court, at $10.00 per violation, pending the passing of the law by the Georgia Legislature.

The City of Carrollton Payroll Development Authority reappointed Tim Warren and Michelle Morgan and asked for a recommendation to fill Gill’s expired term. Nick Martin was nominated and approved, and all three of these terms are from 1/1/23 through 12/31/25.

Council then went into Executive Session and the Regular Meeting was adjourned.

Recaps of mayor and council meetings: City of Bowdon, City of Mt.Zion, City of Whitesburg

The following mayor and council meeting information by City of Bowdon City Clerk Susan Pierce. Bowdon.net.

BOWDON: Bowdon Mayor and Council met for regular meeting Monday, January 9, 2023. Councilmember Marty Johnson was absent. Downtown Development Authority Board Appointments – council voted to approve the appointments of Cody Shelton, to replace Keith Barker, with a remaining 6-year term which will expire on January 31, 2027, and Eddie Henley, to replace Randy Gentry, with a remaining 4-year term which will expire on January 31, 2025.

Motion by Mayor Pro-tem Jan Johnson to approve the DDA appointments of Cody Shelton and Eddie Henley to the DDA as presented; second by Councilmember Wes McEntyre; motion carried unanimously.

Ephesus Water Contract – City Manager Gary Bullock presented the contract to sell water to the City of Ephesus. A 5-year contract, with rates to be reviewed annually. Connection fee is $10,000 and water fees for the first twelve months: $650 minimum for the first 250,000 gallons and $2.60 per 1000 gallons for water in excess of 250,000 gallons. Motion by Councilmember McEntyre to approve the contract to sell water to the City of Ephesus as presented; second by Councilmember Randy Saxon; motion carried unanimously

Commercial Sanitation Service: Bullock reviewed the fees for commercial garbage service. He presented a fee chart with increases equal to only the dollar amount that GFL is increasing on our invoices. Bullock will send out letters to commercial customers affected by the increase. Motion by Saxon to adopt increased commercial sanitation fees as presented; seconded by McEntyre; motion carried unanimously.

Qualifying Fees set: Council voted to adopt the election qualifying fees, 3% of the annual salary for the offices of mayor and council members. Mayor: $50.40; Council: $43.20. Motion by McEntyre to approve the election qualifying fees as presented; seconded by Saxon; motion carried unanimously.

There are several businesses who did not pay or obtain business licenses for 2022. City is considering publishing those businesses who are non-compliant. Department heads have been instructed that city will not conduct business with any merchant who does not have a license.

Motion by McEntyre to adjourn the council meeting; seconded by Saxon; motion carried unanimously.

The following mayor and council meeting information provided by Mt. Zion City Clerk Tammy Hyde. cityofmtzion.com

MOUNT ZION: City of Mount Zion held their monthly council meeting on January 10. Councilmember Eric Robinson was absent. A motion was made and seconded that the use of the 2023 LMIG funds will be directed to culvert and patch work on multiple streets and was approved.

A motion was made and seconded that the city council agrees to award Marsh McLennon the 2023 Workers Comp Insurance bid at the 2023 rate of $16,536 and was approved.

A motion was made and seconded that the council agrees to set the qualifying fee for the 2023 Municipal election of the Council Ward 1 and Ward 2 at $54 and 2023 election of Mayor at $75 and was approved.

Resolution 2023—004 was introduced that it is the city’s desire to provide the most balanced and effective representation of the city council for all its citizens. It is be accomplished by establishing four distinct council districts and each council member shall live within those boundaries established and voted on by citizens who live within the legal established boundaries. These district boundaries are memorialized in a map prepared by the Legislative and Congressional Reapportionment Office of the Georgia General Assembly and further identified as “Plan: mtzioncc—2023. During the 2023 Session of the General Assembly, it is requested that local legislation currently identified as LC47 1975 be introduced which would make the necessary revisions to the City of Mount Zion Charter which would establish four distinct districts for the City Council.

The following mayor and council meeting information for The City of Whitesburg is from www.whiteburg-ga.com:

WHITESBURG: more clothes or sport coats - and I certainly do not think taxpayers should pay for my clothes. Taxpayers have enough to support in their own, personal budgets - including buying clothes for their own families. They just should not have to pay for a sports coat for any of us.

The City of Whitesburg held its monthly council meeting with 1 item on the agenda. They voted on 2023 Municipal Election Qualifying Fees. Councilmember Chris Lewis made a motion to approve the 2023 Mayor Qualifying Fees of $108 and also the City Council Qualifying Fees of $36 per the provided Resolution.

Motion: Councilmember Chris Lewis Second: Councilmember Lucy Gamble. Vote: 3-0 The motion was approved: Yes. Meeting was adjourned.

The Sewell Companies, Bremen, were hired.Thompson Lewis came to the Historic Courthouse on ed. Nov. 16, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. for suit jackets fittings for 11 females and 15 males. County logo was then added to each (black) jacket by Oziers Apparel, Carrollton.

The following received a jacket: Carroll County Commission Chair, County Clerk, Administrative Specialist to Commissioners, Finance Director, Human Resource Director, E911 Director, Community Development Director, Tax Assessor, Public Works Director, Incoming Public Works Director, Solid Waste Director, EMA Director, Communications Director, Carroll County Mental Health Advocate Executive Director, Recreation Director, Warden, Animal Services Director, Ag Extension, Parks Manager, IT Director, Court Services Manager, District 1 Commissioner, District 2 Commissioner, District 3 Commissioner, District 4 Commissioner, and District 6 Commissioner.

Commissioner Ernie Reynolds stated, “I cannot support using taxpayers’ money for this. I don’t need any more clothes or sport coats - and I certainly do not think taxpayers should pay for my clothes. . .This runs counter to our Christian culture, which teaches us to be mindful of the needy and to be good stewards of what we have been entrusted with.”

This is, in my opinion, beyond what taxpayers’ money should be used for.

“Yes, there have been times when the chairman’s office has handed out a rain jacket or a shirt with county logo. But, to have a formal and fairly expensive sport coat fitting at the expense of county taxpayers is beyond what I can deem as acceptable or appropriate.

“I don’t need any more sport coats - but my constituents need their money to clothe their own families, not clothe us. I cannot imagine myself dressing up in this sport coat, having a photo taken with all of us in our taxpayer-funded uniforms - saying to the public,’Look at how nice we look in the sport coats you paid for.’ I simply cannot do that.

In an email sent to Chairman Morgan, the other commissioners, and various other recipients of the jackets, District 5 Commissioner Ernie Reynolds stated, “I cannot support using taxpayers’ money for this. I don’t need any

$508,568 IN CLAIMS from front page

CIC, presented. Jennings provided a Claims Summary dated Jan. 23, 2023 for liability for Auto, General, Property, Employment Practices, Cyber, Crime, and Umbrella. Despite there being zero claims for Cyber, Crime and Umbrella, Jennings put forth two major points for the expected higher insurance costs for the county: “Nuclear Verdicts” that had been awarded in the state of Georgia, and fire department vehicle losses/claims for

“This runs counter to our Christian culture, which teaches us to be mindful of the needy and to be good stewards of what we have been entrusted with... Actions exuding from this culture would have us take our own coat and give it to another in need,” Reynolds said.

Carroll County.

The county’s fire department claimed $482,080 for a May 12, 2022 accident involving a 2018 Sutphen Pumper firetruck.; and a $26,488 claim for a February 10, 2022 accident involving a 2019 Ford F150 Pickup.

Jennings stated that the state of Georgia was now number one for “Nuclear Verdicts”; verdicts in which judges award $10 million or higher, and this is causing higher insurance premiums across the state.

05/12/22$482,0802018 Sutphen PumperAge 21

Reason given for accident: “Responding to call, ran off road and crashed firetruck”

02/10/22

$26,4882019 Ford F150 PickupAge 39

Reason given for accident: “Responding to call, truck overturned trying to get out of the way”

HOMELESSCAMP from front page homeless people’s camp on the corner of Williams Industrial Blvd. and Highway 101. These concerns included bonfires, drug trafficking, loose pitbull dogs, lack of lighting, children being approached for money donations, and pedestrian and traffic safety. Several citizens volunteered to help with a solution.

Connie Wood of 120 Doris Williams Industrial Blvd. said the homeless camp is a problem because of cars being approached and asked for money, the kids leaving the volley ball court after dark and being approached, two pit bull dogs that sometimes run loose and are aggressive, lack of lighting, etc., and asked if the city is looking at some ways to deal with this problem.

Cindy Tolbert, who works at 120 Williams Industrial Drive, said that in addition to what had been mentioned, there were huge bonfires in that camp, and if they got out of control it could go toward the rec center and other places, and could be disastrous. She said she would be happy to work on any volunteer agency to try and resolve the situation.

Polly Olive of 2511 Shoreline Parkway talked about the condition of the road that makes it necessary to stop, and anybody that stops will be approached by homeless people. She said she has heard that Douglas County has makes attempts to receive payment, working with property owners (homes, land, boats, etc.) to help resolve the debt. If all attempts fail and back taxes are not paid, the property becomes part of a public auction on the Carroll County Courthouse steps with the property sold to the highest bidder. On March 1, 2022, 170 properties went to auction. Of those, three homeowners in Carroll County lost their property, each for taxes totaling less than $2500:

Property #1: $78,957 value property had past due unpaid taxes totaling $2472.89. An investor from Atlanta was high bidder, $55,000

Property #2: $28,748 value property had $1073.45 in unpaid back taxes due. High bid of $20,100 bought the property

Property #3: $64,626 value property had $2097.61 due in back taxes. High bid was $71,000.

Carroll County Tax Commissioner Vickie Bearden said that her office is usually able to work out payments (weekly, sometimes monthy) with the property owners. She encourages anyone who is having difficulty staying current with their property taxes to please contact her office for options on making arrangements to bring their account up to date.

The tax office mails tax bills October 1st, and taxes are due December 1st. If not received by December 1st, by law, the tax commissioner is allowed to file a FIFA for past due taxes on December 2nd. But, in her 14 years as Carroll County’s tax commissioner, she has not done that. But, by January, Official Deliquent Notices are sent.(Bearden reminds citizens that a Deliquent Notice goes against a person’s credit score.) After that, for all payments not received, those properties are added to the auction list for the courthouse steps sales. In 2022, there were three such sales, totaling around 500 properties.

Carroll County Tax Commissioner Office: 423 College Street, Carrollton. Mon-Fri: 8AM4:30PM. 770-830-5843 or 770-830-5826, or email: taxcomm@carrollcountyga.com