With no tax or utility rate hikes, the city of Commerce expects to spend $24.9 million from July 1 through June 30, 2014.
At least that’s the plan. The Commerce City Council adopted the 2013-14 spending plan Monday night without dissent. The budget represents a 2.5-percent reduction over the current budget of $25.54 million, but a 3.5-percent ($860,155) increase over projected actual spending for the current fiscal year.
That’s the nature of budgets — they’re plans subject to change during the year for any number of reasons.
The bulk of the money — more than $14.4 million – will come in and go out through its utility departments for the production and sale of water and sewer services ($4.25 million), electricity ($6.66 million) and natural gas ($3.74 million).
The General Fund budget is just shy of $6 million. That’s up about $138,000 over projected actual spending this fiscal year, but down by $277,666 over the current budget. The General Fund gets its revenue from taxes, fees, fines, permits, grants and transfers from the utility funds. It, in turn, funds most city activities — the mayor and council, police, fire department public works, recreation, the garage, library, planning and development, Downtown Development Authority, civic center, administration and finance.
For the full story, see the June 19 edition of The Commerce News.
Entries by Administrator
Hired: Josh Fenn accepts chamber offer
The Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce has filled its key leadership vacancy.
Josh Fenn, director of the Development Authority of Bryan County, will take on the duties as the chamber’s president and CEO on Monday, July 22, chamber director Mark Valentine said Monday morning.
He will be paid $100,000.
Fenn will handle the roles most recently held by Shane Short, who resigned as president and CEO last August, and of Courtney Bernardi, who resigned as director of economic development in April. After attracting few qualified applicants for just the president/CEO position, the chamber’s board of directors combined the two positions so it could offer a higher salary and attract better candidates.
Fenn was the chamber’s lead candidate for the job. He has been the executive director of the Development Authority of Bryan County (near Savannah) since 2009, has served as president and CEO of the Eastman/Dodge County Chamber of Commerce for six years, and was employed by the Waycross Downtown Development Authority as its executive director for two years. He is a certified economic developer.
For the full story, see the June 19 issue of The Commerce News.
Josh Fenn, director of the Development Authority of Bryan County, will take on the duties as the chamber’s president and CEO on Monday, July 22, chamber director Mark Valentine said Monday morning.
He will be paid $100,000.
Fenn will handle the roles most recently held by Shane Short, who resigned as president and CEO last August, and of Courtney Bernardi, who resigned as director of economic development in April. After attracting few qualified applicants for just the president/CEO position, the chamber’s board of directors combined the two positions so it could offer a higher salary and attract better candidates.
Fenn was the chamber’s lead candidate for the job. He has been the executive director of the Development Authority of Bryan County (near Savannah) since 2009, has served as president and CEO of the Eastman/Dodge County Chamber of Commerce for six years, and was employed by the Waycross Downtown Development Authority as its executive director for two years. He is a certified economic developer.
For the full story, see the June 19 issue of The Commerce News.
Trail of damage leads to DUI charge
A Commerce man faces a driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol charge after leaving a path of damaged vehicles and run-over mailboxes in his wake.
According to the Commerce Police Department incident report, officers were summoned to Huntington Lane, where it had been reported that a “big pickup truck” clipped several vehicles and ran over a number of mailboxes.
The vehicle was not at the scene, but officers began looking for a truck with front-end damage, and an officer later discovered it abandoned by the side of Hospital Road. During their search, they noted a number of places where the vehicle had apparently gone off the roadway.
The driver was not present, but a witness told police he’d seen a white male stumbling along the road, headed into town.
Later, an officer spotted the man at an Andy Street residence, and upon approaching him, noted the smell of alcohol.
Andrew James Wilkes, 37, 343 Cabin Creek Road, Commerce, told the officer he’d been at a friend’s house but left because someone there “wanted to cause trouble.”
The officer asked him how much he’d had to drink; the report said Wilkes responded that he did not know. The officer noted that Wilkes’ speech was slurred.
After summoning the Georgia State Patrol to assist and administering a field sobriety test, police charged Wilkes with DUI.
According to the Commerce Police Department incident report, officers were summoned to Huntington Lane, where it had been reported that a “big pickup truck” clipped several vehicles and ran over a number of mailboxes.
The vehicle was not at the scene, but officers began looking for a truck with front-end damage, and an officer later discovered it abandoned by the side of Hospital Road. During their search, they noted a number of places where the vehicle had apparently gone off the roadway.
The driver was not present, but a witness told police he’d seen a white male stumbling along the road, headed into town.
Later, an officer spotted the man at an Andy Street residence, and upon approaching him, noted the smell of alcohol.
Andrew James Wilkes, 37, 343 Cabin Creek Road, Commerce, told the officer he’d been at a friend’s house but left because someone there “wanted to cause trouble.”
The officer asked him how much he’d had to drink; the report said Wilkes responded that he did not know. The officer noted that Wilkes’ speech was slurred.
After summoning the Georgia State Patrol to assist and administering a field sobriety test, police charged Wilkes with DUI.
OPINION: On entertaining dogs
By Willis Cook
My wife and I try to be good dog-owners. And I think we are doing a good job.
I was involved in a little building project recently and had to run by Home Depot to get some fasteners. My wife said, “Oh, as long as you’re going, pick up some bulb food for me.” What they sell as bulb food is bone meal and I bought a bag and gave it to her. I reminded her that whatever nutrient is for roots has to be dug into the soil; you can’t just dump it on the ground. She assured me that she knew that.
She disappeared over the horizon, trowel and fertilizer in hand. [Full Story »]
My wife and I try to be good dog-owners. And I think we are doing a good job.
I was involved in a little building project recently and had to run by Home Depot to get some fasteners. My wife said, “Oh, as long as you’re going, pick up some bulb food for me.” What they sell as bulb food is bone meal and I bought a bag and gave it to her. I reminded her that whatever nutrient is for roots has to be dug into the soil; you can’t just dump it on the ground. She assured me that she knew that.
She disappeared over the horizon, trowel and fertilizer in hand. [Full Story »]
OPINION: Chinese hacking and reducing the national debt
By Mark Beardsley
During a meeting of The Commerce News editorial board, famously (and accurately) identified by then-candidate Tommy Stephenson as “Mark Beardsley and a six-pack,” two-thirds of the way through, an epiphany took place.
The Editorial Board, mulling policy over two major U.S. problems, found a way to make them work for each other and the American good.
On President Obama’s agenda for his meeting with the president of China was the “massive” amount of Chinese hacking of American computers to steal information on everything from weapons systems to the secret recipe for Coca Cola. It’s gotten so bad that the Pentagon has actually named China as the culprit (and you thought the Obama administration was soft). [Full Story »]
During a meeting of The Commerce News editorial board, famously (and accurately) identified by then-candidate Tommy Stephenson as “Mark Beardsley and a six-pack,” two-thirds of the way through, an epiphany took place.
The Editorial Board, mulling policy over two major U.S. problems, found a way to make them work for each other and the American good.
On President Obama’s agenda for his meeting with the president of China was the “massive” amount of Chinese hacking of American computers to steal information on everything from weapons systems to the secret recipe for Coca Cola. It’s gotten so bad that the Pentagon has actually named China as the culprit (and you thought the Obama administration was soft). [Full Story »]
Updated: Food bank to close July 1
A local institution that has provided emergency food supplies to thousands of needy families over the past 30 years will close its doors on July 1.
The Banks-Jackson Emergency Food Bank will cease operations, board member Don Moore says, because its board of directors has been unable to find new board members and a new director.
The food bank operates out of a frame house on Atlanta Avenue in Commerce, providing food to families referred by local churches each Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
For the full story, see the June 12 edition of The Commerce News.
The Banks-Jackson Emergency Food Bank will cease operations, board member Don Moore says, because its board of directors has been unable to find new board members and a new director.
The food bank operates out of a frame house on Atlanta Avenue in Commerce, providing food to families referred by local churches each Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
For the full story, see the June 12 edition of The Commerce News.
Jackson schools to use 10 furlough days
Cuts to the Jackson County School System calendar may not be as deep as expected.
The current plan is to have five administrative furlough days and 10 teacher furlough days. Officials had indicated last month that the system might need to have around 13 furlough days to meet next year’s budget. But by cutting out several planning days, the system was able to have fewer furlough days for teachers.
“We tried real hard to minimize the impact on student days,” said interim superintendent April Howard about the calendar. “So there will be an impact on teacher planning days.”
On the revised calendar, teachers will have two pre-planning days, and school will begin on August 9. There will also be a planning day on January 6 after winter break. Spring break has been moved up to the first week of April to accommodate for CRCT testing. Teachers will have just one scheduled post-planning day on May 22.
For the full story, see the June 12 issue of The Commerce News.
The current plan is to have five administrative furlough days and 10 teacher furlough days. Officials had indicated last month that the system might need to have around 13 furlough days to meet next year’s budget. But by cutting out several planning days, the system was able to have fewer furlough days for teachers.
“We tried real hard to minimize the impact on student days,” said interim superintendent April Howard about the calendar. “So there will be an impact on teacher planning days.”
On the revised calendar, teachers will have two pre-planning days, and school will begin on August 9. There will also be a planning day on January 6 after winter break. Spring break has been moved up to the first week of April to accommodate for CRCT testing. Teachers will have just one scheduled post-planning day on May 22.
For the full story, see the June 12 issue of The Commerce News.
OPINION: The fall of the house
By Susan Harper
Synchronicity — things happening at the same time in a way that seems “meant to be” but is perhaps just coincidental — has interested me for a long time. Some people say that there’s no such thing as coincidence. My wise cousin Kathryn says, “Think about it, Sue. Life may really be just one long string of coincidences.”
Yes, or pre-ordained events! We would all love to know which, wouldn’t we? Is God meticulously directing even the briefest life-events of billions of people, micro-managing our individual destinies? Or is life one long string of occasionally amazing and sometimes super-subtle coincidences? [Full Story »]
Synchronicity — things happening at the same time in a way that seems “meant to be” but is perhaps just coincidental — has interested me for a long time. Some people say that there’s no such thing as coincidence. My wise cousin Kathryn says, “Think about it, Sue. Life may really be just one long string of coincidences.”
Yes, or pre-ordained events! We would all love to know which, wouldn’t we? Is God meticulously directing even the briefest life-events of billions of people, micro-managing our individual destinies? Or is life one long string of occasionally amazing and sometimes super-subtle coincidences? [Full Story »]
Sheriff's office announces arrests
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office charged the following people last week:
•Gary Lynn Buice, 51, 154 Highland Way, Maysville, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drugs by an inmate and misdemeanor marijuana possession.
•Jessica Lynn Carter, 22, 149 Stadlers Gap, Cleveland, violation of the Georgia Controlled Substance Act (VGCSA).
[Full Story »]
•Gary Lynn Buice, 51, 154 Highland Way, Maysville, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drugs by an inmate and misdemeanor marijuana possession.
•Jessica Lynn Carter, 22, 149 Stadlers Gap, Cleveland, violation of the Georgia Controlled Substance Act (VGCSA).
[Full Story »]
Updated: McCoy to school board: raise property tax rate
Now that he’s about to leave office, Commerce superintendent of schools James “Mac” McCoy has some advice for his board of education as it prepares for the new school year.
“Raise taxes.”
McCoy, who departs on July 1 for Auburn, AL, offered that advice during the board’s “work session” meeting on Thursday, June 6.
He first advised the board of the necessity of acquiring another tax anticipation note (TAN), essentially a line of credit of up to $1 million to tide the school system over until property taxes are paid in December.
“Along that same line, the system probably is going to really need to entertain a millage rate increase this year,” he said. “We’re up at 19 (mills). We might as well break ground for the new person (McCoy’s replacement) and start talking about it.
“(The cost of) benefits are absolutely wiping out school systems,” McCoy continued. “You need to seriously consider going up. How far up is y’all’s call. Another mill puts us at 20 and increases our revenue by $150,000 to $160,000. You just got to do it.”
For the full story, see the June 12 edition of The Commerce News.
“Raise taxes.”
McCoy, who departs on July 1 for Auburn, AL, offered that advice during the board’s “work session” meeting on Thursday, June 6.
He first advised the board of the necessity of acquiring another tax anticipation note (TAN), essentially a line of credit of up to $1 million to tide the school system over until property taxes are paid in December.
“Along that same line, the system probably is going to really need to entertain a millage rate increase this year,” he said. “We’re up at 19 (mills). We might as well break ground for the new person (McCoy’s replacement) and start talking about it.
“(The cost of) benefits are absolutely wiping out school systems,” McCoy continued. “You need to seriously consider going up. How far up is y’all’s call. Another mill puts us at 20 and increases our revenue by $150,000 to $160,000. You just got to do it.”
For the full story, see the June 12 edition of The Commerce News.
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