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.
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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.
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.
'Community meeting' planned Tuesday evening
Ward 1 Commerce councilman Archie Chaney will host a “community meeting” next Tuesday at Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. and is scheduled to last an hour.
The church is located on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Items on the agenda include:
•updates on the city and Ward 1
•meeting police officers and a discussion of police activities
•code enforcement issues
•comments and suggestions from the public
Light refreshments will be provided.
The church is located on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Items on the agenda include:
•updates on the city and Ward 1
•meeting police officers and a discussion of police activities
•code enforcement issues
•comments and suggestions from the public
Light refreshments will be provided.
Commerce to preceed with hiring 'community improvement director'
The Commerce City Council gave city manager Pete Pyrzenski the go-ahead Monday night to create the new position of “community improvement director.”
Pyrzenski gave the city council a preliminary job description for the position at the council’s work session Monday night.
The community development director is a position sought by Mayor Clark Hill. It is expected to pay from “the high 40s to the mid-50s,” Pyrzenski said, and that person will oversee the city’s Downtown Development Authority, planning and code enforcement functions.
The city manager said the new hire is “not going to compete with what we’re dealing with in the chamber, in economic development.” Instead, he said, the person selected for the job will work to maintain “consistency in the city ordinances and in annexation, from vacant buildings to marketability.”
It will take approximately 30 days to fill the position, Pyrzenski said.
For the full story, see the June 5 edition of The Commerce News.
Pyrzenski gave the city council a preliminary job description for the position at the council’s work session Monday night.
The community development director is a position sought by Mayor Clark Hill. It is expected to pay from “the high 40s to the mid-50s,” Pyrzenski said, and that person will oversee the city’s Downtown Development Authority, planning and code enforcement functions.
The city manager said the new hire is “not going to compete with what we’re dealing with in the chamber, in economic development.” Instead, he said, the person selected for the job will work to maintain “consistency in the city ordinances and in annexation, from vacant buildings to marketability.”
It will take approximately 30 days to fill the position, Pyrzenski said.
For the full story, see the June 5 edition of The Commerce News.
Cities seek control of economic development effort
The municipalities of Commerce, Jefferson and Braselton propose to reorganize the structure of the Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce to give the cities more control over industrial developments.
Last week, John Ward, Jefferson city manager, sent an e-mail to the chamber board proposing that the cities and Jackson County fund a position within the chamber to handle economic development — a person who would answer to a five-member board comprising representatives from each of the three cities, one from the county and one elected by the chamber’s Alliance for Economic Development.
“The cities view economic development as one of our highest priorities due to the fact that the significant majority of property zoned for industry is located within our jurisdictions,” Ward explained. “We have all heavily invested in our infrastructure to support industry, a growing tax digest and job creation for our citizens. With the current plan of the chamber to hire one person to serve as both chamber president and economic developer, we fear that adequate attention to economic development will not be possible."
Mark Valentine, chairman of the chamber’s board of directors, said the chamber is reviewing the proposal.
“We have, Bryan (Dearing, interim president) and I met with the three city managers and Kevin Poe, (Jackson County manager) in the past week,” Valentine said. “We agreed to meet next Thursday (May 30), to give us an opportunity to look over their plans and come back with our comments and thoughts. The devil is going to be in the details.”
For the full story, see the My 29 edition of The Commerce News.
Last week, John Ward, Jefferson city manager, sent an e-mail to the chamber board proposing that the cities and Jackson County fund a position within the chamber to handle economic development — a person who would answer to a five-member board comprising representatives from each of the three cities, one from the county and one elected by the chamber’s Alliance for Economic Development.
“The cities view economic development as one of our highest priorities due to the fact that the significant majority of property zoned for industry is located within our jurisdictions,” Ward explained. “We have all heavily invested in our infrastructure to support industry, a growing tax digest and job creation for our citizens. With the current plan of the chamber to hire one person to serve as both chamber president and economic developer, we fear that adequate attention to economic development will not be possible."
Mark Valentine, chairman of the chamber’s board of directors, said the chamber is reviewing the proposal.
“We have, Bryan (Dearing, interim president) and I met with the three city managers and Kevin Poe, (Jackson County manager) in the past week,” Valentine said. “We agreed to meet next Thursday (May 30), to give us an opportunity to look over their plans and come back with our comments and thoughts. The devil is going to be in the details.”
For the full story, see the My 29 edition of The Commerce News.
Community input sought in superintendent search
The search for the next superintendent of Commerce City Schools has started and the board of education is seeking input from community members and employees.
The board has approved vacancy announcements and a plan for advertising the vacancy. It is advertising the vacancy by posting notices with the Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA), with the Georgia School Superintendents Association (GSSA), and by mailings to all school systems and Regional Educational Service Agencies (RESAs) across the state.
[Full Story »]
The board has approved vacancy announcements and a plan for advertising the vacancy. It is advertising the vacancy by posting notices with the Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA), with the Georgia School Superintendents Association (GSSA), and by mailings to all school systems and Regional Educational Service Agencies (RESAs) across the state.
[Full Story »]
3 cities consider economic development alliance
Jackson County’s three largest municipalities are making noise about forming their own economic development program apart from the Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce.
Commerce, Jefferson and Braselton each contribute $10,000 annually to the chamber’s Alliance for Economic Development, but they’re discussing taking that money to form their own alliance, chamber president Mark Valentine told his board of directors last Friday.
As of Friday, the cities had not made the move.
[Full Story »]
Commerce, Jefferson and Braselton each contribute $10,000 annually to the chamber’s Alliance for Economic Development, but they’re discussing taking that money to form their own alliance, chamber president Mark Valentine told his board of directors last Friday.
As of Friday, the cities had not made the move.
[Full Story »]
City BOE hires firm to lead superintendent search
The Commerce Board of Education has hired a consulting firm to help it find the successor to superintendent James E. “Mac” McCoy.
In a six-minute called meeting Friday night, the board voted unanimously to hire King, Cooper and Associates at a cost estimated from $4,000 to $5,000.
Sandy Addis, former director of Pioneer RESA and now with King, Cooper and Associates, had addressed the board at its May 9 meeting, offering its services. Addis currently also works with Clemson University.
At that time, Addis said he had conducted a successful search for the Habersham County Board of Education, which garnered 54 applications.
“You’ll get a good pool of applicants,” he promised on May 9, citing the “desirability of the area and a very desirable board to work for.”
“There’s a pool of people who apply for superintendents in North Georgia,” Addis added. “I could probably name 20 of them for you.”
In a six-minute called meeting Friday night, the board voted unanimously to hire King, Cooper and Associates at a cost estimated from $4,000 to $5,000.
Sandy Addis, former director of Pioneer RESA and now with King, Cooper and Associates, had addressed the board at its May 9 meeting, offering its services. Addis currently also works with Clemson University.
At that time, Addis said he had conducted a successful search for the Habersham County Board of Education, which garnered 54 applications.
“You’ll get a good pool of applicants,” he promised on May 9, citing the “desirability of the area and a very desirable board to work for.”
“There’s a pool of people who apply for superintendents in North Georgia,” Addis added. “I could probably name 20 of them for you.”
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