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County faces $66,735 in fines
• State claims 2006 ag land
assessments were based on
incorrect averages
By Jessica Newberry
Intern
Jefferson County was notified last
week that it faces a $66,735 fine from
the Georgia Department of Revenue
(DOR).
In a letter dated Wednesday, Aug.
1, the county’s 2006 tax digest was
conditionally approved by the DOR
under the condition that assessment
errors be corrected by 2009.
The fine of $5 for each of the
county’s 13,347 parcels punishes
the county for incorrect assessments
on agricultural property.
The penalty
may be appealed within 30 days;
otherwise it will be paid out of the
county’s general fund.
“Our area is growing so fast it’s
hard to for anyone to keep up,” said
county administrator Paul Bryan,
“but we’re looking at all avenues to
appeal this assessment.”
Jefferson County’s Chief Appraiser
George Rachels attributes
the incorrect figures and subsequent
penalty to rapidly changing land
prices and understaffing.
“The problem was with rural
land,” Rachels said at Monday’s
county commissioners’ work session.
“Land prices are changing so
fast we can’t keep up with them with
the number of people we have.”
Property values have increased
every year except 2001 since 1999,
according to Rachels. Average values
for rural land for 2007 are $1,800
per acre compared to 2006 values at
$1,200 per acre.
“Our assessed land values were
lower than what the state said our
fair market value was,” Rachels said.
“It wasn’t a mistake; it was a lack of
personnel.”
The Jefferson County Tax Assessor’s
Office currently employs
seven people, a chief appraiser, one
personal property appraiser, one real
property appraiser and four field appraisers.
Three of the field appraisers were
hired in January, replacing two employees
who were hired in 2004 and
left the office in March 2005 after
receiving Appraisal I certification.
The new employees are currently
completing basic coursework needed
for certification.
“You can’t send inexperienced
people to the field,” Rachels said.
“It takes about three years to get
someone fully qualified with enough
experience.”
Under state law, the department
of revenue audits
the county’s tax digest every
three years with one year in
which to complete the audit.
In August 2004, the county
received a warning for errors
on agricultural assessments
and was given until the next
audit to correct them.
The error on the 2003 digest
revealed a lack of uniformity
in land values because of a
large difference between high
and low sales prices according
to the coefficient of dispersal
(COD).
“Our grouping wasn’t small
enough this year,” Rachels
said. “We have improved between
2003 and 2006, just not
enough.”
The state requires a COD
of no more than 15 percent to
keep property values uniform.
In 2003, the county had a COD
of 29.41 percent, and the recent
fine was for the 2006 COD of
21.01 percent.
“We corrected our problem
in 2004 and 2005, but we
slipped back outside the tolerance
in 2006,” Rachels said.
“We knew our numbers were
wrong.”
Other problems with last
year’s digest include a price
related differential (PRD)
that was above the reasonable
range, revealing a bias in property
values. PRD demonstrates
whether higher or lower priced
properties are more accurately
assessed.
“The state says that our
2006 PRD shows favoritism
to higher-priced property,”
he said of the county’s 120.58
bias rating that fell outside the
allowed limits of 95 to 110
percent.
The state’s review also
found that the average 2006 assessment
in Jefferson County
was 33.44 percent of fair market
value, falling outside the
required 36 to 44 percent.
“We did the best we could
with what we had, but we’ll be
under a magnifying glass from
now on,” Rachels said.
A countywide revaluation
will be conducted in 2008
during which appraisers will
visit each parcel of land in the
county. Jefferson County’s tax
digest will be reviewed again
by the department of revenue
in 2009 by which time the
COD error must be corrected.
Chamber offers
program for
entrepreneurs,
small business
• County seeks entrepreneur friendly
status from state,
program planned for Aug. 20
By Carol McLeod
Staff Writer
The Jefferson County Chamber
of Commerce will sponsor an Entrepreneur
Resource Forum on Monday,
Aug. 20, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
at Pansy’s Restaurant in Louisville.
There is a statewide initiative to
recognize communities that are entrepreneur
friendly, according to Lil
Easterlin, the chamber’s executive
director.
“Entrepreneur-friendly is a
designation to allow communities
to encourage entrepreneurship to
small business,” Easterlin said.
“As
a community, we become entrepreneur-
friendly if we have these things
in place. The designation is from the
Georgia Department of Economic
Development, Small Business and
Innovation Division.”
Easterlin said she has a steering
committee with about 18 to 20 people
from all over the county. “Because
the designation is for the county,”
she said.
Don Rhodes, Louisville’s city
administrator and a member of the
steering committee, said small businesses
are vital to the cities.
“The way I look at that, is if we’re
going to continue to have a viable
downtown area, it’s generally the
small businesses that continue to
make a viable downtown,” Rhodes
said. “This has to start at the grassroots.
You have to recruit small
businesses. You have to start with a
program to interest people into opening
small business. I think this is what
this program is all about.”
Rhodes said he thinks this will be
very important for small business
people. “Even someone who’s never
been in business before.
If you’ve
got an individual who wants to go
into business, this will give them a
resource. It’s kind of exciting to see
this getting off the ground.
We’ve had
in the past resources that are available,
but it’s good that we’re going
to have people come to our town and
talk about the resources that are available
to help. This will also explain
the resources that are available for
existing businesses to expand.”
Patsy Jordan and husband Hubert
Jordan own Magnolia Mornings, a
bed and breakfast in Bartow. Both
are on the steering committee.
She said when they first opened
their business, a resource like what
the chamber is establishing would
not have made much of a difference
to them.
“Each circumstance and
reason for going into business
for yourself is different,”
Jordan said.
“My husband
and I were not going to depend
on this venture for our
livelihood and that made the
difference.
I had been told
that I really could cook – we
enjoyed meeting new people
and I had an historical home
that I wanted to share. If this
combination was enough to
get a business started then we
were on our way – if not, we
would discontinue it. I might
say it has been the most rewarding
experience.
We’ve
met people from all over the
United States and some foreign
countries – people who
return and those we still hear
from.
It gives us the greatest
pleasure to introduce our guest
to the quaint towns and businesses
of Jefferson County.
They love the uniqueness of
small town USA.”
Jordan said that for people
who depend on a business for
their livelihood, then this type
of service would probably be
a big help.
“Businesses, large or small,
are the core, the hub, the heart
and soul of the community and
because of this importance, the
newly-formed steering committee
will be a great asset to
assist the business owner,” she
said.
“Our committee can do
the research for them in this
geographical area, give them
the statistics, the information
and first-hand experience from
the different people on the
panel, etc. Also, we can give
them a reality check.
When I
say this I think about restaurants
and eating establishments
– how sometimes they
come and go. They can be at
their best – food wonderful,
food presentation great, décor
beautiful, etc. – but didn’t
make it because in reality this
area has trouble supporting too
many restaurants.
There aren’t
enough people. This information
needs to be given and then
the business owner can make
the decision.”
Jordan said that although
this information may seem
negative, it makes people take
a realistic approach to opening
their business.
“On the positive side, a high
percentage of people in Jefferson
County dine out, U.S.
1 is close by and restaurants
that also cater have an added
dimension,” she said.
“As the
businesses are the heart and
soul of the community, then
it is the responsibility of the
community to be the backbone
and foundation of these
businesses.
We will do this
through our encouragement
and financial support. The
newly formed Entrepreneur friendly
steering committee
will serve as a great liaison
between the business owners,
give growth to our lovely
area and strengthen Jefferson
County.”
“This is about a seven- or
eight-step process,” Easterlin
said. “I’m in step one of
identifying the steering committee
and talking with the
city councils and getting the
word out of what I’m doing.
The next step would be more
of a continuation of setting up
a strategy.”
Easterlin said she wants to
create a booklet on how to start
a business and other similar
information.
She said that the
members of the steering committee
can be as hands-on and
as involved as they want to be
and as much as their time allows.
“What started this was
a realization of how much
of the economy is based on
small business rather than
industry,” she said. “All communities
want that 1,000-employee
employer.
The reality
is that strong communities
have strong small businesses.
It doesn’t help our community
at all to have someone open up
who is ill prepared and then
close in two months.”
She said this
is not going
to offer funding
to small
businesses but
show them
where resources
are that can
help them be
successful.
“One of
the first things
we’re doing is
to compiling a
list of resources;
who does
what, where to
go.
If you’re
going to set
up a business
in Wrens, here
is where you
go to get your
license; this is
what it will cost
you.
The other
thing is to connect
the local
businesses with
what the state
has to offer,
the department
of economic
development,
the OneGeorgia
Authority, the
SBA, what we’re calling our
Entrepreneur Resource Forum
Monday, Aug. 20, 6:30 p.m. to
8:30 p.m. at Pansy’s in Louisville.
All these state people
will be coming to Louisville.
Each presenter will give just a
blurb about what they do, what
they provide.”
Easterlin said there will be
no formal question and answer
period, but each presenter will
have a booth with their information.
“There’s no charge and anyone
who is interested in starting
a business or who already
has a business is welcomed
to come,” she said. “I want
to encourage
everyone who
is interested to
attend.”
Easterlin said
by the time the
forum is held,
she should be
in the third step
of the process.
“The thing
that comes
up, I have to
do all these
things along
the way.
Adela
Kelly and I
will actually go
and interview
people who are
running small
businesses
about what
they do and
how they do,
their pitfalls.”
The chamber
will then have
information
available to
help businesses
address their
various needs
so the businesses
have a
better chance
to be successful.
“I think this is really a very
important thing to do. I think
it’s a step that’s been missing.
I think it’s important for our
community,” Easterlin said.
To the beat of a new director
Jefferson
County band
under new
direction
By Keyon Wilson
Apprentice
Along with the new school year, Jefferson
County High School will also be
welcoming a new band director.
Marianne Carlton, hailing from tidewater
region, Norfolk, Va., confirmed
her decision of joining the Warrior tribe
after hearing a recorded performance of
the JCHS marching band.
“They sounded really good,
I wanted to be a part of that and
grow it some more,” she said.
Carlton, who is very fond of
music, is also a 20-year U.S.
Navy veteran.
During her years serving
in the Navy she was a music
instructor. Carlton has taught
music to students beginning
in Pre-K through adults.
She
has taught music courses in
the classroom, including music
theory at the School o
f Music
based in Little Creek. She has
conducted marching bands as
well as orchestras including a
125 piece orchestra, the Bay
Youth Symphony, comprised
of high school students.
In 2006, she was selected
Teacher of the Year for the
music connection Young Audiences
of Virginia.
Carlton, a fourth generation
music professional who
proclaimed music as her life,
has allowed it to take her to
many places, including over
seas. She lived in Italy four
years where she traveled
with the U.S. Navy’s official
Sixth Fleet Band based out of
Naples, Italy.
During her travel
she served as a pianist for ambassadors
and kings. Through
her traveling, not only has she
picked up encores and learned
new notes, she also was able
to learn and polish off a couple
of languages including Italian
and French.
The Florida native was a
graduate of Pensacola Catholic
High School. She furthered
her education at Old Dominion
University, Norfolk, Va. There
she received a Bachelor of
Music, a Bachelor of Arts in
Music History and a Master’s
in Music Education.
Based on her accumulated
skills and the eagerness of the
JCHS marching band, Carlton
has decided this year’s theme
to be “A Latin Explosion.”
“It is fun,” she said.
The bands began their work
on the show Wednesday, July
25, beginning with the rookie
camp and then adding the rest
of the band in Monday, July
30. They wrapped things up
Friday, Aug. 3.
Carlton said it’s not the
marching that’s a hard music
challenge but the ability to
make a really fine production.
Making a fine production
is what Carlton plans to do,
explaining that her expectations
are really high, crediting
that mostly to her years in
the Navy.
“I’m really excited about
being here,” she said, adding
that the freshman class was
large and the whole band was
“just a great bunch of folks.”
Carlton expressed that she
found her new position to be
really encouraging being that
the band seems to have been
going through transitions in
the past year.
“I’m learning them and
they’re learning me,” she
said. (We’re) in a rebuilding
stage. The marching band is
really important, it’s the most
visible. (We’re) trying to get
instrumental music involved
in the community.”
Another new face to JCHS’s
entertainment section is Tynessa
Howard, the flag corps
director, who Carlton refers to
as “the answer to her prayers.”
Seniors Rebecca McDowell
and Brittney Tremble were
named drum majors.
Senior
Kayce Walden was appointed
the Flag Corps Captain and
senior Jessica Lewis as the
co-captain.
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