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 DANCING
FOR A GOOD CAUSE
Kelsey Massey and Laura Rose Pickens
danced for a good cause at the American Heart Association "Dance
for Heart" last week. The girls are first graders at Banks
County Primary School.
Photo by Sherry Lewis
Education
proposal would require 18 new classrooms in Banks County
BY SHERRY LEWIS
The Banks County School System could have to provide 18 new classrooms
and teachers in kindergarten to eighth grade under one version
of Governor Roy Barnes' education reform bill.
Superintendent Deborah White presented the board of education
with the figures during a work session on Thursday.
"This number is based on the maximum class size requirements
specified in the House version of the govenor's education reform
bill," White explained.
Currently, there are 1,691 students enrolled in K-8 and that
number is expected to increase by 10 percent, or to 1,864 students,
when school begins in August. She divided those figures by the
maximum class size proposed in House Bill 1187 to come up with
the difference.
Each grade is expected to have to add one teacher, with second,
fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth, having to add two teachers.
Kindergarten and third grade are projected to need three additional
teachers.
The projected state allotment will pay for 84.07 teachers, although
92 will be needed to continue the current exploratory programs
at the middle school. The funding for the additional teachers
will have to come from local funds at this time.
The high school program will also require additional staff but
the exact numbers cannot be projected at this time, White said.
They will be contingent upon how the additional teaching responsibilities,
such as physical education, art and music, are addressed at the
state level. The high school has adequate space for additional
classrooms, officials said.
Lula annexes
property for proposed shopping center
BY SHERRY LEWIS
While Lula council members are willing to provide sewer to a
proposed neighborhood shopping center, it will require that the
property be annexed into the city limits.
Robert Grizzle, who represented developer Jimmy Williams at the
council meeting on Monday, asked for a letter of commitment for
sewer for the proposed development on a 35-acre tract of land
on Belton Bridge Road at Hwy. 365.
Grizzle said the development would most likely have a grocery
store, video store, fast food restaurant and a bank.
After some discussion, the parties agreed that a 5.79-acre tract
could be annexed into the city. Grizzle said that portion of
the land could be used for a fast food restaurant, which would
require approximately 100,000 gallons of sewage a month.
The point of contention at this time is that the city does not
have package alcohol sales, which could be a deterrent for a
major grocery store, officials said.
Even with the promise of jobs and accessibility of the center
for Lula residents, the council said they would still require
that the rest of the property be annexed before they would agree
to service the area.
Councilman Milton Turner said: "If it is not in the city,
we don't offer sewer. We still don't offer it to all our citizens."
The council did agree to write the letter of commitment for the
5.79-acre tract and continue negotiations on the other portion
of the property.
In other business, the city council:
·heard a report from Mayor Tim Allen that the well the
council voted to purchase several months ago has passed all water
sample tests. The next step is to apply for a permit from the
Georgia Environmental Protection Division.
·discussed the drug screening policy for employees.
·voted to purchase two-way radio/phones at a cost of $350.
The monthly fee will be $39 per phone on a 12-month contract.
Land owner sues
county over increase in taxes
A Banks County land owner is suing the
county for property tax relief.
In a suit filed last week, J.D. Sanders has asked that Andy Scroggs,
tax assessor, and the Banks County board of assessors be required
to lower the assessed fair market value on an 8.13-acre tract
of land to the level it existed in 1998.
Last year, Sanders paid $170 in taxes, and this year, the cost
escalated to $250.
Sanders contends that approximately five acres of the 8.13 site
is in the flood plain of the Middle Fork of the Broad River and
approximately three acres has scrub trees and no marketable timber.
"That (the tax rate) is unreasonable for property I can't
even build on," he said Monday. "I don't mind paying
taxes, but I don't believe in being taken advantage of."
The suit also points out that there is no road frontage to the
property. Sanders said that the property has no access and is
located eight or 10 feet below the road.
In 1962, the tax on the land was approximately $1 per acre, and
it increased to $31.25 per acre in 1999, Sanders continued.
If Sander's wins the suit, he is also asking for reasonable costs,
included but not limited to attorney's fees or other relief that
the court deems just and proper.
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