November 11, 2010
Trouble
brewing between the BOC, Tax Commissioner and JCWSA?
There may
be some trouble brewing between the BOC, Tax Commissioner and JCWSA
over the
hydrant tax that has been billed on the tax bill and will be due on
12/20/10.
Comm. Cox
is actually
pushing to make sure the resolution voted on to allow the JCWSA this
special
tax is adhered to!! He
has forwarded an email to TWG that he sent
to the other commissioners. He had asked
that this issue be put on the agenda for Monday night and it
isn’t there.
Here is
part of the email sent by Comm. Cox:
As far as JCWSA, Jarret is not
responsible for the maintenance and brush clearing on the
hydrants...period. We
pay them (that is part of the tax) for the maintenance and brush
clearing. If
Jarret is going to do this then they need to reimburse his salary for
time
spent on this task. I made sure the resolution had this wording and I
hope they
(JCWSA) do not think for one minute that this will just go away. It is
certainly not Jarret's job to furnish any certification letter. He is
our
employee.
Details:
- BOC votes 3-2 (Cox and
Patrick against) to tax property along the JCWSA water lines.
- Resolution includes the
stipulation that hydrants have to be maintained and there has to be
certification that the water pressure is where it should be each year.
- The tax is for
“maintenance” of the fire hydrants.
- On 8/17/10 TWG reported
that the county paid fire fighter, Jarrett Slocumb, was doing the
maintenance by weed eating around the hydrants
- There is no evidence in
the JCWSA bookkeeping that the county has ever been reimbursed for this
work.
JCWSA TO RECEIVE SPECIAL
TAX BY
12/31/10—MAYBE
Citizens,
the JCWSA is drowning in debt and have recently borrowed another
$17,000 from
the Bank of Monticello to get them through the year until they can get
this
special tax money. It is due 12/31/10. The JCWSA minutes
show that “the Tax Commissioner has confirmed that the Authority
will have the
Fire District check in hand by noon on December 31st”.
JCWSA has
also been busy trying to obtain land again in the Cedar Creek area to
drill
wells for water and meeting with
Comm. Pennamon to get his affidavit about the 7/1/02 meeting where a
resolution
for the fire hydrants was supposedly signed.
If this resolution was discussed and signed it was
in CLOSED SESSION AND
DONE ILLEGALLY because it is not in the minutes nor was it reported in
the
paper. The
underhanded deeds of the JCWSA are being
exposed slowly but surely.
Comm. Hill
has also let the JCWSA know he wanted them to find
“suitable replacements” for 2 of its members, even
though the
BOC is to appoint the members. Some of
the suggestions were Jarrett Slocumb
(so he could maintain the hydrants for free?) and Don Kelly,
CEO of the Bank of Monticello (wouldn’t that be conflict
with all the money owed to the bank by JCWSA?).
TWG appreciates Comm.
Cox staying on top of this issue, and we still hope
that the entire BOC will make sure the resolution is enforced. Attend the meeting Monday night 11/15/10
starting at 5PM for the budget and 6PM for the regular meeting. BOC will be appointing new members to the
JCWSA.
Mission
Statement:
** To keep the taxpayers of Jasper County, Georgia informed as to where
and how their tax dollars are being spent.
** To keep the taxpayers abreast of local policies and laws being
discussed and enacted.
** We advocate more open government, less government spending, and
lower property taxes.
