Elbert County’s school board held the first of three hearings Monday on the board’s budget proposal of approximately $30.5 million for the school year 2019-2020.

The school system will add just over $1.66 million more to its budget as compared to last year’s budget of $28.8 million, according to Elbert County School Chief Financial Officer Keith Martin.

The increase can be made without adding any additional millage for Elbert County taxpayers, said Martin.

The BOE will also have a hearing on May 20 in the board’s regular session and a hearing at a June 10 work session before adopting the budget on June 17.

School Superintendent Chuck Bell said the board is required to adopt the budget prior to June 30, which is the last day of the fiscal year 2018-2019 budget.

The school board will receive an estimated $20,694,000 from the state’s Quality Basic Education (QBE) funding for the upcoming school year, which is substantially more than funding for the previous dozen or so years.

Between the 2002-2003 fiscal year and 2017-2018 fiscal year, the state cut more than $22 million from QBE funding for Elbert County schools.

With the increased funding from the state, the school board will:

• Give raises to certified teaching staff totaling $910,428.

• Give “step increases” for certified staff totaling $307,087.

• Give a two percent raise to non-certified staff at the schools totaling $60,497.

• Invest in new positions in the school system totaling $221,599.

• Invest in bus monitors that will cost $59,000.

• Increase the instructional technology supply/purchase service budget by $30,000.

• Increase the furniture replacement budget by $40,000.

Martin also told the school board Monday that the system’s enrollment has stayed fairly steady since the 2015-2016 fiscal budget – between 3,000 and 3,100 students from the Paul J. Blackwell Learning Center and Elbert County Comprehensive High School.

The state determines funding levels based on enrollment in each school system.

In 1995 the Elbert County school system enrollment totaled almost 3,900 students.

The Elbert County Board of Commissioners (BOC) unanimously approved a motion for County Administrator Bob Thomas to seek bids for repaving Corinth Church Road and Middleton Church Road as part of the 2019 LMIG (Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant) project paving list.

According to Thomas, Corinth Church Road is the first priority for repaving and will be paved in it’s entirety.

“It’s a little over three miles and it’s in pretty bad shape,” he said.

Middleton Church Road is a project the county started last year and it will be paved from Pearl Mill Road to Highway 72, according to Thomas.

Thomas estimates that the project will cost about $1 million for the combined five to six miles to be repaved, but is optimistic that the county can get a bid for a lower price.

Thomas said that the county will receive $646,000 through LMIG funds which the county will match 30 percent at $193,800.

With the total amount for the project coming in at $839,800, the county is just shy of the estimated $1 million for the project.

“Thankfully the citizens approved the (Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) … there’s a lot of cost that goes into roadway improvement,” Thomas commented.

The BOC also approved a motion to accept a low bid from Albica Computers for an analysis of information technology regarding software protection and further direction on the county’s needs for security purposes.

“The bid was to come in, take inventory of what we’ve got and then make some recommendations about where we need to go from here, what do we need that we don’t have and how can we set it up to where it will give us the highest level of protection possible,” Thomas said.

More spending approved by the county during Monday’s regularly scheduled session were two bush hog mowers for the road department at a total of $28,178 and a county employee health plan for $793,500 for medical coverage and $26,863 for dental coverage.

The board also approved a bid for property and liability insurance at annual cost of $215,371.

The county will reopen bids for the roof replacement of the old Train Depot from the April meeting after the previous low bidder declined to contract for the replacement roof.

The board also approved a bid to replace and paint the fascia boards on the old Train Depot for $7,300.

The BOC unanimously approved a revision to a resolution regarding the county gravel policy.

According to Chairman Lee Vaughn, the motion “gets the county in line” with what they’ve already been doing.

The board failed to carry a motion to move forward with a proposal from ABM Solutions for installing energy systems for certain county buildings that will reduce energy consumption and provide a revenue neutral payback.

“The program we talked about was a little over $1 million dollars, which includes LED lighting in several buildings, heating and air conditioning, a central energy management system which ties all the thermostats together and some other things,” said Thomas.

In request from the Department of Behavioral Health and Development Disabilities Region 2 Advisory Council, the county must appoint a resident to serve on the council.

“It’s been several years since we’ve had anybody from Elberton represented on this council, so it’d be nice to do so,” said Vaughn.

Those interested should contact their commissioner or Thomas.

The appointment will be a three-year-old with six meetings annually.

Elbert County Coroner Chuck Almond said Monday morning he will wait on an autopsy report that should shed light on the cause of death regarding a fisherman who died on Lake Russell early Sunday evening.

Almond pronounced Paul Young, 67, of Anderson, South Carolina dead at 7:28 p.m. at the scene at a point just north of Pickens Point about a half-mile south of the Georgia Highway 368 bridge that connects Georgia and South Carolina.

Almond said an emergency call came to Elbert County EMS at 6:13 p.m. and that the initial report was a “drowning,” but Almond added that drowning may not be determined as the cause of death.

Young and a fishing partner were fishing about 20 yards off the Elbert County shoreline, according to Almond.

“He (Young) was fishing and his partner said (Young) was in trouble,” said Almond. “The partner said (Young) had a medical emergency while he was fishing and he fell in the water.”

Almond said the partner was able to get a life jacket to Young and that the partner was able to get in the water and help Young.

The Elbert County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement Monday morning stating that Elbert County and Iva, South Carolina first responders found Young “deceased” at the edge of the water at Pickens Point.

The sheriff’’s statement also said the fishing partner tried to assist Young “back to the boat.”

Almond said the Elbert County Dive Team, Elbert County Water Rescue, Elbert County Emergency Medical Services, the Elbert County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Department of Natural Resources and South Carolina Department of Natural Resources assisted with the incident.

Aspiring chefs were honored at Monday’s meeting of the Elbert County Board of Education. ‘Loaded Corn’ recipe presentation was made by Dixie McCarty (left) and Bridget Matthews (right) to L-R) Brody Howell and Thomas Barclay. (Photo by Jones)

In the second of four scheduled hearings for the Elbert County Board of Education’s 2019-2020 fiscal year budget, Superintendent Chuck talked about the BOE’s priority – teachers and staff.

Bell said the school district is taking advantage of Georgia Governor’s increase in Quality Basic Education funding that is intended to raise certified teachers and certified staff pay by $3,000.

“The Elbert County School district raise proposed in this year’s budget has been made possible by Governor Kemp’s raise funding and the (school) board’s wise financial management and planning,” Bell said.

Bell also pointed out that 86.2 percent of the Elbert County school district’s budget goes toward salaries and fringe benefits. The school system’s payroll totals approximately $26.3 million.

Last week at a work session the school board held the first of three hearings on the board’s budget proposal of approximately $30.5 million for the school year 2019-2020.

The school system will add just over $1.66 million more to its budget as compared to last year’s budget of $28.8 million.

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Ray Porter, Benchmark Traffic's Direct Supervisor to the Advanced Coordinator of the crosstie replacement project, tells Elbert County authorities he estimates the project to be completed in Elbert County around June 11. (Photo by Toney)

A crosstie placement project will begin Tuesday and will temporarily close 31 CSX railroad crossings throughout Elbert County. The project is expected to be completed in about two weeks. 

The project will affect all public and private railroad crossings and will begin at Johnsontown Drive then follow east to west until Crystal Drive, which is when the project will move into Madison County. 

According to Porter, the project will have a "domino effect" meaning not all railroad crossings will be closed at once, but will instead close and re-open as the crew moves throughout the county. "When one is done, we go down," he said. 

Porter told Elbert County law enforcement and emergency services in a meeting Thursday afternoon that the crews will work from 6:00 p.m. to 5 a.m. throughout weekdays until the project is completed. He said that each crossing will take two or three days and that it should be even quicker since crews are working at night. 

More high traffic railroad crossings to be effected are Heardmont Drive, Middleton Church Road, Old Middleton Church Road, Jenkins Road, Seaboard Street, Williams Street, Willow Street, Locklin Street, Mill Street, Campbell Street. McIntosh Street, Harper Street, Granite Plaza, Brewers Bridge Road, Victory Road and Sweet City Road. 

Porter said that the North Oliver Street crossing is not a part of the project right now since it is a state highway and is regulated by the Georgia Department of Transportation. 

"We want to give as much active information out to our communities so they know what's going on," Elbert County Emergency Services Director Chuck Almond said. "When it comes to the railroad, it cuts this county in half ... we want to try to be prepared," Almond continued.

The projected is expected to be completed by June 11 in Elbert County and is a part of a larger project that will span over four weeks and will go from Abbeville, South Carolina to Athens. 

The University of Georgia Press has created an endowment to fund a publishing apprenticeship program for students from UGA’s graduate history program.

The Peggy Heard Galis History Ph.D. Apprenticeship will allow history Ph.D. candidates to gain insight into and experience in the scholarly publishing process.

A giving campaign organized by the UGA Press funded the endowment. UGA Press Advisory Council member Charley Tarver made the lead gift and served as the fundraising chairperson, while Lucy Allen served as the fundraising co-chair and helped connect local and out-of-state contributors with the endowment.

Because of Tarver and Allen’s efforts, the campaign received nationwide donations now totaling over $100,000.

The endowment honors Galis for her many years of service to the press, the history department and UGA.

A resident of Athens, Galis and her husband, Denny Galis, are both graduates of UGA.

She is a founding member and current vice chair of the UGA Press Advisory Council.

She has long been actively involved in community, cultural and educational organizations, including the Clarke County School District, the Georgia Museum of Art, the Athens Clarke Heritage Foundation, the Southern Historical Association and the Southern Foodways Alliance.

“Peggy Galis is a human super-connector. We are thrilled to announce this teaching and learning program that honors her intellectual curiosity, her love of history and books, embodied in her deep commitment to UGA students and the UGA Press,” said UGA Press Director Lisa Bayer.

The Peggy Heard Galis apprentices will be Ph.D. students in the UGA history department. The apprentices will receive an in-depth introduction to university-press publishing and participate in the process by which scholarly books are acquired, peer reviewed, developed, edited and approved for publication. In addition, they will learn how to communicate professionally with various parties in the industry.

“Peggy Galis is the history graduate program’s secret weapon. She fundraises, hosts and promotes events, and asks astute questions of every speaker who darkens our door. Peggy is a PR department, development office, and Ph.D. dissertation committee rolled into one,” said Cindy Hahamovitch, B. Phinizy Spalding Distinguished Professor of History at UGA. “How perfect is it that an apprenticeship designed to teach history graduate students how publishing works will be named in Peggy’s honor?”

Apprenticeships like these enhance the UGA learning environment, a primary goal of the Commit to Georgia Campaign.

With over $1.2 billion raised, the campaign has already transformed UGA by way of new scholarships, learning opportunities, facilities and more.

To find out how to help build on the fundraising campaign’s success in its final year, visit give.uga.edu.

In the next school year (2019-2020) at the high school new policies intended to cut down on absences will be in effect, according to Elbert County Comprehensive High School Principal Jason Kouns.

“It is a BIG change,” Kouns said in an email to the newspaper last week. “Course credit will be taken into account based on student absences, so we want to make sure we get information out early, and often.”

In recent years the Elbert County School system has gone so far as to prosecute parents who allow children to miss school, and numbers released by School Superintendent Chuck Bell in the most recent school board meeting show that students are missing class at an alarming rate:

• At Elbert County Comprehensive High School (beginning Aug. 3, 2018 and ending May 13, 2019), 165 students missed between six and 10 days of school (22 percent), and 263 students missed 11 or more days of school (35 percent).

• At Elbert County Middle School, 179 students missed between six and 10 days of school (19 percent) and 158 students missed 11 or more days of school (17 percent).

• At Elbert County Elementary School, 192 students missed between six and 10 days of school (28 percent), and 123 students missed 11 or more days of school (18 percent).

• At Elbert Couny Primary School, 151 students missed between six and 10 days of school (31 percent) and 122 students missed 11 or more days of school (25 percent).

Kouns said in his email last week that he has asked to have the new attendance protocol published on the high school’s campus website. Kouns also reported to Bell that information on the new attendance policy will be sent to homes of students with final report cards.

Beginning in the 2019-2020 school year, students will not be allowed to miss more than 10 excused days per block, per semester, and receive credit for that course.

Once the student misses five days from an individual block, an attendance notification letter will be generated to bring it to the student’s parents’ or guardians’ attention.

Once the student misses seven days from an individual block, a second attendance notification letter will be generated and sent to parents or guardians with the notation of a “parental suspension.” At that point the student will be placed in In School Suspension until the parent comes into the school to meet with an administrator and/or contacts the administrator by phone.

Once a student misses a tenth day of school from an individual block, the student will be notified that credit for that individual course will no longer be awarded until course recovery time is made up.

Students will be afforded an opportunity to “recover” seat time by staying after school from a total of 75 minutes from 3:15 until 4:25 p.m for each block missed over 10 unexcused absences. Students may recover time for two unexcused days per course.

The recovery time will begin during Week 7 during the semester and will be monitored by ECCHS administrators.

The purpose of the new policy “Reflects our desire to have each student attend all classes and arrive on time,” Kouns said. “If is our belief that there is a clear and positive correlation between student learning and consistent and prompt attendance in class. Much of what is presented in courses is sequential. Therefore, learning requires a continuity of attendance and effort.”

Lack of continuity and effort, said Kouns, means that a student would not get the full benefit of courses offered at the high school.

“Attendance should be and will be a significant factor in the determination of a student’s grade,” Kouns explained.

Kouns said students and parents will be given additional details at the beginning of the next school year, but he added that everyone involved would get this early notification to aid with the transition to the new policy.

The Bowman City Council voted unanimously last week to continue with Elbert County Public Library Director Jan Burroughs in pursuing a Georgia Public Library Service Major Repair and Renovation Grant Program for refurbishments and repairs for Bowman Public Library.

According to Burroughs, the state-funded program is a 90/10 grant in which the state will provided 90 percent of the funds with a 10 percent match from the City of Bowman.

The total cost of the project will be $117,041.57 (with 90 percent totaling at $106,401.43 from the state with a 10 percent contribution of $10,640.14 from the City of Bowman).

Burroughs said the project will cover repairs such as leveling the flooring, automatic doors that meet ADA (American Disabilities Act) standards, sheet rock over concrete block on the exterior for a more “finished look,” a wider door to the children’s area which will also be in compliance with ADA standards, refurbished shelving, book carts, chairs and more improvements.

“When the city decided to pass on the former grant … the city decided to move forward with this,” she said.

Burroughs said that the city will need to make a final decision on the grant by mid-to-late July in order to receive the funds for the fiscal year 2020.

“With our issues with the library kind of falling off and what not, I think this would be a great step forward,” said Mayor Pete Gibbons. “Now that we’re a city without a school, I think we need to hold on to every educational source we have and make sure we continue to build the library and bring it back to life. I think this would be a huge step to that … a huge boost to the community.”

If accepted, the City of Bowman would have to maintain the building for at least five years.

Funding from the City of Bowman would come from SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax).

The council met in a closed executive meeting for over an hour to discuss negotiations with the  City of Elberton for the potential sale of the Bowman Municipal Gas Department.

According to Bowman City Attorney Richard Campbell, all gas services in Bowman would be taken over by the City of Elberton if the sale goes through.

Gibbons and City of Elberton Manager Lanier Dunn are “still negotiating terms.”

A public hearing on the topic will be held June 24 at 6:30 p.m. before Bowman’s regularly scheduled June meeting. Bowman will potentially vote on the sale during next month’s meeting.

The city council of Elberton voted unanimously to adopt a resolution to “create and activate the Elbert Development Authority” Monday.

The resolution is a “joint and concurrent” resolution with the Elbert County Board of Commissioners, the City of Elberton and the City of Bowman to declare a “successor” to the previous Development Authority of Elbert County, Elberton and Bowman — which had been in effect since 1982 — after efforts came to a halt with the resignation of former Economic Developer Rusty Warner.

Warner resigned earlier this year after the cities of Elberton and Bowman and eventually Elbert County withheld funding until his resignation.

The newly created Elbert Development Authority also succeeds the duties of the former Elbert County Industrial Building Authority which was established in 1968.

The resolution states that the authority will consist of seven directors, all whom must be residents of Elbert County.

One director will be the mayor of the City of Elberton, one will be the chairman of the county’s board of commissioners, two will be appointed by the Elbert County Board of Commissioners (cannot be an elected official or an employee of the Elbert County) and two will be appointed by the Mayor and City Council of Elberton (cannot be an elected official or an employee of the City of Elberton).

The seventh member of the authority must be appointed by the Mayor and City Council of Bowman, but can be an elected official or employee of the City of Bowman, according to the resolution.

The City of Elberton has already elected its two appointed members with Dr. Andrea Daniel to serve until Dec. 31 of 2020 and Greg Gunter to serve until Dec. 31 of 2022.

The joint resolution will not take full effect until the Board of Commissioners and the City of Bowman approve the resolutions and appoint three more directors, two from the county and one from Bowman.

Elbert County Board of Education Director of Facilities Jon Jarvis said during a work session Monday that the State of Department of Education has signed off on a grant that will fund the installation of new security cameras at Blackwell Learning Center, Elbert County Primary School and Elbert County Elementary.

“It will be on the same system,” he said. “The project at the high school will take all the remaining cameras they have and update them to new HD cameras and every system will be on the same system.”

Jarvis added that the security grant will also fund a project at the middle school for new doors and two walls so that school visitors will have to go through a closed, locked off lobby before entering any other part of the school.

Jarvis said teachers are requesting a new radio system as well and Jarvis wants to use the security grant to fund the radios.

According to Jarvis, two major projects are under way for the summer and both seem to be “on target” to finish in time for the start of the 2019-2020 school year.

The heating ventilation air conditioning (HVAC) project at Elbert County Elementary School is ahead of schedule. He also told the board that the new flooring project at the middle school is on target as well, with carpet taken out of the hallways and new tiles being put in.

The Anthony Shoals Preservation Group will meet Thursday, June 13 at 7 p.m. at the Elbert County Public Library.

Group spokesperson Pam Allgood said the main topic for discussion will be new rule changes proposed by the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Gary Black.

Comment on the rule changes can be made through July 5.

The changes can have an impact on what can be applied in the soil at Broad River Valley Farms and whether or not the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Division can enforce the rules.

Dr. Frank Carl, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Savannah Riverkeepers will be among the speakers at the meeting.

Elbert County was granted a television designated market area (DMA) modification last week by order of Steven A. Broeckaert, Senior Deputy Chief of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Policy Division.

Broeckaert sent a memorandum opinion and order that was signed and sent to Elbert County on Friday, June 7.

Although Congressman Doug Collins’ Chief of Staff Joel Katz said the order would likely be challenged by stations in Elbert County’s current DMA (as has happened in Franklin, Hart and Stephens counties), Katz suggested that the county could respond to the challenge and await action by the FCC.

The order states that the satellite television systems serving Elbert County should begin providing television stations WSB (ABC), WXIA (NBC), WAGA (FOX) and WGCL (CBS) to its viewers.

According to the order, Elbert County is an “orphan county” with insufficient access to in-state television programming, and its current DMA includes Greenville (SC), Spartanburg (SC), Asheville (NC) and Anderson (SC). The order states that petitioners from Elbert County are deprived of the ability to receive preferred in-state Georgia broadcast stations and instead are relegated to local broadcast content oriented to North Carolina and South Carolina viewers.

This claim is supported by Elbert County residents, according to the order, citing a public hearing held in Elbert County on June 11, 2018. The order says that only one person among many opposed the change of DMA.

The order says that more than 91 percent of the residents of Elbert County stated they shop locally or within the State of Georgia, and that 97 percent  seeks services such as healthcare and arts/entertainment within the State of Georgia.

According to the order, 94 percent of Elbert County’s residents support receiving Atlanta-based television stations.

The Samuel Elbert Chapter Sons of the American Revolution celebrated George A. Gaines’ upcoming 100th birthday (Aug. 27, 2019) recently at the Elberton Country Club.

George Gaines’ military record was read to the chapter.

Gen. Joel Seymour, (retired) read Col. Gaines’ Bronze Star Citation concerning Col. Gaines’ participation in the World War II campaign.

Col. Gaines served cake for the host Chapter and guests.

Col. Gaines celebrated his military record during World War II and his military record while serving as the unit commander of the local National Guard before his official retirement.

Col. George Gaines was inducted simultaneously with the local 214th artillery unit on midnight, Nov. 30, 1940, into the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Stewart.

He was immediately re-assigned to the Mid-Atlantic Ascension Islands for a short period of time before attending OCS school in North Carolina and shortly, became a Second Lieutenant.

He was reassigned to the USA Army stationed in North Africa where the feared Nazi General Rommel was fighting against the Allies.

After a short period of stay there he was reassigned to Corsica where he was orientated to his permanent unit for training and then reassigned to Italy where he engaged in some of the most horrific battles of the Italian front.

During the Italian campaign, he and his artillery unit fought from Southern Italy to Northern Italy beginning in major battles such as in Rome-Arno, the Anzio, the Apennine Mountains, and concluded in Po Valley in Northern Italy.

It was in the Italian conflicts he and his unit went through many battles and during a major engagement on April 20, 1945, near San Martino del Casale, Italy, against strongly entrenched enemy units and under a murderous barrage of mortar fire from Mussolini’s  Army, and through the  small arms fire from the enemy troops, Lt. George Gaines coolly and with complete disregard of himself, was able to order his unit back to safety.

He was then able to deploy the unit and fire upon the enemy and cause them to become ineffective and thus provide immediate and continued support for the forward elements of the Allied troops in the mountains nearby.

It was through his forceful leadership and initiatives, and personal bravery, that his unit was able to provide a secure position for his unit and re-locate them for timely firing and provide a more accurate and safe position.

Lt. George Gaines was an inspiration to all and commendably upheld the highest traditions of the United States Army, and for this he was awarded the Bronze Star.

The citation was signed by Asst. Adj. General G. J. Knapp  in June of 1945.

George Gaines came home at the end of WWII (1945) and then signed back up for the National Guard and became the Commander of Elberton’s 214th AA unit here in 1968-70.

The Anthony Shoals Preservation Group, shown here at a meeting at the Elbert County Library Thursday, will comment on rule changes proposed by Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Gary Black. (Photo by Jones)

The Anthony Shoals Preservation Group plans to take advantage of an opportunity to voice its opinion to the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

Acting on House Bill 512, which local Georgia House Rep. Tom McCall attached to a propane bill late in the most recent legislative session, the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDOA) will be making changes to state rules that regulate soil amendments.

GDOA has requested written responses to rule changes that could have an effect on “fertilizer” or “soil amendments” being applied to land on River Road at Broad River Valley Farms.

According to Dr. Frank Carl,  the GDOA rule changes proposed are heavily weighted to providing more structured rules and regulations on soil amendments.

“These are good rules for soil amendments, but the state should have more stringent rules on fertilizers too,” said Carl. “I think what (Broad River Valley Farms is) doing is dumping industrial waste and calling it fertilizer.”

The state is allowing written comments on the rule changes through July 5.

The comments must be submitted to Jennifer Wren, who is the Agriculture Inputs Program Director at the Plant Industry Division of the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Comments can be sent to Wren at 19 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, SW, Atlanta, GA 30635 or emailed to Wren at Jennifer.Wren@agr.georgia.gov.

Comments that are received will be reviewed by GDOA on July 8, according to a press release by GDOA officials.

Carl, who serves as Chairman of Savannah Riverkeepers, also told the Anthony Shoals Preservation Group that House Bill 545, sponsored by McCall, was a “bad bill” and that the Georgia Water Coalition was going to “try to kill it” in the upcoming legislative session.

“That was a bad bill that would have helped large farm operations,” said Carl. “The bill would have helped (Broad River Valley Farms) and it would have allowed these huge pig operations to come into a community and leave local citizens without a way to fight them.”

McCall, when House Bill 545 faltered in the Georgia Senate, attached the GDOA proposed rules changes to House Bill 512 to allow the changes.

House Bill 545 was passed through the Georgia House of Representatives but when it “crossed over” to the Senate the bill delayed in the Senate’s rules committee.

The bill can be considered for passage during the next legislative session.

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Matthews honored by Georgia Department of Agriculture

Bridgette Matthews (center), School Nutrition Specialist for the Elbert County Board of Education, received a commendation of excellence from the Georgia Department of Agriculture at the board’s meeting Monday night. The special commendation, presented by the Georgia Department of Education’s Misty Friedman (right), resulted from Matthews’ promotion of the state’s ‘Shake It Up,” program, which promotes Georgia’s farm to school program. Also shown are Matthews’ husband, David (back) and sons Palmer (left) and Harrison. (Photo by Jones)

The Elbert County school board approved a $30,477,073 fiscal year 2019-2020 general fund budget  Monday night after a  budget process that began when Georgia Governor Brian Kemp proposed a state budget back in January.

“The budget development process for the 2019-2020 school year was set into motion over six months ago, even before the governor proposed his state budget,” Elbert County School Superintendent Chuck Bell said at the board meeting.

Bell said after the school system updated student enrollment projections and staff allocations and reviewed budget requests, it generated a proposed budget to give to the board.

After two budget hearings in May and a third meeting earlier this month, Bell recommended the board pass the budget, which it did unanimously.

“We had a big increase in federal and state funds that went toward $1.4 million in pay increases for certified staff,” said School Board Chairman Ben Baker. “There were no increases in the local budget that would have an impact on property taxes.”

The budget will allow the school system to hold its millage rate at the BOE’s previous year level.

The school system will generate $8,546,095 from local property taxes in the 2019-2020 budget, according to figures released by the school system.

The $30 million budget doesn’t include another $8 million the school system will receive in state and federal programs, according to Bell.

Federal and Pre-K funds in the budget total approximately $2.9 million.

Quality Basic Education (QBE) funding from the state totals approximately $20.7 million in the upcoming school year.

That is a total QBE allowance from the state, which had been slashed over the past 15 years in “austeriy cuts.”

School Nutritional Specialist Bridgette Matthews received a special recognition from the Georgia Department of Agriculture for the local school system’s participation in the “Shake It Up” Initiative that promotes the state’s farm to school program.

The Elbert County school system, a year ago, received Golden Radish Platinum status, and the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Misty Friedman told the school board that Matthews’ efforts to promote the state’s farm to school program represented a mark of excellence for Elbert County’s schools.

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After an hour-long hearing before the Bowman City Council June meeting in which over 40 Bowman residents were in attendance to show a strong opposition to the City of Bowman selling its’ gas department to the City of Elberton, Mayor Pete Gibbons decided to table the topic until next month’s council meeting.

“I think it’s best to table the sell of the gas department until next month and kind of get some bearings underneath us and make sure we’ve got everyone heard and give it the proper attention it needs,” said Gibbons.

The City of Elberton offered to buy the City of Bowman gas department’s franchise in exchange to offer broadband and internet service to Bowman residents.

According to Elberton City Manager Lanier Dunn, Elberton’s gas departments rates are almost the same as Bowman’s current rates.

Bowman council member Carla Patten told Bowman citizens the only reason the council is considering it is because the city cannot afford to hire qualified people to run the gas department.

“We have one employee who is qualified,” she said.

According to Patten, the gas department generated around $25,000 in funds in the last fiscal year and the general fund lost around $20,000 and the water department breaks even.

“So the gas department is the one making the money,” she admitted.

Bowman citizens expressed concerned in the future for Bowman if Bowman should sell their gas department to Elberton.

Many citizens were also in favor of looking into implementing city property taxes to help the city with revenue.

“Everybody I’ve talked to is against us selling,” said former Bowman Mayor Betty Jo Maxwell. “Gas makes money.”

“This little town has got to grow and we’ve got to bring people and business here [to sell gas services to],” Betty Yezina, one of many citizens who stood before the council to voice their concerns, told Gibbons and the council.

“You can’t grow if you’re selling the best you have,” said attorney and Bowman resident John Clark. “We don’t have to end up like Fortsonia. We’ve got to look at a plan of growth and work together.”

“If you are going to do that then let’s just hand in our charter and call it a day,” said former mayor Pam Johnson.

“It seems to me as a newcomer that this town [council] just wants to sit on their tail and not do anything,” Ray Brown told the council.

After such strong opposition from the citizens, Gibbons decided to table a vote until the July meeting.

With the signing Monday night by Bowman City Council of a resolution to reactivate the Development Authority of Elbert County, Elberton and Bowman, an economic development agency is in business again.

Bowman’s council voted unanimously to join the Elbert County Board of Commissioners and the City of Elberton supporting the authority, and added its representative – Leona Brown.

Brown will serve on the authority board with County Commission Chairman Lee Vaughn, Elberton Mayor Larry Guest, Dr. Andrea Daniel, Greg Gunter, Steve Banks and Randy Smith.

Last week the Elbert County Board of Commissioners modified the makeup of the executive committee before signing off on the authority, and the Elberton City Council followed the commission’s action by approving the county’s resolution.

The county’s amendment to the city’s original “reactivation” of the authority was to designate personnel decisions to the authority board instead of the executive committee.

“We need the development authority,” said Elbert County Attorney Bill Daughtry prior to the commissioners’ unanimous vote on the resolution. “We want to get back in the business of issuing bonds and attracting new industries again.”

After the county’s approval, Vaughn said he hoped that with the approval from the Bowman council the new development authority could meet Wednesday (June 26) at Athens Tech.

The resolutions signed by Elbert County, Elberton and Bowman reactivates a 1982 resolution that established the “Joint Development Authority of Elbert County, Elberton and Bowman.

It was created by a state legislative action.