Tift Tax Hike Hearing Thursday

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Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024

Tifton, Georgia

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PUBLIC HEARING THURSDAY ON 19.5% SCHOOL TAX HIKE

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

The first of three public hearings is scheduled this Thursday night on Tift County Board of Education's plan to raise Tift property taxes by 19.54%.

The public meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the BOE offices, 506 W. 12th St. in Tifton.

Additional public hearings on the tax hike are planned for 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7, and 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, at the BOE offices.

Following the revaluation of Tift County property and its accompanying value reassessment, school board officials say they plan to roll back millage from 16.501 to 14 mills. However, because a mill now represents more money because of new property values, 14 mills represents a 19.54% tax increase for Tift County property owners.

School officials say if they roll back the millage rate below 14 mills, they could lose $6 million in state equalization funding, and that loss would need to be made up through even higher property taxes.

Both the City of Tifton and Tift County say they will roll back their respective millage rates to keep their revenues at the same levels.

TIFT 10U ALL STARS FOOTBALL TEAM WINS CLASS B STATE TITLE

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

By a score of 21-12, the Tift County 10U All Stars football team defeated Carrollton on Saturday for the Georgia Recreation and Park Association (GRPA) Class B state championship.

"These young men showed up and represented Tift County well by defeating Carrollton," said Tim Petrea, Tift County Parks and Recreation director. "We are incredibly proud of these athletes and their coaches for winning the GRPA Class B 10U state championship. This victory will be remembered for years to come."

Petrea said the young athletes' journey began in August when they were placed on various teams in the Tift County Recreation League, which began playing games at the end of September.

In October, the team was selected by the league’s coaches through the All-Star selection process. After the teams were chosen, the Tift 10U team competed in the Kiwanis Bowl in Fitzgerald, defeating both Crisp and Coffee counties to win first place in the tournament.

The Tift County team then moved on to the GRPA District 3 tournament hosted in Tifton the week before Thanksgiving. After a bye in the first round, the Tift 10U team beat Sumter County to advance to the district championship game, winning over Bainbridge-Decatur County.

The Tift team then advanced to the South Regional Championship, also hosted in Tifton, during the first weekend in December. In the first round, the Tift athletes beat Effingham County to advance to the South Georgia Regional Championship game against Camden County, where Tift won, 19-6.

That victory allowed Tift County to play in Carrollton for the state title.

According to Petrea, the team's roster includes Darrel Batts, Kimorion Billings, Jace Brown, Buck Buckley, Kyson Downs, Ryder Edison, Tyler Edison, Kingston Fields, Eli Green, Chase Harper, Marshawn Hayes, Jaylen Hillmon, Hunter Hudgin, Zachariah Kelly, Tristan Lane, Primetime McCloud, Karter McGriff, Carson McKenzie, Tristan Mims, Patroclus Rogers Jr., Chance Taylor, Sa'Mahni Wilcox, and Bryson Young.

The team's coaches are James Wilson, Antonio McCloud, Norman Johnson, and Deshawn Dean.

PROPOSED BUDGET DEAL EXTENDS FARM BILL, PROVIDES ASSISTANCE FOR FARMERS

By FRANK SAYLES JR.

Tifton Grapevine

A plan to avert a partial government shutdown on Friday includes $10 billion in economic assistance for farmers and a one-year extension of the Farm Bill, Congressional leaders said Tuesday night.

The bill also includes more than $100 billion in funding for disaster relief after Hurricanes Helene and Milton battered the Southeast.

The bill extends Fiscal Year 2024 government funding through March 14. It must pass the U.S. House and Senate by Friday and be delivered to President Biden by midnight that night to meet Friday's federal funding deadline and avoid the partial shutdown.

Without new legislation, most government agencies would shut down at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.

According to TheHill.com, the proposed bipartisan budget deal "would kick the Friday funding deadline to March 14 to buy more time for the next Congress and incoming president to hash out how the government should be funded for much of next year."

Reporters in Washington said that agricultural aid was a key sticking point in recent days, and the agreement came only after some congressmen threatened to vote against it unless it included economic aid for farmers.

In a report to constituents Monday, Congressman Austin Scott, R-Tifton, said "Hurricane Helene caused a devastating blow to Georgia's No. 1 industry, with over $6.4 billion in agricultural economic loss alone. If we fail to provide agriculture-specific appropriations to help our farmers before the end of the year, we will see widespread, lasting economic loss across all of rural Southeast America, especially in Georgia."

Cook County Pre-K children wait their turn to visit with Santa at the Cook County Courthouse. Georgia State Trooper John P. Reinhardt of Tifton Post 13 also shares his Christmas list with Santa.

COOK COUNTY OFFICIALS CELEBRATE 'CHRISTMAS AT COURTHOUSE' WITH PRE-K

Tifton Grapevine Staff Reports

Cook County officials, in conjunction with Cook County Pre-K, recently observed "Christmas at the Courthouse" in Adel with approximately 175 children from the Pre-K program visiting with Santa Claus.

The children also received coloring books, teddy bears, candy, and other goodies from Cook County Sheriff Doug Hanks, Probate Judge Chase Daughtrey, Magistrate Judge Stephen Chammoun, Clerk of Court April Garrett, Tax Commissioner Tonya McConnell, and Tax Assessor Jennifer Thornton.

Superior Court Judges Dick Perryman and Clay Tomlinson issued an order authorizing Santa Claus into the homes of all the children in Cook County on Christmas Eve.

The order stated that the “undersigned instructs the Sheriff of said county to authorize entry into the homes of the children of Cook County for the purposes of bringing gifts and smiles to the wonderful children of Adel, Lenox, Cecil, and Sparks.”

Probate Judge Daughtrey also issued a warrant for the Grinch during the event as he attempted to sabotage Christmas. But the Grinch was quickly apprehended by Sheriff Hanks' deputies, for which the children were appreciative.

Also, State Trooper John P. Reinhardt of Tifton's Georgia State Patrol Post 13 even took time from his Santa security duties to give his Christmas wish list to ol' St. Nick.

TIFTON GRAPEVINE'S CATS OF THE WEEK

These cuddly kittens are among the pets ready for adoption to help make your Christmas extra special. See them between 1-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays at the Tift County Animal Shelter on Highway 125 South, or call 229-382-PETS (7387).

LEGISLATURE OKs CREATION OF

CITY COURT IN TIFTON

~ DEC. 18, 1902

The Georgia General Assembly on Dec,.18, 1902, approved the establishment of a city court for Tifton. Judge O.L. Clements, justice of the peace, has called for a Tifton election on Jan. 20 to elect a city judge and solicitor.