Fayette County

Fayetteville eyes tax increase

The Fayetteville City Council and department heads met Monday to talk about more financial belt-tightening. Several possible outcomes include a millage rate increase, fewer city workers, a depleted reserve fund and remaining employees paying for any hikes in cost of benefits. Read More»

Rep. Fludd pushes for better tax collection

State Rep. Virgil Fludd speaks at town hall meeting Feb. 27 in College Park. Photo/Ben Nelms.

Nearly 100 people attended a town hall meeting Saturday conducted by state Rep. Virgil Fludd. The meeting held at Creel Park in south Fulton County centered on transportation, education and potential ways to increase state tax revenues. Read More»

School board lags in releasing public info

School board lags in releasing public info

The Fayette County School Board in January voted 3-to-2 to change its monthly public meeting night from Monday to Tuesday.

Although the school board had been meeting on Monday nights for many years, board members Terri Smith, Janet Smola and Lee Wright Read More»

Perdue’s plan could force Fayette into tax

Fayette could vote down regional SPLOST and still be compelled to participate in tax

Gov. Sonny Perdue’s proposal for a potential regional 1 percent sales tax to fund transportation projects could be assessed on Fayette County even if voters within Fayette turn it down.

Under legislation supported by Perdue, the vote to authorize such an eight-year-long tax would be at the regional level. The legislation requires votes be tallied among all 10 combined counties in the Atlanta Regional Commission.

So even if Fayette votes down the sales tax, if the 10 counties in aggregate approve it, the tax will be assessed on Fayette residents and businesses regardless. Read More»

PTC asked to lift sprinkler requirement for new buildings

The Peachtree City Council is being asked to allow 12 new townhome units to be built without fire sprinklers as required by a city ordinance adopted in March 2008.

Marksmen Construction is ready to build the remaining 12 townhome units at The Village at Lexington Circle development off Ga. Highway 54 West.

The first 34 units in the subdivision were not required to have a sprinkler system, but because the previous developer’s building permit for the last 12 expired in June 2008, the city’s new fire protection ordinance now applies, city officials said. Read More»

Bookmarks of Blessings

Kay Jones and some of her Bookmarks of Blessings.

Girl sells items to raise money for Earthquake victims in Haiti

Kay Jones’ parents were flipping channels after the earthquake in Haiti and she asked them to stop on the coverage. She, like many, was struck by the devastation she saw and wanted to do something to help. Her idea was to make and sell bookmarks to raise money to donate. Read More»

Cop Reports 3/03/10

The following arrests were reported by local law enforcement agencies for the past week. All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty: Read More»

Fayette school chief’s pay 55% more than governor

Last year, I personally called the office of Fayette County School District Superintendent John DeCotis to determine if he would be affected by the 4.5 percent across-the-board pay cut that he imposed on all teachers, secretaries and other school district employees for 2009.

His secretary assured me that he would be equally affected but, as evidenced by his 2009 income, this is clearly not the case. Read More»

Search the nation for new Fayette sup’t.

To the Fayette County Board of Education: As a homeowner, business owner and voter in Fayette County, there is a matter that I feel you should know how I feel.

Now that Dr. John DeCotis has resigned his position as superintendent, effective this June, the Fayette County Board of Education has the authority to recruit, interview, and hire our next superintendent.

This gives our school board a golden opportunity to launch a nationwide search for the best, most capable candidate for the job. Read More»

Local Corvette fan picked up his new car at Ky. plant

Richard Chappell and his wife, Doris

Richard Chappell, a retired employee of the Atlanta Wire Works who lives with his wife in Senoia, recently did something he had never done before: He bought a new Chevrolet Corvette. Read More»