Fayette County

Schools brace for $11 million cut in funding

Falling local tax receipts and cuts in state funding may add up to $11 million less total revenue available to spend on Fayette County schools beginning in July, the Fayette County Board of Education has been told.

School system Comptroller Laura Brock at the Feb. 9 meeting provided board members with an initial local revenue projection for the upcoming 2011 school year. That projection shows a decrease of $10,906,869 million in state and local revenues from the current budget of $185.5 million. Read More»

If cuts necessary, where will they be?

Fayette County School System Comptroller Laura Brock reported last week that additional proposed cuts by Gov. Sonny Perdue for the remainder of the fiscal year, if approved by the General Assembly, could mean a loss of $2.8 million in areas such as staff wages, transportation and nursing services.

Estimated potential cuts for January totaled $1,276,490 as a result of another proposed three-day furlough and $1,267,046 from a 1.5 percent budget cut, for a total of $2.544 million, Brock reported to the Board of Education. Read More»

Committee wants to add 20 minutes to high schools’ days

A few school systems around the state are shortening their school year to offset decreases in funding. So far, Fayette wants no part of an abbreviated instructional year.

Instead, Fayette County’s School Calendar/School Day Committee is recommending that the board maintain the 5-day-a-week, 180-day school year.

They are also recommending that high schools follow Sandy Creek’s example and include a 20-minute per day period to accommodate students’ instructional needs. Read More»

Crime increase in F’ville? Stats say reverse, chief says

Fayetteville Police Chief Steve Heaton at the City Council retreat Friday said there is a community perception that overall crime has been increasing in Fayetteville and that the Fayette Pavilion continues to be a major source of criminal activity.

But the crime numbers tell a different tale, Heaton said. And in terms of serious criminal offenses Fayetteville is in better shape than comparable Georgia cities. Read More»

F’ville’s home foreclosure rate holds steady at 1.2%

Members of the Fayetteville City Council at Friday’s retreat got a look at city foreclosure totals for 2009. Foreclosures totaled 1.2 percent of city housing units based on the number of actions filed.

Building Department representative Tony Haponski told the council that last year a total of 269 properties were listed for foreclosure though only 73 of those properties were actually listed in the county’s public notice listing system, adding that the number of foreclosures is approximately the same as from the previous year. Read More»

F’ville Main Street program acknowledged

Fayetteville Main Street Director Brian Wismer and Main Street Chairman Lane Brown, received recognition from Commissioner Mike Beatty of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs for being an active Georgia Main Street city for over 10 years. The Main Street program is a nationwide effort created by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1980. It was designed to help revitalize historic downtown districts across America. Photo/Special.

No problems found in Fayette govt. audit

Fayette County government officials have received a “clean audit” for the 2008-2009 fiscal year.

The audit findings were presented to the Fayette County Commission Thursday night. Patricia Pryor of the Cherry, Bekaert and Holland accounting firm told the commission the audit found no material misstatements, no material weakness or any other problems.

Also at Thursday’s meeting the county was presented with the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. This is the 16th year in a row that the county has won the award. Read More»

Holyfield protective order dismissed

Wife, who claimed physical abuse, cites ‘personal reasons’ for dropping case

A temporary protective order filed against Evander Holyfield at the request of his wife Candi has now been dismissed, also at her request, according to court documents.

The protective order against Fayette’s most famous sports resident was filed Feb. 3 after Mrs. Holyfield claimed that “he hit me in the face, the back of my head twice and in my back” during a quarrel between the two at their north Fayette home Feb. 1. Read More»

PTC wants in on Google’s high-speed Internet

Peachtree City officials are hoping to attract the attention of technology giant Google, which is seeking test sites for a super high-speed Internet network.

The city is asking residents and local governments to express their interest in the fiber optic trial, which would provide Internet access to homes with speeds up to one gigabit per second. Read More»

School board approves East Fayette for other uses

The Fayette County Board of Education last week agreed to having the school system’s Facilities Services department relocated to the former East Fayette Elementary School. The measure was approved on a 5-0 vote.

Facilities Services Director Mike Satterfield in a Jan. 20 letter said his department was recommending the consolidation of all its offices, workshops and storage facilities from across the school system to the East Fayette facility.

Superintendent John DeCotis Feb. 9 said the school system had been unable to sell the East Fayette property due to the recession. Read More»

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