Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for June 21, 2023

On June 23, 903 AD, the Icelandic Parliament, the Althing or Althingi, was established and is the world’s oldest.

In honor of the Icelandic Parliament, here’s the greatest Icelandic band ever, the Sugarcubes, playing at Auburn in 1988.

On June 22, 1633, Galileo Galilei recanted his published theory that stated the sun was the center of the world and the earth was not.

Georgia’s Trustees voted on June 22, 1737 to seek bids for building churches at Savannah and Frederica.

Georgia’s Royal Colony Seal was approved on June 21, 1754.

Georgia Whigs voted on June 22, 1775 to join a boycott against British goods. That same day, the Continental Congress approved the issuance of $2 million in debt-backed currency.

The Constitution of the United States of America was ratified on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify.

On September 17, 1787, after three months of debate moderated by convention president George Washington, the new U.S. constitution, which created a strong federal government with an intricate system of checks and balances, was signed by 38 of the 41 delegates present at the conclusion of the convention. As dictated by Article VII, the document would not become binding until it was ratified by nine of the 13 states.

Beginning on December 7, five states–Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut–ratified it in quick succession. However, other states, especially Massachusetts, opposed the document, as it failed to reserve undelegated powers to the states and lacked constitutional protection of basic political rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. In February 1788, a compromise was reached under which Massachusetts and other states would agree to ratify the document with the assurance that amendments would be immediately proposed. The Constitution was thus narrowly ratified in Massachusetts, followed by Maryland and South Carolina. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the document, and it was subsequently agreed that government under the U.S. Constitution would begin on March 4, 1789. In June, Virginia ratified the Constitution, followed by New York in July.

The donut was invented on June 22, 1847.

The Battle of Kolb’s Farm was fought near Marietta, Georgia on June 22, 1864.

The United States Department of Justice was established on June 22, 1870.

Judson Lyons, the first black lawyer in Georgia, died on June 22, 1924, according to the Augusta Chronicle.

On June 22, 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the G.I. Bill.

A lynch mob including members of the KKK killed three young civil rights activists who were trying to register African-Americans to vote near Meridian, Mississippi on June 21, 1964.

When Schwerner, Goodman, and Chaney, a young black man, were coming back from a trip to Philadelphia, Mississippi, deputy sheriff Cecil Price, who was also a Klan member, pulled them over for speeding. He then held them in custody while other KKK members prepared for their murder. Eventually released, the three activists were later chased down in their car and cornered in a secluded spot in the woods where they were shot and then buried in graves that had been prepared in advance.

When news of their disappearance got out, the FBI converged on Mississippi to investigate. With the help of an informant, agents learned about the Klan’s involvement and found the bodies. Since Mississippi refused to prosecute the assailants in state court, the federal government charged 18 men with conspiracy to violate the civil rights of Schwerner, Goodman, and Chaney.

On June 22, 1970, President Richard M. Nixon signed a law extending the 26th Amendment Right to Vote at age 18 to all federal, state, and local elections.

John W. Hinckley, Jr. was acquitted of attempted murder of President Ronald Reagan and others in the Presidential party by reason on insanity on June 21, 1982.

Voters in Sandy Springs approved the new city’s incorporation on June 21, 2005.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

Pat Frey was elected to the Muscogee County Board of Education with a two-vote margin, according to WTVM.

In the Muscogee County School Board Race, Pat Frey, with 147 votes and Laketha Ashe, with 145, has proved every vote matters.

Jim Arrington will take back the Troup County District 1 City Council seat, winning with 1,286 votes against Terry Stafford with 197. In Muscogee County, the District 7 school board seat is still to be announced as the board of elections has to do a recount.

Arrington, who recently ran for mayor of LaGrange, is now back in the District 1 council seat. He says in this seat, one thing he will focus on is public safety, saying youth violence is a major issue.

In Muscogee County, the District 7 seat votes came in so close, calling for the board to recount with only 202 people voting today. Ashe says she appreciates the residents who came out and voted.

From the Ledger-Enquirer:

With all six precincts reporting, in-person advance voting and mail-in ballots, Frey received 147 votes to 145 for Ashe, according to the results released Tuesday by Nancy Boren, director of the Muscogee County Board of Elections and Registration.

District 7 representative Cathy Williams resigned, effective April 1, from the MCSD board to join the 14-member Georgia Department of Transportation Board. She received the most votes for the appointment among the 24 state legislators whose districts are in or contiguous to the 2nd Congressional District.

The winner, after the election board certifies the results, will serve the rest of Williams’ four-year term through 2024. The seat will be up for reelection in its regular cycle in May 2024 with the other nonpartisan local offices on the ballot.

The Georgia State Elections Board voted to close its investigation of Fulton County’s administration of the 2020 elections, according to Atlanta News First via WTOC.

According to a statement from Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, numerous allegations made against the Fulton County Department of Registration and Elections, and specifically, two election workers, were false and unsubstantiated.

“We are glad the State Election Board finally put this issue to rest,” Raffensperger said. “False claims and knowingly false allegations made against these election workers have done tremendous harm. Election workers deserve our praise for being on the front lines.”

The investigation, which included personnel from Raffensperger’s office and GBI and FBI agents, found “there was no evidence of any type of fraud as alleged,” according to the board.

“Three law enforcement agencies reviewed the entire unedited video footage of the events in question surrounding [the two election workers] at State Farm Arena,” the report said. They also reviewed social media posts allegedly made by a Fulton County election worker stating they engaged in election fraud, which was found to have been created by a third party who “admitted he created a fake account and confirmed the content was fake.”

The City of Milton seeks poll workers for this year’s elections, according to the AJC.

Earlier this year, the Milton City Council voted to conduct their own 2023 municipal general election. To make that possible, the city is looking for civic-minded poll workers.

Poll managers, assistant poll managers and poll clerks will be hired to work during the advanced voting period, on Election Day and to fulfill other related duties (such as mandatory training). Applicants must be Fulton County residents or have a waiver from a neighboring county, not currently holding or be seeking public office (or have an immediate relative who is a candidate) and according to the city “be a judicious, intelligent upright U.S. citizen.”

The City of Brookhaven will elect a new Mayor this year. From the AJC:

Brookhaven City Council member John Park announced this morning that he is running for mayor of Brookhaven. Park first joined the city council after a 2014 special election and subsequently won reelection for full terms in 2017 and 2021.

Lauren Kiefer, who serves as the interim executive director of the Peachtree Creek Greenway and chair of the Brookhaven Arts and Culture Commission, announced her candidacy for mayor last month.

Incumbent Mayor John Ernst is term-limited. The mayoral election will be held in November.

The Lincoln County Board of Elections wants to consolidate some voting locations, according to WRDW.

After Lincoln County Voters stopped the Board of Elections from closing polling locations twice in the past, they are trying a third time to consolidate polling locations.

The Board of Elections is proposing changing the number of polling locations. They currently have 7 polling locations.

Western Circuit Superior Court Judge Patrick Haggard reinstated charges previously dropped by District Attorney Deborah Gonzales, according to the Athens Banner Herald.

Western Circuit District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez had filed for the dismissal in May after she said her office could not locate the 44-year-old victim. The motion was granted.

Assistant District Attorney Robert Wilson, who argued for the reinstatement during a hearing Tuesday in Clarke County Superior Court, said the state has interviewed the victim and she is willing to testify.

Also attending the hearing was Watkinsville attorney Kevin Epps, who represented the woman and notified the DA’s office that she had been located and wanted to participate in the prosecution of Brown. Epps earlier announced that the state now has DNA evidence implicating Brown as the woman’s assailant.

The City of Valdosta is trying to educate residents about local ordinances, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.

Anetra Riley, neighborhood development and community protection manager, wants residents to know that ordinances are in place to help protect the community, city officials said in a statement.

“Ordinances are not established to hinder citizens; they are in place to inform and protect the health and welfare of the community,” Riley said.

According to local ordinance section 42-112, property owners’ lawns cannot exceed eight inches and they must remove weeds and vines, and owners are responsible for maintaining their property up to the sidewalk or highway.

Residents are not permitted to have abandoned vehicles with deflated tires. If abandoned vehicles are on private property, they must be covered and vacant lots cannot be used as storage space, city officials said.

Residents should know that all fences in their front yards cannot be taller than four feet, city officials said.

“One way to ‘Love Where You Live’ is to become familiar with the City of Valdosta ordinances,” said Anthony Musgrove, public works administrator.

“Many of the city’s departments do an exceptional job collecting and removing litter from alongside or near streets and waterways,” city officials said. “However, the issue continues; therefore, we encourage all citizens to read and follow the litter ordinance in Chapter 82, Solid Waste Section 82-1.”

OBEY.

Columbia County property owners face higher property taxes if the Board of Education finalizes its adoption of a higher millage rate, according to WJBF.

According to the notice, the Board of Education has tentatively adopted a millage rate which will require an increase in property taxes by 12.20%.

Officials say that the tentative increase will result in a millage rate of 17.350 mills, which is an increase of 1.887 mills.

So in other words, the proposed tax increase for a home with a fair market value of $200,000 is approximately $150.96 and the proposed tax increase for non-homestead property with a fair market value of $550,000 is approximately $415.14, according to officials.

Savannah-Chatham County Board of Education members kept the current millage rate in effect for the coming year, resulting in higher property taxes for some property owners, according to the Savannah Morning News.

Property values in Chatham County increased 10% this year, meaning an increase in property taxes for all homes — including those exempted under the Stephens-Day Tax Exemption. For school district taxes, that means the owner of a $250,000 house will see about a $150 annual tax bill increase.

And while the tax rate increase is expected to bring the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System an additional $32 million in local tax revenue for the next fiscal year — the rate hike comes from property values rising in the region’s post-COVID development boom — the millage rate of 17.631 mills has not changed.

The district’s rate of 17.631 mills was set in 2022 after the board voted on a “rollback rate” from 2021’s rate of 18.131 mills — the rollback rate lowers the millage rate so that property values stay the same, despite rising valuations.

The funding priorities for this year’s budget include hiring about 50 new specialists to tackle literacy issues within the district, increasing funding for school police officers and a districtwide salary hike, but the biggest drain on SCCPSS finances comes from a benefits rate hike, mandated by the state.

Health insurance rate increases are expected to cost an estimated $18 million, equal to $635 more per month, per employee than the previous fiscal year.

The cost is unavoidable and swallows up more than half of the district’s expected $30 million in increased local revenue. According to the district, state funding is expected to increase about 13%, too.

According to a community survey on budget priorities, keeping the millage rate low was the public’s No. 1 priority for the next fiscal year — but that’s not likely.

From WTOC:

Roger Moss, the President of the school board, says that they need that extra money to help cover this year’s budget.

Moss says that the district is feeling the same effects of inflation that’s driving up taxes, and they have more things they have to spend money on this year.

“We also have some mandates that came down from the state. So, for instance, we’re having to spend several million dollars more for insurance coverage. We’re definitely affected, not only by inflation, but by mandates from the state,” Moss said.

Moss also says that part of the budget increase is also because certain teachers are required to get raises this year.

Roger Moss, the president of the school board, says that board members want to hear from taxpayers about where their money is going, but public hearings don’t often have high turnout.

“We need to hear from the public. We’re spending the public’s money. And let me tell you, I’ve been a little disappointed by the lack of turnout for these hearings. We really do listen. But we need you to be there, and so I would love for the public to show up to them all the time,” Moss said.

The Jekyll Island Authority voted to adopt a budget for the new Fiscal Year, according to The Brunswick News.

The board of the Jekyll Island Authority passed a $41 million fiscal year 2024 budget Tuesday.

The daily parking pass will increase from $8 to $10, and $12 to $15 for oversized vehicles. The annual pass cost will rise from $75 to $100, and $120 to $150 for oversized vehicles.

“There are some increases that have been vetted and reviewed and we feel very strongly are needed as a result of increases that we are encountering such as inflation rates and increases in our health insurance,” he said.

Health insurance costs have risen 44%, he said, and state-mandated retirement costs are up 18%. Labor and maintenance costs have also increased, and projects like the construction of a public safety facility and new airport terminal and the expansion of a bike path have required more funds than JIA had originally estimated before receiving bids. This has required Jekyll to adjust its past budget plans and seek additional funding opportunities.

The meeting Tuesday was a significant one, as it was the last with Hooks in the executive director’s seat. He will retire on June 30, and Mark Williams will step into the leadership role. Williams currently serves as commissioner of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

State Sen. Mike Hodges, R-St. Simons Island, presented Senate Resolution 398, which commended Hooks for his “outstanding public service and stewardship”

Gainesville City Council voted to adopt an FY2024 budget, according to AccessWDUN.

The FY 2024 budget is a 1.01% decrease from the previous year’s budget totaling $35,075,093.

City Manager Brian Lackey said the decrease follows recent changes in the LOST funding agreement with Hall counties and the phasing out of the Federal American Rescue Plan Act Funds.

The 2024 budget features a 5% cost of living pay increase for all city employees. The starting pay for the City of Gainesville firefighters will also be increased from $41,095 to $44,084.

“We value our employees and want to be sure that we retain the employees that are with the city.” Assistant City Manager Angela Shepard said. “And beyond that, we want to entice more people to come work for the city of Gainesville.”

The general fund millage rate included a full rollback to 0.239 mills, down from 0.397 mills in the FY 2023 budget.

Gwinnett County Commissioners are working on a budget that assumes $15 million more revenue at the same millage rate, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.

Gwinnett County officials will see about $15.8 million more in property tax revenues than they budgeted for in January, if the county government’s millage rate stays the same. But commissioners will still have to use reserves to balance this year’s budget because of an increase in expenditures, according to the county’s top finance official.

There is a catch, however. Gwinnett County government will still have to use about $5.3 million in reserve funds to balance the 2023 budget because officials anticipate expenditures will end up being $20.2 million higher than they budgeted.

“Our needs have gone up on the appropriations side since the budget was adopted in January,” Gwinnett County Chief Financial Officer Buffy Alexzulian said. “This is primarily due to inflation and current market costs, including some capital projects that are coming higher than originally anticipated, the cost for us to remain competitive in the job market and increased costs for indigent defense attorneys.”

The county government millage rate is separate from the other millage rates set by the Gwinnett County Board of Education and the individual city councils in Gwinnett County, but those rates cumulatively determine how much a property owner owes in taxes each fall.

Right now, county staff have recommended commissioners keep the total millage rate at 14.71 mills including a general fund millage rate of 6.95 mills. The general fund rollback millage rate — the rate that would keep the amount property owners owe in taxes effectively flat with what they paid last year — would be 6.558 mills.

Even if the millage rate stays the same, property owners would still end up paying more in taxes if the value of their property increased this year.

City of Columbus government offices are relocating, according to WTVM.

City government offices will soon move to a new building on Broadway in Uptown Columbus. It will be the location of the new city hall.

“I’ve got two updates. One would be city hall,” Columbus City Manager, Isaiah Hughley said.

The update was announced during the city council meeting on June 20.

The move is partly because of the flooding back in 2018 that made other issues like asbestos and electrical problems worse.

“We’ll meet again next Tuesday, and council will have another opportunity to either pass or fail to pass the budget for the next fiscal year,” Mayor Skipp Henderson said.

So that means if a budget is not adopted by this week, the city will operate from the fiscal year 22-23, which means some departments or other changes needed will not happen.

The University System of Georgia reduced Georgia Southern’s budget by $3.8 million dollars, according to WTOC.

Vice President of Communications John Lester says state funding is calculated in part by enrollment rates from the fall semester two years prior. Fall 2021 Georgia Southern only saw a .5 enrollment increase. In fall 2022, they saw a 5.9 percent decrease in enrollment.

In Spring 2023, Georgia Southern was faced with a 5.5 decrease in enrollment rates.

“The economy is so good right now. Students can get a job right out of high school but we are trying hard to make sure they understand going to college still ends up earning you more over a lifetime.”

Former State Rep. Donna McLeod (D) announced she will run for Gwinnett County Commission Chair next year, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.

“Under my leadership, Gwinnett County will be a champion for all its residents, and I will be promoting policies to support increased workforce development to help those who are struggling to make ends meet,” McLeod said.

“We will have a county that is inclusive, transparent, and accountable to all the people of Gwinnett County.”

McLeod served in the Georgia House of Representatives for four years, from 2019 until 2022, as a Democrat. She left the General Assembly at the end of last year after she chose to run for the 7th Congressional District in 2022 (in a race ultimately won by U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath) rather than seek another term in the state legislature.

Meanwhile, Hendrickson became the first Democrat elected to chairperson’s seat since the early 1980s, and the first Black person elected to the office, when she was elected in 2020. She has already kicked off her re-election campaign.

But, McLeod is part of a group of residents who were critical of the county’s aborted efforts to use eminent domain to acquire land from the Livsey family to add onto a planned Promised Land park in the Centerville area.

Former Augusta Commissioner Sammie Sias was sentenced to 36 months in prison after his conviction on federal charges, according to WSAV.