Elected officials from Jones County, Gray, and the Board of Education met with members of the Georgia General Assembly who represent Jones County last week to discuss how state level issues affect local government.

The meeting took place in the Tri-County community room Dec. 22, and all four members of Jones County’s legislative delega tion and a representative from U.S. Congressman Jim Marshall’s office in attendance.

School Superintendent Dr. Mike Newton started the session with education issues. He asked the legislators to support addi tional class size flexibility through system averaging or additional increases to the existing class size rule. Newton asked for an exten sion of employment contracts to May 15 as systems had last year and continuation of the maximum amount of flexibility with state spending at the local level.

Sen. Johnny Grant asked Newton how the extension of the contracts helps, and Newton said it gives the school system more time to make decisions.

“The last thing you want to do is give a teacher a contract you can’t meet,” the superintendent said.

He also requested additional avenues of local and state revenue and a referendum for an addi­tional penny sales tax to be used for maintenance of operation.

The superintendent asked for as much notice as possible when cuts are made to local systems, and he asked the legislators not to vote for any initiatives that reduce local funding sources, such as elimination of car tag tax or an increase in exemptions.

“We recognize this is a tough budget time. We don’t know what is going to happen in the next few months. I anticipate more cuts, but we don’t know how much,” Newton said. “We are not against charter schools, but a charter school would take away from Board of Education funds.”

He explained the challenges Jones County is facing having received $9.7 million in cuts in state education dollars over the past five years, equating to $2.48 million in lost revenue a year. Newton said Jones County has reduced its fund reserves by more than 50 percent over its last two budgets in order to have a bal anced budget and cut 27.5 posi tions last year with more reduc tions expected.

He said the 2011 budget implica tions are not looking any better.

“I’m looking at budget figures for FY2011, and it looks remark ably like FY2006,” Newton said.

Grant said the state is tracking the 2005 budget with revenue dol lars but has millions more people. Newton invited the delegation to visit Turnerwoods Elementary, Jones County’s newest elementary school still under construction. He said the school is state money at work.

“More than 50 percent of the contractors working on the school are from Gray. Construction costs are down, and we’ve already saved $2 million. Please continue to sup port funding for capital improve ments,” he said. Grant said it is good for the state to keep people working, and the good prices for the construction is a bonus. He said the state has recently gotten low interest rates on its bonds, and that has saved millions.

Board of Education Chairman Ted Stone pointed out that the Jones County community is all on the same page, which is not often seen.

“You have the city, county, Board of Education, and police department all working together,” he said.

Board member Deloras Moon asked about the possibility of monitoring sales tax money.

“It would be nice to have some way to know we are getting back what is collected here,” she said.

Newton said the good news for Jones County is student achieve ment and graduation rates con­tinue to climb and students scored well on the ACT last year. He said Clifton Ridge Middle was recog nized as leading seventh-graders in mathematics increases.

“The silver lining is always the privilege of working in one of the greatest professions on earth, teaching,” Newton said.

He said Jones County has dedi cated educators and work staff who work hard for the children of Jones County.

Kyle George from Marshall’s office asked Newton, if he could wave a magic wand to fix the No Child Left Behind program, what he would change.

Newton said he would change the absolute bar to progress mod els. He said relaxation of the mod els would provide a great relief for school systems. Now, if one group has problems and the rest does exceptionally well, the entire sys tem does not make AYP.

The superintendent said the BOE raised the tax rate by 1.75 mills, which is the last thing they wanted to do.

“I don’t know where we would be without it. We cannot operate in the red,” he stated.

Commissioners

Gray Christmas & New Year’s County Administrator Mike Underwood told the legislators that the commissioners under stand what they are facing in Atlanta.

“We know you don’t have a lot to work with, and we don’t have great expectations. We just want you to think about the impact on the local level when you make decisions,” Underwood said.

He noted that, when funds for the health department and libraries are cut, people come to the commissioners. The administrator said what Jones County needs is trans portation funding, which has all but disappeared.

“We get rights of way to improve roads, and then they just sit there,” he said.

Underwood said the trans portation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax would be an option if it were used by local boards and not distrib uted by the state. He asked the legislators to continue to support the construction of Gray’s North Bypass. He said Represtatives Bubber Epps and Jim Cole have been work ing on the bypass, but Jones County needs senate support, too.

“The bypass will help us both with commercial and industrial development. It will free up traffic, and I know each of you have sat in traf fic at our main intersection. People don’t want to stop here and just get out,” he said.

Underwood said the sheriff brought it to his attention that gambling activity is taking place in convenience stores. He said it starts as gaming, but it is gambling behind the scenes.

“It looks like there should be some way you could tax these as entertainment machines. These machines generate an unbelievable amount of money that should be taxed,” he said.

Gray Police Chief Adam Lowe said the machines have to be registered, but the law is so vague that it is hard to prosecute the offenders. He said a stiffer law is needed.

“The store owner does not own the machine. The law needs to be addressed.” he noted.

Emergency management Jones County Emergency Management Agency direc tor Don Graham said he has applied for four grants and asked for any help possible from the legislators.

“We are trying to grab every dollar that is out there,” Graham said.

The director said the word with the Georgia Emergency Management is that cuts are coming statewide. Graham said, with the problems in Atlanta, he has suggested moving the command post to somewhere in Middle Georgia.

City Gray Mayor Gus Wilson told the legislators that the city has been working on a new charter because their current one is over one hundred years old. He asked the latest date the charter can be submitted to be approved by the General Assembly ths year.

Grant said the quicker the legislation is submitted, the better.

Wilson also told the legis lators that the city needs a sewage treatment plant that has a price tag of $11 million. He asked if any state funds were available for that type of project.

George said the deadline has passed, but federal funds are available for municipal water projects. He encour aged Wilson to contact him for more information.

Wilson asked about the pos sibility of a one-cent sales tax for municipalities, and Grant said, at this time, SPLOST has to go through the county.

City Superintendent Decius Aaron said federal stimulus money went to larger cities, and loans are available, but they are hard to pay back because of the number of customers served by the city water department.

Councilman David Tufts said the idea of a Municipal Option Sales Tax was under discussion but was killed by the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia.

“This is a tool we need to help with our infrastructure,” he said.

Grant said the only MOST he is aware of is in Atlanta. He said Georgia has 159 coun ties but a lot more cities.

“It’s up to the Georgia Municipal Association to get the message out,” the senator said.

Gray Mayor Pro Tem Loretta Lipsey asked if the homestead exemption grant is gone forever. Grant said it is gone until Georgia’s economy is growing again. The state revenue has to be up 3 percent for the homestead exemption to be reinstated.

“No one knows when that is going to happen,” Grant explained.

Delegation comments George said the gorilla in the room is health-care reform. He said the reform will impact small businesses.

“Jim opposed the House version. He feels the basic problem is the third party payer system, but he hasn’t been able to convince a lot of people,” George said.

He said, after the bill passes the Senate, it will be in con ference committee. George said Marshall was on his way back from Afghanistan and will take a hard look at the bill.

He urged the group to work together to apply for grants and reminded them that one of Marshall’s main focuses continues to be to protect Robins Air Force Base.

“He’s always watching,” he said.

Epps Epps said he agreed with Stone’s comments, and it is rare to find a community that works together. He said he agrees with Moon that more accountability is needed for sales tax money.

“The current system is defi cient, and we know there is uncollected money out there. I share your concern about the school system, and I hope we can be proactive,” he said. “We need transportation enhance ment. Mr. Underwood hit the nail on the head when he said we have transportation issues that need to be solved.”

Epps said he has experi enced Gray’s traffic problems first hand and agrees the city needs a bypass. He said he has been a legislator for one year but he was a county com missioner for 12 years.

“I’ve been in the same situa tion as you,” he said. “You are not asking for a monumental task by asking for flexibility. I can’t promise anything, but I will make an effort,” he said.

Epps said he hopes Jones County will continue to be proactive, and he appreciates the opportunity to represent the community.

“For you to hold us accountable is the right thing to do,” he said.

Staton Sen. Cecil Staton said it is helpful to him as a legis lator to have a countywide perspective. He said he is a member of five county del egations and is preparing for his sixth session as a state senator.

“I see similar situations in all the counties. I see stress on your faces and I thank you for serving. We are mind ful that you are on the front lines,” Staton said to the elected officials.

The senator said he sits on the state appropriations committee, and it has been meeting for weeks. He said it is hard to find good news or see any light at the end of the tunnel.

Staton said the situation is unprecedented, and it is going to be a difficult job to make decisions, and their goal is to do as little harm as possible.

“This is the worse econ omy in a long time, but we know it will turn. We will hear you and try to be help ful,” he said.

Grant Grant said his job is easier when good people are work ing at the local level. He said he represents 10 coun ties, and he sees more unity in Jones County than any of the others. The senator said the General Assembly has a tough job ahead because they already know they will be working with less money.

“We’ve made tough deci sions in Milledgeville because the state is mak ing a lot of cuts. I’m proud that state employees are not grumbling. Everyone under stands and most are taking furloughs,” he said.

Grant said he will try to let school systems know as soon as possible when cuts have to be made.

“But sometimes it is out of our hands,” he said.

Grant said Georgia will get through the recession and will be one of the states to come out of it stronger.

“If there is a silver lining, we are not alone. Forty-seven out of 50 states are facing reductions,” he said.

Cole Cole said it is important for legislators to work together no matter the party. He said his wife told him the reason Jones County works together is because the people have fun.

“It’s a lot about relation ships,” he said. Cole said he, too, has been sitting in budget meetings and this year will be tough.

“You’re going to have to decide what you can live without,” he said.

Cole talked specifically about the problem with lead ership in the House and said it has been dysfunctional.

“That is no way to run a system. Our biggest respon sibi lity is to empower those who come after us. Leadership is important to me. I’ve seen a lesson learned,” he added.