BanksNewsTODAY

With restaurants, motels and hotels, outlet stores, big-box retail stores and convenience stores, what could possibly be missing at Banks Crossing? Apparently, a flea market, but the Banks County Board of Commissioners and the Banks County Planning Commission have been asked to remedy that shortcoming.
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The Town of Alto is seeking a loan to cover the cost of buying property for a new city hall and police department.
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The Banks County Board of Commission has postponed a meeting planned this week to make budget cuts until “serious flaws” in the tax digest are addressed.

“There are some serious flaws in the digest,” commissioner Joe Barefoot said at a BOC meeting Tuesday night. “We want to give our staff time to correct these flaws. Some properties are not listed and we need to get them listed.”

A meeting had been scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 9, for the BOC to make budget cuts. This meeting will be rescheduled in the next few weeks after the tax digest is corrected.

The BOC was set last week to approve a 21 percent tax hike but citizen input led this to be postponed while the BOC goes back to the budget to make more cuts. [Full Story »] 

Banks County taxpayers can make early payments on their property tax before the bills are sent out.
The property tax bills have not been sent out yet because the tax digest has not been completed. However, taxpayers may go by tax commissioner Margaret Ausburn’s office and pay the same amount of taxes they owed last year. This amount will be deducted from the bills when they are sent out and the taxpayers will only be billed for any increases.

Banks County taxpayers spoke out Monday night against a proposed tax hike and the board of commissioners listened. The BOC agreed to go back to its budget to make more cuts in an effort to not raise the millage rate as much as had been proposed.
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The Baldwin City Council set the annual Christmas tree lighting in Baldwin for Friday, Dec. 4. This year’s festivities were discussed at a council meeting on Nov. 9. The festival will kick off at 6 p.m. at the new city park, next to the police and fire departments. The tree lighting will take place at 6:30 p.m.
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