Water planning district contribution on hold

GAINESVILLE - Hall County Commission Chairman Tom Oliver said Thursday that the Commission wants more information on how much authority the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District has.

A $12,500 continuing research contribution to the district was not on the Commission's meeting agenda.

That is because the Commission is not ready to act on it according to Oliver.

"If they do have power we want to know it, if they don't have power we want to know it, I just want to make sure we have our facts before we decide what to do," Oliver said.

The district was set up to help plan for increasing demands on the North Georgia region's water resources.

During Monday's work session Commissioner Steve Gailey questioned the planning group's power over local governments and said he was opposed to any further contributions pending further information.

2004-LOW PROPERTY TAXES

Hall County's audit report revealed that citizens pay much lower property tax but more sales tax compared to neighboring counties.

According to the FY 2004 audit from Bates, Carter and Company, it is an average twenty-seven dollars per person compared to three hundred and 37 dollars in other counties with higher debt service.

Hall Finance Director Carl Stephens said more sales tax was actually a positive indicator.

"Most people are spending their block of disposable dollars here in Hall County," Stephens said.

Stephens added that sales tax revenues could drop if people go out of the county to buy big ticket items.

Stephens said the audit also showed the county's debt service is very low and Hall is more self sufficient and less dependent on state and federal funding.


ZONING OPPOSED


A subdivision zoning opponent told Hall Commissioners he wished they would return to the original comprehensive land development plan that called for bigger lot sizes and less units.

Gene Bacyameni lives across the street from the proposed eighty lot development on State Route 52 near Joe Chandler Road.

"The lot sizes were to be three and a half acres, not we're down to one acre," he said.

Bacyameni said the subdivision would bring too much traffic, too many school children and too many septic tanks to a largely undeveloped rural area.

Commissioners unanimously approved the application.