CAIRO — Grady County citizens could be seeing a slight raise in the FY2006 millage rate.

Tuesday, the Grady County Board of Commissioners adopted a tentative millage rate of 10.752 mils, an increase of 7.63 percent above the rollback millage rate of 9.99 percent.

“Rollback means that calculation figures your millage rate if you don’t collect any more taxes than you did before,” said Rusty Moye, county administrator. “It’s the same as last year in taxes at 9.99 percent with digest information fed into the calculation. I would collect same amount of taxes as I did last year but cost of doing business went up so the 10.752 mills balances the budget”

The board had two proposed millage rates to consider: 10.81 with an increase of 8.21 percent and 10.62 with an increase of 6.31 percent. The 10.81 mils included a fly over and maps for the tax assessor’s office and the other did not. Due to some last minute changes that pumped up the tax digest, the 10.81 mils was changed to 10.752 mils.

Vice Chairman Al Ball moved to approve the 10.81 mils but this motion was rescinded with the new information and he then motioned to adopt the 10.752 mils. Commissioner Benny Prince seconded the motion and the tentative millage rate was unanimously passed.

“The county was in need of remapping, our maps are ancient, at least 15 years old,” said Ball. “In order to do these right, we need to fly over to look at the ground so when you look at a map you know that it is an accurate description of the land. If we had passed, it would be a greater cost later on.”

The Grady County 2005 net digest — everything in the county — is $466,897,743.

Millage rate is the property tax rate stated in terms of tenths of cents in tax per dollar of property value. The basic explanation is 1 mil = $1 per $1,000 of the assessed value of property.

This millage rate of 10.752 mils is an increase of 0.752 from FY2005 but less than the earlier proposed millage rate for FY2006 of 11.05 mils.

Concerned citizens are invited to attend three public hearings on the proposed tax increase: Aug. 11 at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. and Aug. 18 at 8:45 a.m.

“They will hold the last public hearing on Aug. 18, then turn around and go into a called meeting and set the millage that day,” said Moye.

Now that a millage rate has been tentatively adopted, the number can only go down.

All hearings will be held in the Grady County Courthouse, 250 N. Broad St. in Cairo.

For more information, call 377-1512.

Staff report



CAIRO — Five suspects arrested in 2004 on separate charges by the Southwest Georgia Drug Task Force were recently found guilty in federal court.

The arrests were made in Grady and Mitchell counties, with the assistance of the Cairo Police Department, the Pelham Police Department and the Grady County Sheriff’s Department, said task force commander Joey Autrey.

On July 10, 2004, at approximately 9:16 p.m., the Georgia State Patrol stopped a white Mitsubishi 3000 GT for speeding on Ga. 93 South in Grady County. During the stop, a trooper located a quantity of marijuana and two weapons in the vehicle.

A complete search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 4.2 grams of marijuana, .2 grams of methamphetamine, 5.87 ounces of crushed Ephedrine pills, various items used to manufacture meth, a handgun, and a shotgun.

Robert Joseph Westrup, 24, who gave an address of 4705 Preston Johnson Road, Tallahassee, Fla., was charged with possession of methamphetamine, misdemeanor marijuana, unlawful possession of Ephedrine, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a concealed weapon.

In federal court, Westrup negotiated a guilty plea and was sentenced to nine years, nine months in prison.

On Feb. 27, 2004, Daon Smith was arrested on 20th Avenue NW in Cairo after agents did a “take down” on the vehicle he was driving and searched his residence in Cairo.

Agents recovered approximately 29 grams of powder cocaine, 20 grams of crack cocaine, $470 in cash, a set of scales, a vehicle and a firearm. Smith was charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. In federal court, Smith negotiated a guilty plea and was sentenced to two years in prison.

On Sept. 3, 2004, at approximately 12:20 p.m., the Southwest Georgia Drug Task Force and the Pelham Police Department arrested Onterrio Duan Jackson, who gave an address of 626 Lee Williams Drive, Pelham.

The arrest occurred at Lebron Eubanks Park on Cotton Avenue in Pelham. Agents recovered 62 grams of crack cocaine with a street value of $6,200, five ounces of marijuana with a street value of $625, a loaded .22 caliber pistol, $742 in cash, and a set of digital scales.

Jackson was charged with trafficking cocaine, possession of marijuana with Intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. In federal court, Jackson was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to 17 years in prison.

On April 3, 2004, Terrence “Tank” Williams and Joseph Davenport were arrested at a hotel on U.S. 84 in Cairo after agents recovered approximately 31 grams of crack cocaine and 28 grams of powder cocaine. Both subjects were charged with trafficking cocaine.

In federal court, both men negotiated guilty pleas. Williams was sentenced to five years, three months, and Davenport was sentenced to eight years, nine months in prison. Autrey said according to federal guidelines, defendants serve a vast majority of the time to which they are sentenced.