Search Results

Meet Tammy Evans Fazio and David Thompson, two dedicated members of our community who are excited to serve on the 2024 HCPOA Board! We still have one vacancy open and are accepting nominations. If you or someone you know would be a great fit to join the HCPOA Board, fill out the nomination form today! Let's continue building a prosperous and educated community together. Nominate yourself or someone else: https://www.hcpoa.info/nomination

Meet Jason Whiting and Scott Kelley from the US Army Corps of Engineers Hartwell Lake and Dam Project this Monday night! They'll be fielding questions about the Hartwell Project's Shoreline Management program and policies at our Association's General Membership Meeting for September 2024. Ben Brown of Clean Cut Tree Care sponsors the pre-meeting social @ 6:30pm. See you there! Update: Lake Hartwell Association's Biannual Splash Away The Trash event, initially scheduled for last Saturday, September 14, has been rescheduled due to inclement weather related to Hurricane Francine. The event will take place at the same time and places, just one week later, this Saturday, September 21. See www.lakehartwellpcw.com/events for more details. Speaking of our friends at Lake Hartwell Association , their annual meeting is Thursday evening, September 26, @ 7:00pm in Anderson, SC. We've arranged a livestream for current and prospective members at the Adult Learning Center in Hartwell, our usual meeting place. Please RSVP via email to LHA per the above invitation.

Watch as HCPOA Board Member Matt Denton, who also serves as the Vice Chairman of Hart County GOP, addresses Hart County's Board of Commissioners (BOC) on July 9, 2024. Matt questions the Commissioners' motives and reasoning for driving the efforts to have Hart County voters increase the sales taxes they pay at the register by approving a T-SPLOST later this year for transportation (chiefly roads & bridges) improvements. Note the county recently discovered an excess roads & bridges cash reserve of $7.7 million... Matt asks, "Hart County has enough cash reserves to fund 8 years of road and bridge repairs, so why aren't they fixing our roads and why are they trying to raise taxes? ... The County Commissioners are not acting like fiscally conservative Republicans. They're attempting via T-SPLOST to raise the sales tax % in Hart County to historically record high levels -- higher than Anderson County, and even higher than when Democrats ran Hart County." County Commissioner for District 4, Jeff Brown, is scheduled to speak about T-SPLOST at HCPOA's monthly General Membership Meeting this upcoming Monday, July 15. For details, visit www.hcpoa.info.

House Bill 581, signed into law on April 18, 2024 (Act 379), introduces significant changes to property tax procedures, establishes a new floating homestead exemption, and revises local sales tax options. Contingent upon approval in the November statewide referendum (HR 1022), these changes aim to streamline tax assessments and provide relief to property owners. Read on for a brief overview of the key provisions and their potential impact. Signed into Law: April 18, 2024 (Act 379) Contingent on: November Statewide Referendum (HR 1022) Key Provisions: Property Tax Changes: Updates assessment notices to include the current "estimated roll-back rate" instead of last year's millage rates. Requires parcels to be appraised every three years and removes limits on fair market value based on the sale price from the previous year. Floating Homestead Exemption: Caps annual assessment increases on homesteaded properties to the inflation rate, starting in 2025 if approved in the November referendum. Local governments can opt out by March 2025 after public hearings and advertisements. Local Option Sales Tax Revisions: Maintains the local sales tax limit at 2%, with exceptions for specific categories like ESPLOST and transportation. Introduces a new local option sales tax (FLOST) up to 1% for property tax relief, renewable every five years with certain conditions. Event Notice: Shane Hix, Hart County Chief Appraiser, will discuss HR 581's implications for 2025 taxes. More details are within the image above. Stay tuned for updates and remember to vote in the November referendum to have your say on these important changes.

Today, ~2 business days ahead of the public meeting at which plans to approve it have been announced, the Hart County Board of Education (BOE) made available for review its FY 25 Tentative Budget and Budget Documents at the following website: https://www.hart.k12.ga.us/domain/16 Per previous HCPOA email blasts / blog posts and Community Events notices in The Hartwell Sun, the BOE called a meeting for 5pm this Monday, May 13 to review the tentative budget and receive public comment thereon, and will hold their regularly scheduled monthly meeting @ 6pm to approve it. If you wish to review, please be sure to click the "FY25" links on that page. The FY24 Budget appears in a window on that page without requiring a click, but that's not what they'll be reviewing, taking public comments on, and approving at Monday night's meetings -- see image below: The meetings will be held @ HCBOE's offices @ 284 Campbell Drive, Hartwell. When asked, "What is the process for speaking before or during the FY25 tentative budget meeting?  Similar to the monthly meeting, is there a form we need to submit to speak and what is the deadline requirement for submitting the form?", the BOE's Grayson Williams answered: "After the budget review, the public will have the opportunity to provide feedback. There is no form to complete. Here's an example of what will be said: Members of the public will be given the opportunity to provide feedback regarding the FY25 tentative budget. Comments need to be succinct and relevant to the agenda item." Meeting announcements reprinted below, courtesy of The Hartwell Sun:

Easier to make good choices when you know who's running for what, and what initiatives and questions are being asked of you, before you get to the voting machine! ;)

From The Hartwell Sun, 5/2/24, p. 6B: [the above announcements, in text form]: Hart Co. BOE meeting The Hart County Board of Education will have a called meeting at 5 p.m. Monday, May 13. The purpose of the meeting is to review the FY25 tentative budget. Public comments regarding the budget will be received prior to the conclusion of the meeting. The meeting will take place at 284 Campbell Drive, Hartwell. Beginning Friday, May 10, budget documents will be available for review on the eBoard Transparency Portal. A link to the portal can be found on the district website: www.hart.k12.ga.us. Hart Co. BOE Budget The Hart County Board of Education plans to adopt the FY25 tentative budget at its regular May meeting. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Monday, May 13. The meeting will take place at 284 Campbell Drive, Hartwell. Budget documents will be available for review on the eBoard Transparency Portal. A link to the portal can be found on the district website: www. hart.k12.ga.us.

HCPOA Board Member writes Letter To Editor regarding BOE transparency, accountability, etc. [the above Letter to the Editor, in text form]: BOE transparency, accountability, spending, and results I’m on the Board of Hart County Property Owners Association (HCPOA), responding to Kim Pierce’s replies to last week’s District 3 Board of Education (BOE) election article. Kim ignored HCPOA statement that the BOE “spends too much money with too little results,” instead answering the misstated millage question and taking credit for the decline in millage from 2018 to 2023. The millage rate is an irrelevant plug, dividing Hart County total spending by appraised property values for a rate applied to each property to calculate individual property taxes. The millage rate has declined as property values have increased significantly, but not enough to offset BOE increasing spending. Following are the actual BOE Total Expenditures from 2018 thru 2023 from the Georgia Department of Audits & Accounts: [see graphic showing increases in Hart County Schools Total Expenditures of nearly 11% to over 22% per year compared to 2018, 4 of last 5 fiscal years.] Although millage rates declined from 2018 to 2023, as property values increased significantly, BOE total expenditures increased 22.4% from 2018 to 2023, resulting in increased property taxes. USNews & World Report ranks Hart County #315 in Georgia and #12,790 nationally, with a mathematics proficiency of 15% vs Georgia’s 30%; while our reading and science proficiency % basically equal the Georgia average. The BOE appears to make graduation rate the sole metric over all other academic metrics. I want every child in Hart County to graduate, but math, reading, science and academic proficiency must be the priority and top metrics for our Superintendent. At [the recent] GOP forum, when Kim was asked superintendent’s salary, she said she didn’t know --even though BOE just approved her pay increase. Per https://open.ga.gov/, Carter's salary was $172,064.14 before the most recent increase, which BOE defends as competitively required, even though she was not hired competitively. Matt Denton Hart County, GA

Reprint courtesy of our friends at The Hartwell Sun! Page 11A of the 3/21/24 edition. On Monday evening, the Hart County Property Owners Association (HCPOA) heard from their guest speaker, the Coast Guard Auxiliary–an organization that, despite consisting of volunteers, trains to a very high standard. With primary elections on May 21, candidates for chief magistrate judge Wayne Hinson and incumbent Thomas Jordan were present. Hartwell City Councilman Tray Hicks was also in attendance. HCPOA president Lowell Macher introduced the evening’s guests from the Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 2-9 (Lake Lanier): Bruce Lindsey, Flotilla commander; Larry Cole, former commander; and Beatrice Cole on boat crew. Lindsey clarified that the auxiliary consists of certified “uniformed civilian volunteers assisting the Coast Guard with its recreational boating safety mission…we do not carry guns; we do not do law enforcement or military operations.” However, the Auxiliary still performs important services including but not limited to boat towing and assisting boaters in other emergency situations, performing vessel safety checks, teaching safe boating practices. As Lake Hartwell does not have a Coast Guard to monitor it, the auxiliary’s services are especially vital. “The Coast Guard is the only part of the service where they teach people how to save lives [instead of] taking them,” Larry Cole said. “To me, that’s a big deal and…we should be very proud of them and need to support them more than they are [supported].” Larry Cole and Lindsey talked about the topics such as the history of the Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Auxiliary, and various safety measures important for people living on the lake. These precautions (such as how to avoid boating accidents) can be found at www.cgaux.org. Lindsey also stressed that as the Auxiliary is all volunteers, they have a position available for most anyone interested above the age of 18, or at least age 17 with parental consent. They also offer monthly safe boating classes from February–October; next month’s class will be April 20. Those interested in learning more about the Coast Guard Auxiliary or becoming involved with Flotilla 2-9 can find more information on their website, wow.uscgaux.info. The HCPOA’s next meeting will be April 15 at 7 p.m.

Reprint courtesy of our friends at The Hartwell Sun! Pages 1A and 8A of the 4/18/24 edition. On Monday evening, April 15, the Hart County Property Owners Association (HCPOA) hosted Representative Alan Powell following his return from Atlanta upon the conclusion of the 2024 Georgia Legislative Session. Rep. Powell provided an overview of a myriad of both passed and unpassed bills, with emphasis on bills affecting property owners. “We are not a political organization, but we do have a lot of influence, and of course our primary concern is with taxes,” HCPOA president Lowell Macher said. “We can give some thoughts…as property owners in Hart County.” Rep. Powell (District 33) began by commenting on the [state] budget. He stated that the fiscal year 2025 budget is $36 billion, with a $16 billion surplus–the latter figure being a feat he takes pride in. “I can’t tell you enough how proud I am of the state. I never thought we’d have this kind of a surplus…This goes back historically in our state to the fact that we have a policy dictated by your constitution that says we don’t borrow money…[except for] bonded debt and that’s limited,” Rep. Powell said. In FY25, pay raises for most state employees will increase 4%, with $2,500 pay raises for teachers and $3,000 for law enforcement officers. With House Bill 1015, the legislature also dropped the income tax from 5.49% to 5.39%, keeping with the yearly tradition to decrease it. Additionally, child tax credits will increase from $3,000 to $4,000. Rep. Powell noted four issues that will be on November’s ballot: state homestead exemptions which, if ratified, would change homestead exemptions from $2,000 to $4,000; creating statewide tax courts, so that citizens will not have to rely solely on local superior courts or bureaucracy when facing tax issues; tangible personal property tax raised from $7,500 to $20,000; and freezing the assessed value of properties, to only be raised annually by the CPI Index (the last being a measure Rep. Powell said he was “unusually proud of"). If the fourth item is passed, there will be a second Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) strictly for the relief of property taxes. An additional piece of legislation especially relevant to Hart County related to boating insurance. This insurance was difficult to obtain due to litigation filed against boat rental businesses (liveries). Georgia was one of three states that employed vicarious liability, dictating that those who own and lease the boat are liable for any accidents. Under new legislation just passed–a Senate substitute of HB 994–liveries are offered protection if the individual renting the boat operates it negligently, resulting in injuries (provided that the livery takes certain precautions such as ensuring the renter is a “reasonably safe operator”). Through an amended version of HB 301, which the state House passed last year, the legislature also passed a bill stating that sanctuary cities will lose state funding. (This was partly in response to the murder of Laken Riley, a nursing student in Athens. The accused killer, an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela, has not yet gone to trial.) Rep. Powell also touched on HB 246, which prohibits ownership of land in Georgia by North Korea, Russia, China, and Iran; their citizens; and any of their companies. The legislature also implemented a “slew” of laws related to election reform, including that election officials and poll watchers must be United States citizens; it is more difficult to challenge another voter if one suspects they are not registered, due to probable cause; ballots will be watermarked according to HB 976; and chain of custody is implemented, meaning that any ballots in a secure container must be sealed (HB 17). Additionally, HB 894 provided that QR codes on ballots are eliminated so that ballots must be counted by their text, not by a machine code. Rep. Powell’s visit to the HCPOA proved a prime opportunity for citizens to hear about legislation not only related to property ownership, but also regarding the democratic process as elections gear up and many topics in between. “Thank y’all for having enough care and concern for your county [to come tonight]. This is the future,” Rep. Powell emphasized. The next HCPOA meeting will be May 20 at 7 p.m. The guest speaker will be from the Hart County Botanical Gardens; the meeting will thus be held at the gardens as well.

The recent Hart County Property Owners Association (HCPOA) meeting on Monday, Feb. 19, 2024, showcased two experienced presenters: Magistrate Judge Thomas J. Jordan and Hart County Supervisor of Elections Robin Webb. Judge Jordan delved into the historical context and functions of the magistrate judge role, emphasizing it as "the court of first resort." He highlighted its limited jurisdiction and non-recorded nature, describing it as a simplified, bench trial-focused court without a jury. Over the past year, the Hart County Magistrate Court, under Jordan's leadership, issued 1345 arrest warrants and collected around $100,000 in fees and fines. Notably, less than ten percent of the court's workload consists of criminal cases, with the majority being civil cases. The magistrate operation is efficiently run by Jordan, along with two full-time staff members and one part-time staff member. In a comprehensive presentation, Robin Webb updated HCPOA on the upcoming election season. Webb detailed the arrangements, stating that there would be 51 days of early voting at the Hart County Board of Elections location on Cade St. Additionally, all seven precinct locations in Hart County will be open for the primary dates and the final election in November. Webb explained the machine certification of vote totals, highlighting the mandatory audit by the Georgia Secretary of State for each state contest. Hart County will conduct a thorough pre-certification hand count for such contests, and all counts will be open to the public. Webb also brought attention to the relocation of Hart County to Georgia's tenth congressional district this year, necessitating a new congressional representative, as current Congressman Andrew Clyde will move to the ninth district. For individual voter information, she directed attendees to map.sosga.gov.

Georgia Superior Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA), is pleased to introduce the Filing Activity Notification System, FANS. FANS empowers Georgia citizens with tools to monitor property and record-related activities. FANS is a free, voluntary opt-in program that sends electronic notifications of filing activity to individuals who create notifications in the system. Please note that notifications generated by this system are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete, and usage is subject to an acknowledgment of these conditions. To begin, visit https://fans.gsccca.org and follow the prompts. For questions or concerns about FANS, contact Georgia Superior Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority customer support at 1-800-304-5174 or help@gsccca.org. We trust that you will find this service beneficial as the Hart County Superior Court Clerk’s office continually explores and implements new ways to enhance services for the citizens of Hart County. Contact: Frankie Gray Clerk of Superior Court Georgia Superior Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority Customer Support 1-800-304-5174 help@gsccca.org Original Post: