Governments in Habersham County will have to get by on less tax revenue in the coming year even though property values appear to be rising.

Now Habersham received a draft copy of the soon-to-be-released Tax Digest which lays out the value of all the property in Habersham County.

These initial figures show the current total value of all “Real and Personal” property in the county is more than $1.2 billion, an increase of about $17 million over 2014.

“You can see some growth as you go through here,” County Finance Director Trey Wood points out. “That’s a good thing in my opinion.”

Unfortunately, for the county government, the taxable value of cars, trucks and other motor vehicles dropped by right at $20 million and the value of mobile homes dipped slightly. The drop in motor vehicle taxes is not unexpected. In 2013, Georgia shifted from yearly ad valorem taxes to a one-time “title tax” on cars and trucks. That line item of the digest has dropped every year since.

Wood stresses that all these numbers are just a draft of the official digest, “They (Tax Commissioner and Tax Assessor) are still tweaking some of the numbers so it could adjust a little bit.” We expect to see a final version before the end of the month.

The draft digest suggests the county government will likely have less to spend in 2016. While real estate values trended higher, once you include homestead and other exemptions, the county expects to collect $105 thousand less in 2016 than they did this year.

Habersham County Commissioners have already said they won’t increase the millage rate so they’ll have to get by on about 1% less in property tax revenue. That’s not a surprise to Wood. His office developed the new 2016 county budget very conservatively, projecting no growth in property tax revenue at all.

Commissioners did the first reading and public hearing on the new spending plan at their regular meeting on Monday. In total, Habersham leaders expect to spend about $21 million over the next 12 months.

Misdemeanor charges have been filed against a man authorities say is to blame for a September wreck that killed 25-year-old Darrell Grogan of Demorest.

Investigators say the chain reaction crash began in the northbound lanes of Highway 365 in Cornelia when a car driven by 19 year old Jordan Timothy Bohannon of Dewey Rose (pictured) changed lanes abruptly and forced the van driven by Grogan’s wife Rebekah across the median and into the southbound lanes of traffic where they hit an SUV.

Georgia State Patrol’s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team released their report on the crash to District Attorney Brian Rickman in April. He tells Now Habersham, “Our review was for whether there was any evidence to support a felony vehicular homicide, and we determined that there is not.”

Rickman handed the report over to Habersham County Solicitor Bill Oliver to determine if misdemeanor charges were warranted. Those charges came Friday and Bohannon, now 20, turned himself in to the Habersham County Detention Center and was immediately released on a $2,400 bond.

He is charged with second degree vehicular homicide and improper lane change, both misdemeanors, in relation to the September 9^th crash.

Featured Image: Clarkesville City Manager Barbara Kesler and Consultant Brian LaBrie show contractors Johnny Spratlin, Hunter Bicknell of BM&K and Blake Rainwater the historical photos of the old Ramsey Building façade during a tour of the fire-damaged buildings in May.

The three construction firms vying for Clarkesville’s downtown restoration project are running out of time to finish their plans and submit their bids to City Council members. Wednesday is the deadline for proposals for the project to restore two of the fire damaged stores on the downtown square.

One local company and two from other areas of northeast Georgia are expected to deliver proposals this week.

Clarkesville-based Blake Rainwater & Associates is already familiar with the project having contracted with the city early this year to stabilize what remains of the damaged buildings.

BM&K of Braselton has experience restoring faded retail spaces having done a major restoration in the Braselton Brothers Department Store in their hometown.

John W. Spratlin & Son works all over the state restoring historic buildings including several courthouses (like this one in Zebulon) and train depots.

Their challenge in Clarkesville will be to take the building’s exteriors back to a historically accurate façade while making sure the interiors are attractive and ready for modern retail or restaurant businesses. They’ve also been asked to turn the basements into rentable space while turning the back ally into an alternate storefront.

That part of the plan is key for the city to make enough money from renters to help pay down the debt on the project.

The first two buildings slated for restoration include the former Sharky’s Restaurant and the old Ramsey building on the E. Water Street end of the block. In what the city’s project consultant Kirby Glaze calls a “rolling restoration,” the city plans to start at that end and work their way into the block. If city leaders are happy with their chosen contractor’s work on this first phase of the project, they can proceed to the other buildings without going through the bidding process again.

The city is seeking historic tax credits, grants and low interest loans to pay for the the $2.6 million project. Glaze estimates that the buildings owned by the city can bring in $180,336 in rent annually. Clarkesville City Manager Barbara Kesler says that estimate is conservative and, if the financing comes through as expected, the city could easily make the annual payments on the renovation debt and still see an annual profit of $44,843.

Wednesday’s deadline for contractor’s proposals will be followed by an official presentation to City Council on Thursday afternoon. Once leaders pick the bid they like best,they expect contract negotiations to take about two weeks with the  “Notice to Proceed” with the work slated to be issued on  July 2.

One of Habersham’s coveted traditions is the Glorious 4th of July Celebration in Demorest. Each year, Demorest puts up the red, white and blue banners all over town and hosts an all day street event. Vendors selling food and crafts line Georgia street and musicians fill the air with melody. This year the event plans to provide all of the fun and tradition of the past, while changing a bit.

For the first time, Demorest will allow a “special event license” for those wishing to offer wine and beer to celebrants. Guidelines have been drafted that detail the requirements to obtain the license as well as the stict guidelines for serving. At Tuesday, June 16th’s, called meeting, the Council is expected to hold a public hearing on the proposed guidelines.

The second change is one that citizens should pay particular attention to understanding. Many families have time-honored places to park and put out blankets and chairs in order to enjoy the much anticipated fireworks. This year the location of where the fireworks are placed has been moved to the parking lot across the street from Piedmont College along historic 441. This means that for the best viewing of the fireworks, people will need to be located closer to the downtown area and Demorest Springs park. Please plan accordingly.

Finally, Sosebee Lane, a popular parking and cut-thru lane will be closed except for residents of that lane. In the past many people have parked along the lane blocking exit for many as well as creating hazardous conditions for the residents along the street.

In short, make your plans accordingly. This year promises to be a fun-filled family event that carries on the “glorious” heritage of the 4th of July in Demorest! Click on the featured image above for a full agenda for the day’s events. For more information, call City Hall at 706-778-4202.