Canton Abruptly Cancels Fire District Public Hearings
Two were scheduled for this Thursday, one at 10 a.m. and one at 6 p.m.
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The city of Canton abruptly canceled two scheduled public hearings to discuss a controversial fire district tax, and scheduled a press conference to discuss the matter at 10 a.m. today.
"It appears that the chosen method to create funding for the fire district may not be appropriate," city clerk Susan Stanton said in an email to local media outlets. "So the city and council have to regroup and rethink the matter."
After weeks of passionate pleas from seniors, heated exchanges from the council dais, and repeated jeers and interruptions from the crowd, the Canton City Council voted Aug. 2 to override the mayor's veto of a controversial fire district ordinance that critics fear will erase a decade of voter-approved senior tax exemptions.
When Mayor Gene Hobgood announced plans to veto the measure during a July 26 press conference, he said he would seek an opinion from Attorney General Sam Olens on the legality of implementing the ordinance.
This morning, Hobgood will discuss the findings of that opinion, according to a separate, two-sentence statement from the city that was sent out early Tuesday evening.
The city did not release Olens' opinion on Tuesday. Asked for any correspondence that would explain the cancellation of the public hearings, Stanton said "there isn't any such correspondence."
Return to Canton-Sixes Patch after the press conference for an update.
"There is a great likelihood that public meetings will still be held, just not" at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Thursday as previously scheduled, Stanton said.
Related content
- Council Overrides Mayor's Veto, Resident Wants 5 Members Recalled
- Special Meeting to Address Mayor's Veto
- After Veto, City Schedules Meeting
- Email: 'We Believe We Can Offer an Exemption'
- Canton Mayor Vetoes Fire District Plan
- Mayor: Fire District Veto 'Likely'
- Mayor: Fire District Is a 'Scheme'
- Fire Department Consolidation Vote Fails
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KELLI
11:32 am on Wednesday, September 5, 2012
They giveth tax breaks to the elderly - they taketh away!
In a state highly ruled by a majority of republicans - might I suspect that the wealthy aren't being taxed enough in Georgia? So they want the revenue from the non-wealthy... and I also mean are the corporations in Canton being charged enough or are they getting such huge tax breaks (to get business to Canton) that it's causing a huge strain on the services to that area? Bet I'm right!
...Time to 'seriously' consider raising taxes on the lucritive buisnesses....
Sweeney
4:50 am on Thursday, September 6, 2012
Kelli take the liberal BS elsewhere. How about we STOP THE SPENDING. You liberals never want to stop spending, you want to steal money from people that have earned it and give it to losers that wont get off their tail and go work. WHO ARE YOU TO SAY THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT TAXED ENOUGH?????