Friday, September 7, 2012
After approving a controversial fire district ordinance, the city sought guidance from Attorney General Sam Olens' office.
Mayor Gene Hobgood said he would seek an opinion from Attorney General Sam Olens' office on the legality of implementing a intended to help the city meet some of its long-term fire service needs. The office sent a PDF of its opinion to Canton-Sixes Patch on Thursday, one day after Hobgood summarized the findings at a press conference. Open the attached PDF to read what the attorney general's office had concluded. Related content Don’t miss any of the local news you care about. Subscribe to Canton-Sixes Patch’s free newsletter, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
"It is now time to develop and consider plan B," Canton Mayor Gene Hobgood said.
Read What the AG's Office Said When Canton Mayor Gene Hobgood vetoed a fire district ordinance that critics feared would erase a decade of voter-approved senior tax exemptions, he said he would seek an opinion from Attorney General Sam Olens' office on the legality of implementing the measure. Some in the city thought that the district should be considered a fee rather than a tax because it is intended to help the city meet some of its long-term fire service needs. Hobgood and the Canton City Council learned the findings Monday in the form of an email from city attorney Bobby Dyer. Hobgood shared them with local media outlets Wednesday, a little more than a month after the council voted Aug. 2 to override the mayor's veto and less than 24 …
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Two were scheduled for this Thursday, one at 10 a.m. and one at 6 p.m.
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…
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Return to Canton-Sixes Patch at 6 p.m. to watch tonight's meeting live.
The Canton City Council will meet at 6 p.m. tonight at City Hall. Among the items on the agenda: Open the PDF under the photo attached to this story for the complete agenda. Return to Canton-Sixes Patch at 6 p.m. to watch the meeting live. Don’t miss any of the local news you care about. Subscribe to Canton-Sixes Patch’s free newsletter, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Friday, August 3, 2012
The 5-1 vote establishes a special district to help the city meet some of its long-term fire service needs, but Mayor Gene Hobgood is worried about the potential for legal challenges.
After passionate pleas from seniors, heated exchanges from the council dais, and repeated jeers and interruptions from the crowd, the Canton City Council voted Thursday night 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. Immediately after the 5-1 vote, which establishes a special district to help the city meet some of its long-term fire service needs and shifts some of that burden to Canton's elderly, frustrated residents cleared the room and senior John Rust started to organize a recall of the five council members who "ignored the expressed wishes of every person that was in the meeting." Earlier in the night, speaker after speaker …
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Can't make tonight's meeting? Watch it live here.
The Canton City Council is meeting now "to discuss and take possible action to override the mayor’s veto of an ordinance to create a fire protection district; to provide for the boundaries of a fire protection district; and to provide for a tax to be collected within the fire protection district." Click on the following links for background on this issue. Related content Don’t miss any of the local news you care about. Subscribe to Canton-Sixes Patch’s free newsletter, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Return to Canton-Sixes Patch at 6 p.m. to watch tonight's special called meeting.
In an email that surfaced Wednesday in a Local Voices post from Canton senior Wayne Rogers, Cherokee County Commissioner Harry Johnston said if the city and county fire departments merged, the county would be able to extend exemptions to Canton seniors who already enjoy tax breaks. "We believe we can offer an exemption from the county fire tax on a "grandfathered" basis for as long as they own their current homes," he wrote. "We'd get some complaints about that from unincorporated taxpayers. But I believe most or all the county commissioners are willing to deal with those complaints for the near term because of the immediate benefits of consolidation to everyone." That wasn't the case when the Canton City council voted down a plan to …
Monday, July 30, 2012
The council could override the mayor's veto of a controversial fire district ordinance this Thursday.
The Canton City Council this Thursday could override the mayor's veto of a controversial fire district ordinance. According to an email from clerk Susan Stanton, the city has scheduled a "special called meeting" for 6 p.m. Thursday "to discuss and take possible action to override the mayor’s veto of an ordinance to create a fire protection district; to provide for the boundaries of a fire protection district; and to provide for a tax to be collected within the fire protection district." Council members on July 19 voted 5-1 to create the district and help the city meet some of its long-term fire service needs. But critics of the ordinance have said that it would possibly shift some of that burden to elderly residents who have enjoyed a …
Thursday, July 26, 2012
The special fire district would eliminate homestead exemption tax break for seniors and disabled.
Canton Mayor Gene Hobgood this moring vetoed a plan passed by the city council on July 19 that would set up a special fire district tax which would include a 3.12 mill tax to improve the city's fire services. "After careful consideration I feel that I have no choice but to veto the Canton Fire District Ordinance," Hobgood said. The Canton City Council, by a vote of 5-1, created the special district that would help the city meet some of its long-term fire service needs and possibly shift some of that burden to elderly residents who have enjoyed a decade of voter-approved tax exemptions. Hobgood said he will call a special meeting of the council next week to consider alternatives to the district and provide council members with the …
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
He's scheduled a press conference for 11 a.m. Thursday at City Hall.
Canton residents will find out Thursday if Mayor Gene Hobgood vetoes a controversial fire district ordinance. This afternoon, he said he will hold a press conference at 11 a.m. Thursday in the City Hall reception area. Despite pleas from more than a dozen seniors who said some of their poorest neighbors may now have to choose between tax obligations and basic necessities, the Canton City Council last Thursday voted 5-1 to create a special district that would help the city meet some of its long-term fire service needs and possibly shift some of that burden to elderly residents who have enjoyed a decade of voter-approved tax exemptions. After the vote, Hobgood said it was "fairly likely" that he would veto the ordinance that establishes the …
Etowahwah
2:35 pm on Thursday, September 6, 2012
Hope, it is our City Manager, not the Mayor's staff, that causes our legal bills to rise. Combined with his mismanagement of our city affairs and the Council's inability to terminate him, we are truly in a laughable situation. I agree with cleaning house, but it needs to start with the City Manager and the amateur City Council members! more ›