Courthouse
Gets
Facelift
By Ben Roberts
The sentence was carried out last Saturday, Aug. 17, by workmen from Derriso Services of Sylvania. The results can be seen in the picture on the right.
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Scant
11 Votes Leave
Broxton, Jordan In Runoff
Broxton, Jordan In Runoff
True Citizen Editor
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In a three-way race for the seat in yesterday’s election, Randy Broxton had 286 votes, Willie Jordan was second with 178 votes, and Anfield-Lewis was a distant third with 128 votes. Broxton could have avoided a runoff by getting 11 additional votes for a majority, according to Ray Parker, the chairman of the county’s board of elections and registration. The final tally in the school board race was not known until about 12:30 a.m.
County election officials had to return to the St. Clair precinct, which is at Boggs Rural Life Center, to unseal the voting machine and get the results of the school board race. They also had to get the final figures on the 12th Congressional District Republican race between Max Burns and Barbara Dooley. When St. Clair precinct officials brought their records to the courthouse after the 7 p.m. closing, it was discovered there were no votes recorded for the school board seat nor any votes for the Republican race for the 12th Congressional District.
This immediately raised a red flag for local election board members. Parker and Barbara Hammett, the executive director, immediately determined that the St. Clair machine had to be re-opened and the votes checked.
A call to the secretary of state’s office gave them the green light to re-open the already sealed machine and check the vote total. However, it took nearly an hour to get someone who had a key to Boggs Rural Life Center so the building could be opened.
Anfield-Lewis was seeking a second four-year term on the board. She won the election to the board in 1998 when she defeated incumbent Buddy Wren by 10 votes. In that election only 586 persons voted.
In yesterday’s election a total of 592 votes were cast for the school board seat.
Of the eight precincts reporting, including absentee ballots, Broxton led in five of them including his home precinct of Vidette where he and Jordan reside. Anfield-Lewis led in one precinct, Keysville, where she lives, and Jordan led in one precinct, Munnerlyn. Hammett said there were 196 absentee ballots voted.
(See Rest Of Story In The True Citizen)
Chief
Magistrate Halts Mobile Home Citations
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The magistrate said he “had to do it” because of overwhelming paper work and the lack of space to accommodate citizens coming into the office to transact business relating to the citations. On Aug. 29, more than 500 people have been ordered to court to answer citations relating to the decals.
St. Germaine pointed out that the officers will continue to write citations for dumpsters violations and building code violations referred to them from the county’s building inspector’s office.
St. Germaine said he has requested the county to provide him with more space but no action has been taken. “We want to do all we can to cooperate with everyone but we are out of space, and we must catch up on all the paperwork accumulated as the result of the recent crackdown by the officers on those without mobile home decals.
In almost every incident, the people who did not have the decals also owed the county back personal property taxes. In order to get a decal, they must pay the delinquent taxes. Over the past several months several hundred thousand dollars have been collected by the tax commissioner’s office. This includes the principal, interest and penalties.
At last week’s county commission meeting, county administrator Merv Waldrop said he agreed with St. Germaine that more office space is needed but the county is not in a position at this time to do anything.
Commissioner Wayne Croc-kett said the county should do a survey to determine the space needs in the courthouse. However, no action was taken on St. Germaine’s request or Croc-kett’s suggestion about a survey.
St. Germaine even took it upon himself to explore the possibilities of other quarters for his office. He has come up with an office across the street from the courthouse at North Liberty Street. “It is an ideal setup for us and the probation officers,” St. Germaine said. He noted the building is for sale but the county could rent it for between $1,000 and $1,500 a month if they did not want to purchase it.
St. Germaine also said that the county now rents space for the state solicitor’s office on South Liberty Street. “They could move that office into the courthouse where it should be and apply that rent to the office across the street,” St. Germaine said. ( See Rest Of Story In The True Citizen ).
Legal
Organ of Burke County, Waynesboro, Sardis, Midville, Keysville, and Girard
