Louise Scoggins' Blog: Cherokee County

Earlier this month, Cherokee County Board of Education unanimously approved a bond resolution for a Qualified School Construction Bond to be issued. These low interest bonds, made available to the Cherokee County School District via federal stimulus funds, will save taxpayers about $16 million in school building financing costs.

The plan was for 4 schools to be added  – two middle schools and two elementary schools – but School Superintendent Dr. Frank Petruzielo said most likely it will just be the two middle schools that are able to be built with the available money. The new schools in Cherokee County that are currently under construction will not be affected by the new plan. The low interest funds will become available early-to-mid 2010, and will be…

I bought a new home this year – a foreclosure in my own neighborhood. I got a great deal after months of haggling with the bank and couldn’t be happier in my new home. Then my tax bill for 2009 came a few weeks ago and I almost fell out of my chair at what the county had assessed my property at…$160,000 higher than my actual purchase price, and $20,000 higher than 2008’s tax value. Now, I know I bought a foreclosure and got my home for less than market value, but $160K difference? And on top of that, an increase in value from 2008?? That was a little too much to take.
 
So, like any good Realtor, I pulled some comps in my neighborhood to see some exact prices on recent sales. The highest priced 5/4 full basement home that has sold in my neighborhood in…

The Holly Springs City Council voted unanimously to set the city tax millage rate at 4.865. City officials state the millage rate is revenue neutral and a rollback.

At the 4.865 millage rate, the city taxes on a home assessed at $200,000 would be around $365. City residents also pay the county fire tax of 2.742 mills, or around $219.

With the new millage rate, the City of Holly Springs anticipates $1.6M in net 2010 taxes, which is around $100,000 more than 2009. The City of Holly Springs will run on an operating budget of around $1.3M for 2010 – a $300,000 loss from 2009. City officials still need to cut $300,000 from their budget in an effort to maintain the City’s level of service.
 

The latest reports show that nearly 800 students in Cherokee County have confirmed cases of Type A Flu, with the CDC citing that 90% of all Type A flu cases are in fact H1N1. Twelve schools county wide have sent letters home to parents, informing them of the possibly presence of H1N1, and 4-5 staff members have come down with flu like symptoms as well. Schools will send home a letter when a certain number of students confirm that they have the flu: 3 cases in one homeroom, 10% of an entire grade level, or 5% of total school enrollment must show signs of viral infection before the letter will be sent out to parents.

Cherokee County is taking preventative measures against the spread of the flu, by providing students with easy access to tissues, soap and…

Is it true? Could it be?? Experts are saying that the Cherokee County Real Estate market may have bottomed out and is starting to show signs of improvement. In the months of June and July, the number of homes sold increased over the number of homes sold in the same months last year. Additionally, the average sales price between the 2 years stayed essentially the same -- $185,000 in July of 2008 and $184,000 in July of 2009. That’s something to be excited about!

Inventory seems to be evening out as well…while there is still over a 10 month supply of homes in Cherokee County, the new home inventory has dropped dramatically as it becomes absorbed by new buyers. Industry expert Eugene James of the research company Metrostudy states, “(Cherokee County) no…

Overtaxed, underpaid, overworked…here we go again! The City of Canton is currently considering an increase in City property taxes – the first increase in 20 years! The proposed 2010 fiscal year budget calls for an increase slightly less than 1 mill – from 5.95 mills to 6.8 mills. The increase is proposed to try and offset a decline in city revenue and help keep the City of Canton above water with their finances.

What does this mean to you? Well, on a $200,000 home, your taxes would increase by approximately $65. Not too bad, you say, but don’t forget taxes will increase on top of that because of the demise of Homestead Exemption. Since we will not get the Homestead Exemption anymore, for the same price home your taxes will increase another $55 (based off…

Preliminary plans are underway for a new, expanded City Park in Woodstock, GA. The newly designed park would feature an amphitheatre, interactive pool and water fountain, and a large, grassy area for sports. The old Woodstock City Hall on Arnold Mill Road will be torn down to allow room for the park, which will double in size to approximately 2.5 acres.

The park will be built in 2 phases…first by tearing down city hall and grassing that area in; second phase being the construction of the amphitheatre and other features. The natural 30-foot slope of the property allows for easy construction of the amphitheatre. Woodstock officials are hoping to have phase 1 completed by the end of the year.

The new city park proposal sounds amazing! It will be a fantastic…

Earlier this week, Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue voted for teachers and other state employees to take 3 unpaid furlough days before the end of the year in an attempt to cope with the state’s growing budget shortfall. The cries of “No Fair!” could be heard state wide as the news spread of teacher’s already small salaries being docked by another 3 days. I have been following this story through news articles and seeing the response of not only teachers but the community as well. Seemingly, the general consensus is that teacher’s salaries should be the last one’s touched. Teachers are overworked, underpaid enough already, and in charge of educating the future of our country. Can’t the cuts come from somewhere else? Why does the education department have to…