Appearing in The Times last Sunday was an article describing disposition of passport fees in Hall County.
It was reported that the Hall County Clerk of Court, Dwight Wood, has been pocketing passport fees collected since 1991. While the total amount of the fees was not specified, at least $200,000 has been pocketed by Wood. This is in addition to his salary ($122,000 in 2007).
The article pictured a deputy court clerk assisting a citizen with his application. As described in the article, the clerk pictured and other county employees process the applications. The offices of the clerk of court are used in the process. The fees are collected and retained by Wood.
No reference is made of the portion of the fees returned to the county for use of employee time, county property and county supplies. The report does not indicate any repayment to the county for the expense.
This would be the same as an elected official using county employees, material and supplies to build a house for his personal use. Wood says that his keeping the fees is "legal and above board."
After sitting through many budget meetings in Hall County, I can assure you that any department head would be thrilled to recover expenses in the amount that Wood must have used. I have to wonder what steps the county manager and Board of Commissioners might take.
Bruce W. Hallowell
Clarkesville
Beware water police and slew of new rules
When politicians and bureaucrats come in the door, science goes out the window. That's exactly what's happening now as THEY try to save US from ourselves during a period of drought.
Instead of building additional reservoirs to store more water during periods of plenty, they focused their attention on ways to restrict outdoor water use during periods of drought. Despite the fact that outdoor water use accounts for less than 20 percent of metered use, they developed rules that allow us to water our plants and lawns only on three days a week and only between the hours of midnight and 10 a.m.
Now, they have added some new provisions that allow us to water our lawns and plants for 25 minutes on these three days a week provided we use a hand-held sprayer with a nozzle that cuts off when released. They are also saying that we are now permitted to fill a pool that has been installed. Have you ever tried to fill a pool that hasn't been installed? I mention these beauties only to prove my opening statement.
I would expect someone who really wants to encourage us to conserve water to first come up with a minimum-needs requirement for each meter with the user paying rates that cover the costs involved with water delivery. Usage above that minimum would require higher rates to encourage the user to minimize usage. At some point, say three times minimum needs, water would be cut off.
A process like this would allow the water customers to decide how to use their water without having to deal with the odd-even, midnight-to-10, hand-held spraying police created by silly rules that do not really target the desired result unless the desired result is to see just how many hoops THEY can make US jump through.
Jim Waldrep
Lula
Hall officials drag their feet over tax assessor
After having read the articles in The Times concerning one of the Hall County tax assessors allegedly padding his per diem time sheets, I have reviewed them and have signed a petition to have him removed from office, as it is apparent he violated the Hall County Board of Assessors Rules and Regulations.
This seems to be more sloppy management by our elected officials. As a concerned citizen and taxpayer of this county, it seems to me that the Hall County commissioners who appointed this tax assessor and who were advised of this situation along with the district attorney's office should have immediately taken action to rectify the problem instead of allowing it to drag on for months.
If the commissioners desire the trust of the taxpayers of Hall County, they should have already finished their investigation of this matter and either excused or prosecuted, and then laid it to rest.
The article in The Times on Feb. 19, ("Former employees of the Tax Assessors Office cry fraud against the chairman") should have been a wake-up call to investigate this matter immediately and not to seemingly turn a blind eye. Could Mr. Martin's insurance, which is paid by the taxpayers of this county, be holding him in this position? Or is commission Chairman Tom Oliver?
Other tax assessor boards in a comparative county study meet only 24 times a year. It seems that Mr. Martin listed on his time sheet that he met somewhere every holiday from May 2002 to January 2005 when the tax office was supposedly locked and officially closed. Mr. Martin met without a quorum present, which is against the rules and regulations of the Hall County Board of assessors approximately 661 times which amounts to more than $66,000.
I believe this money could be better spent. If these allegations are proved true, the taxpayers of this county should be outraged and demand that Mr. Martin reimburse the county and give up his office immediately.
Paul S. Barnes
Flowery Branch