Ales Campbell and Bebe Heiskell give their thoughts on Sole Commissioner government. Heiskell says it’s more responsive to the needs of the people and less expensive, Campbell says five people can better represent 68,000 and it won’t cost more because commissioners won’t all be paid like the current sole leader. Fair piece from the Messenger.

Former Commissioner Roy Parrish, don of the Chickamauga Mafia and Bebe Heiskell’s mentor, chimes in with a letter of support for Bebe. His argument in favor of her is all the property she uses your tax dollars to buy and “preserve.”

Parrish trained Heiskell to become who she is today, and still has his fingers in county government because of her presence. Many of his own family members (most notably Betty Keys) retain pointless jobs with Walker County due to Heiskell’s role as commissioner. Some of the properties “preserved” by Heiskell also have ties to him, so of course he endorses her. His support just adds to the list of reasons not to vote for her again.

Fiscal 2013 began Monday, but Walker County doesn’t have a budget for the new year. Bebe and her people blame it on LOST sales tax negotiations, but seems like they haven’t even made an effort yet. No Plan A / Plan B – just nothing. Voters take note.

GA 136 in Kensington will be closing for a year, starting on the 16th, to redo a bridge and some side roads nearby.

David Ashburn tells WQCH the state detour won’t be the most efficient way to bypass construction:

“THE STATE D.O.T. ONLY USES STATE ROUTES FOR DETOURS. THAT MEANS WEST-BOUND TRAFFIC ON 136 WOULD TURN SOUTH ON 341 AT THE 4-WAY STOP AND CROSS OVER TO HIGHWAY 193.

“WALKER COUNTY COORDINATOR DAVID ASHBURN SAID A SHORTER ROUTE WOULD BE TO TURN SOUTH AT 341 AND TAKE A RIGHT ON HALLS MILL ROAD. IT DEAD-ENDS AT KENSINGTON ROAD, WHICH COMES BACK TO 136 ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BRIDGE WORK.”

Saturday evening at least nine local youth, all boys, were arrested for underage drinking. LU sources originally said they were picked up on property off Harrisburg Road south of LaFayette, but others who attended the apparent drinking party said it was moved from that popular location to a spot in Rock Spring off Arnold Rd. (The Harrisburg property, owned by a prominent local family, is frequently used for underage drinking parties. Six destroyed vehicles stolen from Cagle’s Used Cars were found there back in May.)

Eight of the boys were booked, released, and had their parents called – the ninth was held for probation violation and also charged with prowling. An uninvolved friend says at least one of the young men is seventeen, the rest are probably 18/19. There may be younger kids involved but minor arrests don’t show up in public records. Names won’t be given out here, but the ones old enough to be publicly identified are included in Saturday’s Walker Co Jail booking report.

Railroad construction activity has been observed at the Rock Spring industrial park on property belonging to Chattooga & Chickamauga Railway. At least two RR switches are waiting to be installed so it could be a spur connecting at both ends, or two different spurs. The new spur is within close proximity to Nissin Brake and North Georgia Logistics, but neither company currently uses the railroad.

Happy New Fiscal Year! Today marks the beginning of new fiscal years and new budgets for the State of Georgia along with its counties and cities.

October also means it’s time to get the scary decorations back out of storage.

WQCH Radio, 09/28/12: “AS EXPECTED, WALKER COUNTY COMMISSIONER BEBE HEISKELL APPROVED MILLAGE RATES FOR PROPERTY TAXES THURSDAY, WITHOUT AN INCREASE. DROPPING PROPERTY VALUE MEANS THE SAME MILLAGE RATE WILL BRING IN 203-THOUSAND DOLLARS LESS FOR NEXT YEAR’S COUNTY BUDGET, AND DEPENDING ON THE OUTCOME OF LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE 5 CITIES THE COUNTY COULD LOSE MORE REVENUE. COMMISSIONER HEISKELL SAID SHE WILL ASK ALL COUNTY DEPARTMENTS TO SHARE IN CUTTING THEIR BUDGETS-BACK TO COMPENSATE.”

If not for write-in candidate Ales Campbell, this story might be very different. “Commissioner finalizes higher property tax” for example? Heiskell certainly doesn’t like to cut budgets when she doesn’t get forced into it for political reasons, and it’s sure not because the Queen loves her subjects.

The very presence of Ales, or anyone else, on the November ballot puts and keeps pressure on Bebe to do what she should be doing all along: whatever is best for the people of Walker County. Having a primary vote with no November opponent left her free to screw us, and hard, without fear of repercussions – but knowing someone else is waiting to take her job makes her toe the line.

If we had an election for Commissioner ever year she’d be a lot better Commissioner.

Wrapping up September with a very short Daily Update…

Bobby Davenport, brother of Bebe Heiskell’s self-declared campaign manager and director of the Lula Lake Land Trust (benefitting from various projects the county is building), says we should vote for Bebe because her opponent hasn’t ever run a county before. He also says Walker’s economy is “outperforming.” Sounds like they still get the GOOD drugs up on Lookout Mountain.

When compared to ALL public schools, charters don’t perform especially well. But when charters in poor districts are compared to traditional schools in the same areas, they excel. Charters also result in better academic results from minority students and higher graduation rates.

USPS is apparently planning to close or significantly scale back hours at the Post Offices in Lyerly and Menlo.