"Commissioner's Cut"
Commissioner's BY MENDY BUTLER, COUNTY CLERK

Hey, everyone. We had a productive meeting last Tuesday. Our Road Department has been going through a lot of changes in the past few weeks, so it was no surprise that they were on the Agenda. The hours of operation have changed to 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This will help with overtime issues, and it will aid in getting the equipment back to the yard for servicing and addressing problems with the equipment. The Board also approved to purchase a mini back hoe/excavator, and a heavy equipment trailer. These can be seen below in the photo behind our new dump truck. This is your SPLOST dollars at its finest! Also you can see Andy and Paul fixed proudly, ready to go do some serious work! Good job, guys!

Another subject of concern was the loan for the Hospital that the County initially pays for annually in lieu of indigent care. The Board decided to assume the debt on the line of credit with First State Bank for Miller County Hospital. This way the debt will be paid for consistently with a government interest rate which is cheaper. Had this been paid as originally discussed by the Board of Commissioners, it would be less than $350,000, and would have been paid off within the next three years. We are sorry to see the hospital having to make changes, but any changes they make are to improve the way the hospital functions.

The governor has extended the deadline for contractors to be grandfathered in. The new deadline is July 1, 2007. The earlier you submit an application to take the test, the better. Over 30,000 applications have been received. You can fill out an application online at www. sos.state.ga.us/plb/contractors.