March 8, 2019
Board of
HCPD Offers Explorer Post 562 to County Youth
Commissioners Regular Meetings Mar. 19th, 2019 6:30 p.m. April 2nd, 2019 9:00 a.m.
Meetings held at: Administration Building Community Room 140 Henry Parkway McDonough, GA 30253 Regular Commission meetings air daily on Henry TV Charter Channel 180 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, at 9 a.m. & 7 p.m.
The Henry County Police Department continues to bring transparency and solidarity against crime in the community with its new Explorer Post 562 program, specifically focusing on local students as they gain exposure to public safety. The Explorer Post held its fourth meeting last week where children from the ages of 14 to 18 gained insight of what it takes to be a Henry County police officer. They learned the importance of communication and leadership as it relates to a chain of command, fellow officers and the public. During the meeting, five students who were interested in becoming an Explorer Lieutenant presented to the group why they were the best candidate. Members of the HCPD chose Dondre “Dre” Alexander and Adia Brown, as the program’s two lieutenants. Alexander detailed in his speech that he participated in an out of state Explorer Post program sharing his experience as an Explorer. Brown shared that she didn’t have any police background but wanted to see for herself how it is to interact with the police. She said that with just attending four of the meetings, she enjoys learning from the Henry County Police Department and wants to continue to be a part of the program. Henry County Police Lieutenant Randy Lee explained why the Explorer Post 562 was formed and how it benefits the children in the community. “The Explorer Post was created to help the youth gain exposure to various
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March 8, 2019 Published by Henry County Communications & Public Information Department Henry County Government
Editor Melissa Robinson
Graphic Designer Meredith Butler
Layout Designer Melissa Robinson Meredith Butler
Contributors Melissa Robinson Erika Richards
Board Approves Purchase of Harley-Davidson Motorcycles for HCPD The Henry County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution authorizing the Henry County Police Department to purchase four Harley-Davidson motorcycles in the amount of $97,314.20, along with a 36-month maintenance plan in the amount of $9,980.00. The action came at the scheduled Commission meeting.. Henry County Police Department will use Federal Seized Funds to purchase the motorcycles and maintenance plan. For more information on the Henry County Police Department, please visit henrycounty-ga.com/ Police.
County Collecting Supplies for Tornado Relief
Asking community to help make a difference for tornado survivors Henry County Government in partnership with the Atlanta Motor Speedway and Associates Group Insurance, need your help to gather supplies for individuals who have been affected by recent tornadoes in South Georgia. Collections for supplies have already started and will continue through Monday, March 11. New supplies can be delivered to the Henry County Administration Building, the Sheriff’s Office and the Public Safety Building between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., all Henry County Fire Departments, and the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton between the henrycounty-ga.org
hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. All supplies are requested to be new and items needed include: toiletries, non-perishable items, diapers & wipes and cleaning supplies. The Henry County Administration Building is located at 140 Henry County Pkwy in McDonough; The Sheriff’s Office is located 120 Henry Pkwy in McDonough; The Public Safety Building is located at 110 S. Zack Hinton Pkwy in McDonough; and the Atlanta Motor Speedway is located at 1500 Tara Place in Hampton.
Explorer Post - continued from page 1 criminal justice careers and have a positive interaction with law enforcement professionals,” said Lee. “The Explorer Program builds character, provides career opportunities, teaches life and leadership skills and
good citizenship.” Lee further stated that all skills taught in the Explorer program can assist each student on how to be successful in any professional field of choice.
Board Receives Service Delivery Strategy Update from County Management Team
Henry County Manager Cheri Hobson-Matthews gave an informational update on the Service Delivery Strategy to the Henry County Board of Commissioners at the March 5 Commission meeting. The Service Delivery Strategy, commonly referred to as SDS, is an intergovernmental agreement between counties and cities that offer certain necessary
services to residents within city boundaries. In Matthews’ update, she explained that over the past eight months, both county and city staff members have worked to review those specific services to develop an equitable methodology for all residents in the county. As of today, the county nor the cities have been successful in reaching an agreement as required by the SDS Act. In order to ensure that the County avoids the imposition of sanctions, the Board unanimously passed a resolution this morning, authorizing and directing the county attorney and county manager to initiate dispute resolution proceedings. “The County felt that this was necessary in order to avoid any sanctions that could be imposed by the SDS Act for failing to submit an Agreement to the Department of Community Affairs in a timely manner,” said Matthews. Matthews further added that the county management team wants to ensure that the unincorporated residents of the County aren’t paying more than their fair share for services provided. This will require the County to continue to work with each city to address all service concerns, specifically the millage allocation for unincorporated and municipal residents.
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March 8, 2019 County Partners with United Way for Free Tax Preparation This tax season, Henry County is partnering with United Way to take advantage of their VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program. County employees as well as Henry County residents are invited to participate in this free program if their household income was $55,000 or less in 2018. Participation is by appointment only and will be held at the Henry County Administration Building in McDonough on Tuesday, March 19 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on Tuesday, April 2 from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Documents needed: • A valid, official photo ID (for you and your spouse if filing jointly) • Social Security Number (SSN) card for everyone on your return • Previous year’s tax return • All W-2s for current tax year
henrycounty-ga.org
• Joint returns require both filers to be present to sign the return • Voided check or account number card to direct deposit your refund (This is optional, but allows you to get your refund fast) • Form 1095-A if you purchased health insurance through the marketplace • Form 1098-Mortgage Interest, property taxes, closing statement • If you had child care or dependent care expenses, please bring the name, address and tax ID or SSN/ITIN of the care provider For more information or to request an appointment, contact Kayla Correa at kcorrea@ co.henry.ga.us or 770-288-6082. The Henry County Administration building is located at 140 Henry Parkway, McDonough, GA 30253.
For more information on the Citizen’s Police Academy, please contact Joni Miller in the Uniform Patrol Division at (770) 288-8285 or by email at jmiller@co.henry. ga.us.
SEE CLICK FIX henrycounty-ga.com/SeeClickFix
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March 8, 2019 Henry County Parks and Recreation Special Olympics To Host Golf Benefit What better way to spend an early spring Saturday than to play golf for a great cause? And what better cause than helping Henry County’s Special Athletes achieve their dreams of competing in the next big event! To support that great cause, the Henry County Parks and Recreation’s Therapeutic Recreation Division will be hosting its inaugural golf tournament fundraiser on March 16 with proceeds going to benefit Henry County Special Olympics.
henrycounty-ga.org
The golf tournament will be held at Cotton fields Golf Club and will begin with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. Golfers will have a chance to win door prizes and enjoy lunch, all while supporting a great cause. Entry is $75 a player or $300 for a four-player team. Sponsorships are also still available. For more information on registration or sponsorship, please contact Terry Nash at 770-288-7290 or tnash@ co.henry.ga.us.
Commissioners Request to Amend Local Act Creating the GSA The Henry County Board of Commissioners voted to submit a request to the County’s Local Legislative Delegation to present and support a Local Act of General Assembly to further amend the Act creating the Henry County Government Services Authority (GSA). The action came at the regular Commission meeting. The authority, created in 2005, currently engages in road, street and bridge projects as well as airport and airport related projects. The resolution approved by the Board states that with approval from
local legislation, the GSA will also be able to engage in Stormwater activities and all other undertakings authorized by the Georgia Revenue Bond Law. “This is another tool that we are trying to add to our tool kit for financing opportunities that would become available to us,” said David Smith, Henry County Financial Services Director. “It is to our benefit to the county to further amend this act.” For further information about Stormwater or Financial Services, please visit henrycounty-ga.com.
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