READY FOR RECALL—NOW IT’S UP TO THE CITIZENS OF DISTRICT 3 AND DISTRICT 3 ONLY

March 27, 2023

There are particular steps and certain time restraints on a recall.  Following are those steps to complete a recall.

1. Have application issued by the Election Superintendent (ES)
2. Fill out the application, obtain 100 verified signatures of only those eligible to vote in District 3.  There would need to be 130+ signatures to make sure at least 100 are verified.  **ONLY eligible District 3 voters, meaning you are registered and eligible to vote in District 3, can sign the application, get others to sign, etc.**

3. Get the 100+ signatures and return to the ES within 15 days after obtaining the application.

4. The ES must verify the signatures within 5 days.
5. The commissioner is notified by the ES and has 4 days to appeal to Superior Court for review the grounds for recall. The recall chairman along with our attorney must prove probable cause exists.
6. Recall petitions are issued by the ES. Petitions must be signed by 700+ eligible District 3 voters.

7. Petitions can be circulated after order of the judge who has reviewed the grounds—again ONLY by eligible District 3 voters. Citizens from any other district can not participate—they can not help gather signatures!  They can call or talk to people to encourage them to sign the petitions.

8. Signatures and addresses on the petition MUST be legible so they can be verified.
9. Signed petitions with 700+ eligible signatures must be returned within 30 days.

10. The ES must verify signatures and if the required number are verified, ES will call for recall election to be held 30-45 days.
11. If recall is successful, a new election for District 3 commissioner will be held 30-45 days later.

    

As you can see, this is a process that requires work by citizens within specific time restraints.

HERE’S WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE NOW—

There needs to be 130+ eligible voters in District 3 willing to sign the application to get the recall process started.  The signatures will have to be collected within 15 days of the day the application is obtained.  Once the Recall Chair is assured of 130+ willing signatories the application will be obtained and at least 2 sites will be designated for people in District 3 to sign—one in Hillsboro and one near Turtle Cove as well as others if needed.

***Email taxpayerwatchdogs@yahoo.com to confirm that you will sign or respond YES in the comments on the Facebook post.

As soon as the application is obtained, you will be notified either via email or Facebook post as to the time constraints and places to sign the petition.

There will need to be someone willing to run for District 3 if the recall is successful.  If that someone is you, please email taxpayerwatchdogs@yahoo.com or respond in the Facebook comments so the Recall Chair will know that the recall will result in a new member of the BOC.

Stayed tuned and be assured that there has been work done over the past several weeks to assure a successful recall.  The District 3 Commissioner affects ALL of Jasper County, but only those in District 3 can make the needed change!

NO R2 ZONING!!  SAVE RURAL JASPER!!  RECALL JERNIGAN!!

Citizens, be informed and stay informed!  Only by being informed, can the citizens understand what is being done and talked about, and then press our officials to make good decisions for everyone in Jasper County. 

 TWG
www.taxdogs.wordpress.com
http://www.facebook.com/taxdogs

“RIVIAN HOUSING” CAUSING TURMOIL IN NEWTON AND MORGAN AS WELL AS JASPER COUNTY

March 24, 2023

Jasper County was also designated for Rivian Housing with the R2 zoning proposed by Stunkel who also sits on the JDA board. Do not doubt it!  Morgan County, in particular Rutledge, has been fighting the disaster called Rivian, but Newton County folks are beginning to wake up too.

Below is a post from a Newton County resident on Facebook, trying to wake people up to the disaster coming to their area…”affordable housing” for Rivian

Here is the latest news I have been told on the Flat Rock/Alcovy Rd development! This is supposed to come before the planning and zoning board at their next meeting and then to City Council in 2 weeks!

From what I have seen there are 2 overlays being requested on current M2 Industrial zoned property.

One is for a Alcovy Rd overlay using 415 acres in the City of Covington requesting up to 680 apartments and townhomes with an option for more as well as 4 huge industrial buildings with an entrance in front of the Briarpatch subdivision entrance on Alcovy Rd and a second entrance on Hwy 142 east of the Orchard Park subdivision entrance.

 The second overlay is the Flat Rock Rd Overlay and is requesting an approximate additional 600 plus apartments and townhomes with entrances on Flat Rock Rd and Gregory Rd.

If this overlay is passed by the City Council, I am told the property owner may seek to have an adjacent 350 acres to be annexed in to the city by the Board of Commissioners to be rezoned for additional overlays and thus more apartments and industrial sites!

This will have a potential of adding an additional 2400 more vehicles and 100 plus tractor trailer trucks DAILY on 2 lanes of traffic with most of those exiting onto an already jammed up Hwy 142 taking a left across traffic!

I have not talked to a single resident of this county who wants more high density housing other than the 3 city council members who voted in favor of this a few weeks ago! Please reach out to your City Council and Board of Commissioners and ask them to vote no!

I have heard that Morgan, Davis and Henderson are for the development and Smith and Floyd are against. I also heard Keck may be in favor of the development. Please reach out to her and let her know how you feel!

The only way for this to be rejected is for the citizens of this community to come to these meetings and to contact their Council members!

 ===========================================================

The following information is from a Facebook Post from Morgan County resident.   Please take time to read it. We must all continue to fight. #CitizensUnite #SaveRuralGeorgia  

Friends in Covington and Newton County. Are you aware of this? Housing for RIVIAN! What is RIVIAN you may ask. It’s our and your worst nightmare as we are SOLD OUT by those 4 county Commissioners, JDA and the State of Georgia driven by our Governor. This is the Governor’s “RURAL JOBS” agenda. There are no workers here so they will bring them here, mostly illegals as they did with SK Battery in Commerce and RIVIAN in Rutledge, Morgan and Walton Co on 2003 acres of beautiful legacy farmland being stripped down to the red clay as I type this.

We in our FB group Our Communities Oppose Rivian Assembly Plant in Morgan and Walton counties are opposing this with many wins against them in court. One case is on appeal by the State. Despite this, they excavate our community away, taking every tree and every blade of “real green” grass. All in the name of “GREEN ENERGY.” Our Governor is obsessed with destroying all of RURAL Georgia to make our State the “Green Capital” of the United States.

Check us out to learn more at our website #no2rivian What is it? A 20 million sq ft 7 story MEGA INDUSTRIAL EV AUTO PLANT (along with a battery plant). Grading is well on its way for a plant 3 1/2 times the size of the Pentagon in Washington DC!! Our 4 county JDA and the State is behind it and it’s not a pretty picture!

I know our friends in the Todd Drive area of Covington have been fighting this dense multi housing (also for RIVIAN), for some time.

This is NOT local housing. The JDA has given our RURAL area the MEGA INDUSTRIAL EV AUTO PLANT RIVIAN (unless it goes bust first-stock falling daily to 13.01 now, from a high of 174) with 7,000 to 8,500 “imported” mostly illegal workers. Great investment of billions of State and County tax dollars? We think NOT!

So where are they all going to live?? Go to school?? And who is paying for it all? Tax payers of this state and the 4 counties are on the hook for $1.5 BILLION dollars on top of the millions like the free land already given to RIVIAN.

Land owned in part by our JDA Chairman and siblings, a legacy farm that netted them a profit of $22 million dollars! Nothing illegal here claims attorney for the JDA, Ms. Andrea Gray.

It was the JDA who developed this on all agricultural zoned legacy farmland, sold at a price the JDA and the State. They set the price 4-5 times the price per acre of similar land sold in the area. Without any knowledge of local citizens, neighbors to the farm even, except those here that were profiting from it.

This 2003 acres of free land, in Morgan and Walton Counties adjacent to I 20, will net the failing EV Company of RIVIAN $1.5 BILLION PLUS DOLLARS of our taxpayer money, given freely to RIVIAN by the State, if the State Court overturns the County judges ruling against them here. Verdict due in a matter of weeks.

Either way, we or they will appeal (because we are now up against the State judging the actions of the State). If RIVIAN fails before this all plays out in court (a real possibility) I’m not sure how they are going to justify that!

The 4 county JDA has put a large sign up at the intersection of Hwy 278 and I 20, declaring us as the NEW EAST ATLANTA MEGA SITE. We are Not!

No one thought they would stop Stanton Springs with just Facebook and Baxter/Takeda did they??

And just where will they all live?

The accessory businesses (to this Mega industry) are to be mostly in Walton County with 7,000 employees and the housing has been designated for Newton Co.

Lucky all of us.  NOT!

Not sure what the 4 county JDA has planned for Jasper. Probably the toxic waste? It has all got to go somewhere! Just like all the imported, mostly illegal, workers.

I have a saved file of videos and other info on all this marked public, linked to my page. You will learn more than you ever wanted to know about this local government take over of our Community and the State and JDA corruption that led them here.

If you don’t know this is coming, please get informed. If you do please make your feelings known at any and every meeting they have. You in Newton are lucky to have a heads up on all this and hearings to attend. All we citizens knew about RIVIAN was when the Governor announced on TV Dec 16, 2021, as a “Done Deal”. Then our JDA was quoted as saying “That Ship has Already Sailed” when we started asking where our Citizen Rights were? Where is our voice in this? Why weren’t we told about this secret back-room, dark deal!?!

We have been living with the consequences since. We continue to raise funds and use our own money to fight the State and JDA against us, who use our own taxpayer dollars to fight our community in court.

The latest insult to injury, is the State filing a bond request for our committee (against RIVIAN) to pay for their legal fund (also taken from our tax dollars) to help them appeal a ruling against them, by the courts on the bond issue to pay for all this.

This and the other cases where judges ruled against them proves our law suits are not frivolous. If so our attorney asked “why are you (the State and JDA) wasting our tax dollars to fight for appeal on the 5 out of 6 cases we have won against you.” Nothing trivial about that!!

We are all in on this fight. We aren’t going anywhere. Be prepared for the fight of your lives as they put part three “the housing” for all these workers in NEWTON COUNTY, into action.

Citizens, be informed and stay informed!  Only by being informed, can the citizens understand what is being done and talked about, and then press our officials to make good decisions for everyone in Jasper County. 

 TWG
www.taxdogs.wordpress.com
http://www.facebook.com/taxdogs

 

 

JASPER COUNTY ZONING IS STILL IN LIMBO, BUT RECALL IS A GO

March 15, 2023

At the first community meeting in December 2022 that was held to learn about the R2 zoning proposal by Stunkel, a committee was formed to work on fighting the R2 zoning.  This blog is to give everyone an update on what that committee has done and plans to do.

As the citizens donated money to the fund to fight R2 zoning, the committee

• Worked on a strategy to fight R2 zoning
• Encouraged people to get involved and spread the word with blogs and emails
• Designed and ordered No R2 Zoning signs and placed them around the county with the help of many citizens
• Obtained an attorney to give advice on several zoning issues
• Requested open records and took the time to pursue getting those records
• Went through the open records once received and released them to the public by preparing and using funds to pay for the ads
• Held a 2^nd community meeting to keep people informed
• Held several committee meetings
• Continue to keep the public informed on Facebook, blogs, and emails

The committee has now obtained a blank application form for RECALL in order to review it and to work on completing it, determining the time line and number of signatures required. This RECALL will be for DON JERNIGAN, District 3 Commissioner. 

As soon as we have everything ready to go, we will call another community meeting,  particularly stressing the presence of Jasper County District 3 voters.  In order for this to succeed numerous people from District 3 will be needed to take around petitions and approximately 700 people that are registered voters in District 3 will need to sign the petition.

The citizens have been loud and clear about their desires for Jasper County but Jernigan and Stunkel continue to push for their own desires and ignore the citizens they were elected to serve.

“All government, of right, originates with the people, is founded upon their will only, and is instituted solely for the good of the whole. Public officers are trustees and servants of the people and are at all times amenable to them”    (Ga. Const. Art. I, § 2 ¶1). 

Jernigan and Stunkel must not read this part of the Georgia Constitution each and every time they go to the BOC office.  It is hanging on the wall and has been for more than a decade. 

An elected official serves only as a result of the trust which the majority of the electorate has exhibited by electing that individual to office.  Very few still have any trust left that Jernigan and Stunkel will serve them and their good.

RECALL JERNIGAN NOW!  We must wait until July to RECALL STUNKEL!

#CitizenInvolvement  #NoR2Zoning  #CitizensMatter #Collusion

#Ethics  #Morals  #BehindClosedDoors  #SaveRuralJasper  #Recall

Citizens, be informed and stay informed!  Only by being informed, can the citizens understand what is being done and talked about, and then press our officials to make good decisions for everyone in Jasper County. 

 TWG
www.taxdogs.wordpress.com
http://www.facebook.com/taxdogs

DON JERNIGAN MUDDIES THE ZONING WATERS AGAIN

March 10, 2023

The BOC meeting Monday, March 6 was supposed to clear up the R2 Zoning mess caused by Stunkel back in November 2022.  However, instead of just making a motion to accept 2 acre lots and 1800 sf houses, Jernigan had to add something else to it—about smaller lots and smaller houses.

Here is a link to the video:

https://www.facebook.com/jaspercountygeorgia/videos/684283846782068

The motion and discussion start at 1:13:00 and go through 1:16:00.  What was approved without Jernigan actually stating each and everything when making the motion was to delete R1, R2, RL, and VP designations from the zoning code and have a new designation RES for all residential lots in the county.  These lots would be required 2 acre minimum with a minimum house size of 1800 sq ft.  All lots in any new subdivisions will also have to comply with 40% green space and comply with the conservation subdivision ordinance.  This brings the 2 ac lots down to 1.2 acre building lots.

In his comments before the vote, P&Z Board chair, Justin Owens, said the P&Z Board felt this was more in line with the future vision of this county and the citizens. 

But Jernigan added to the motion, instead of having a clean motion for the changes.  He added that he wanted P&Z to look at existing lots of 1 ac or less to be buildable.  He then needed assistance from the County Attorney to help make the motion.  It is very hard to hear, but Jernigan then said existing lots less than 2 acres. He emphasized no new lots  but only existing lots.  These lots fit the description of those “600 vacant lots in Turtle Cove” that Stunkel has previously talked about.  This will have to go to P&Z to work on and have public hearings.

Comm. Henry asked about house sizes and Jernigan suggested 1300 sq ft BUT said that would be between the builder and the lot owner.  So the square footage will be determined when the P&Z board has its work session to take this NEW SMALLER LOTS AND SMALLER HOUSES PROPOSAL. This new proposal will mostly affect Turtle Cove and the other older lake communities.

During this meeting Stunkel and Jernigan both denied collusion with the R2 zoning despite the released emails and texts.  They don’t want us to believe our eyes.  Stunkel said he did NOT have a legal responsibility to disclose his real estate license.  He didn’t mention his ethical responsibilities.  He also said his communication (confidential motion he wasn’t sharing with the others) with the county attorney was completely proper.  Really!!

Jernigan denied there was any collusion and that commissioners talk to each other all the time.  He also said they HAVE to talk to each other to decide what is best.  Hmmm….isn’t that what WORK SESSIONS are for so the BOC can be transparent and the citizens know what is going on?? Commissioner Henry commented that yes, they talk to each other but he had never said to hide it from the others!!  There was much applause after that statement from the 200+ in the large courtroom.

Many citizens spoke, asking Jernigan and Stunkel to resign among other comments directed toward them, and their comments were met with applause.  This GIF gives the perfect response of Chairman Jernigan, and anyone attending the meeting knows how accurate this is!!

https://giphy.com/gifs/gavel-laff-out-of-order-26BoEyibl9KsN7Pws

#CitizenInvolvement  #NoR2Zoning  #CitizensMatter  #Collusion

#Ethics  #Morals  #BehindClosedDoors  #SaveRuralJasper

Citizens, be informed and stay informed!  Only by being informed, can the citizens understand what is being done and talked about, and then press our officials to make good decisions for everyone in Jasper County. 

 TWG
www.taxdogs.wordpress.com
http://www.facebook.com/taxdogs

FOX 24 DOES REPORT ON JASPER COUNTY BOC MEETING R2 ZONING

March 8, 2023

Look for more information and Jernigan’s new motion to continue the smaller lots and houses in an upcoming blog.

https://wgxa.tv/news/local/jones-county-commissioners-push-rezoning-that-could-lead-to-compact-subdivisions?fbclid=IwAR3jxd0jA50XYw3Z0ZA5_BKwEZWRc86UpiHBhm3l1K78ALKZ5AjHygXadCY’

Citizens, be informed and stay informed!  Only by being informed, can the citizens understand what is being done and talked about, and then press our officials to make good decisions for everyone in Jasper County. 

 TWG
www.taxdogs.wordpress.com
http://www.facebook.com/taxdogs

BOC MEETING REMINDER—MONDAY MARCH 6 AT 6PM—RES, R2, or R3 ZONING. WHAT WILL IT BE?

March 5, 2023

Tomorrow night is the public hearing in the large courtroom.  Yes, anyone can speak about the new RES zoning, and how you want the BOC to vote.

RES zoning was passed by the P&Z Board last month, but has to be actually approved by the BOC.  RES requires 2 acre lots, reduced by 40% conservation to 1.2 ac lots, and 1800 sf houses.

Comm. Don Jernigan was the one that wanted less zoning districts, and RES did away with all other residential zoning districts.  So let’s see how he votes on this.

We also need to see if Comm. Sheila Jones is still “on board” with her vote to help ruin Jasper County.

And Comm. Gerald Stunkel…will he vote with his big conflict of interest and all his back door dealings?  Or will he introduce his hidden R3 zoning for even smaller lots and smaller houses?  Yes, Stunkel had wanted to bring this up with R2, but it had not been advertised.  Stunkel’s R3 Zoning plan would be 0.60 ac lots and 1100 sf houses.  Are you listening Turtle Cove—this may be the overlay proposal for your area.

It is imperative that everyone attend the meeting, speak up about your feelings on “R2 Zoning”—smaller houses and smaller lots—and let’s see who votes for RES to get back (kinda) to 2 acre lots in subdivisions. Remember, if you don’t attend, you are for it according to Stunkel & Jernigan.

We have been notified that a Macon news station will be attending the meeting, so let’s fill up the courtroom and Save Jasper County from unneeded and unprecedented growth!  We don’t want Jasper County to look like this!

Citizens, be informed and stay informed!  Only by being informed, can the citizens understand what is being done and talked about, and then press our officials to make good decisions for everyone in Jasper County. 

 TWG
www.taxdogs.wordpress.com
http://www.facebook.com/taxdogs

THE PLOT FOR R2 ZONING

Stunkel & Jernigan Worked to Get Jones on Board–Three Commissioners worked to undermine the Zoning for Subdivisions and decided who would be Chair and Vice Chair

March 3, 2023

Here’s a timeline of events as we know them from emails and text messages received under open records.

Here are text messages to and from Stunkel with Jernigan  and Jones.  Note that the blue streak on the right hand side are Stunkel’s text messages.

 

After an 8 minute and 46 sec call to Jones, Stunkel texts Jernigan

Later that day, Jernigan texts Stunkel about Shelia’s call.  Oops, another behind the scenes meeting with Stunkel, and the decision of who would be Chair and who would be Vice Chair.  

Remember when Jernigan said in a meeting that sometimes you only know things 30 minutes ahead of time or maybe an hour?  No! He and Stunkel and Jones had been colluding for several days (if not longer.)

These 3 commissioners have undermined the faith of the citizens, because they have not upheld their oath of office and represented the citizens that elected them.

#RECALL    #NOR2ZONING  #STINKYSTUFF  #RURALJASPER

http://www.taxdogs.wordpress.com
http://www.facebook.com/facebook

 

 

STUNKEL AND JERNIGAN SAY IF YOU DON’T COME TO THE MEETINGS YOU ARE FOR R2 ZONING

March 1, 2023

THIS IS WHY YOU MUST ATTEND THE MONDAY, MARCH 6 BOC MEETING AT 6:00PM AT THE COURTHOUSE.  R2 ZONING WILL BE VOTED ON BY THE BOC!!  WE MUST PACK THE COURTROOM!

Most of us have always known that if you don’t vote, then you get what those that do vote decide.

However, in a twist Jernigan and Stunkel have repeatedly said that they have to worry about all the people that don’t care enough to attend meetings, because “obviously” they are really for R2 Zoning.

Let’s think about his.  When Stunkel was first elected, he got a whopping 103 votes out of 2080 that could have been cast.  Only 173 people voted in that election, and 39% of them voted against Stunkel.

Now why should Stunkel even be a Commissioner if nobody cared enough to come out and vote for him?  Stunkel still claimed victory with only 8% of the district bothering to vote and only 4.95% of the district voting for him…because he got a majority of the people that actually voted.

When 200+ people show up at a meeting and 20 people get up to speak against R2 Zoning and 3 people speak for R2 Zoning, Stunkel and Jernigan say that those 3 people (1.5%) are the “majority” because you have to think about all the people that don’t show up! 

Well, let’s think about all the people that didn’t vote for Stunkel; he didn’t think about them as long as the majority of the people that did show up voted for him.   Even in 2022, Stunkel only got 485 votes out of 2020 eligible voters in Primary with no competition.  That’s only 24% of the voters, so what about the other 76%–does he think they were all for him? (Yeah, don’t laugh too hard.)

Soon we will be able to see how many people really do like Stunkel and his underhanded ways, and how many people think we need someone more ethical.

UNTIL THEN, PLEASE ATTEND THE BOC MEETING MARCH 6 AT 6:00PM!

Citizens, be informed and stay informed!  Only by being informed, can the citizens understand what is being done and talked about, and then press our officials to make good decisions for everyone in Jasper County. 

 TWG
www.taxdogs.wordpress.com
http://www.facebook.com/taxdogs

CHIEF TAX ASSESSOR PROVIDES “AMMO” FOR STUNKEL’S R2 ZONING PLAN

February 28, 2023

Chief Tax Assessor Lynn Bentley provided Stunkel with “ammo” for his R2 Zoning plan to have smaller houses and smaller lots.  The Board of Assessors hires and oversees the employees of the tax assessors office so they will be insulated from politics.  Instead our tax assessor has involved herself into the politics.

And while she was at it told him how pathetic she thought “barndominimums” were.  Do you think she’ll value them lower because of her opinion?

She has certainly lowered Alan Verner’s (the former JDA Chair that made millions by selling his property to Rivian) property on Bailey Rd.

Alan Verner  land has already been decreased….

Verner bought 6/15/22 $827,970

Value in 2021 $486,300

Value in 2022 $592,700

Value in 2023 $449,520

Do you think your values will go down this much??

 

Citizens, be informed and stay informed!  Only by being informed, can the citizens understand what is being done and talked about, and then press our officials to make good decisions for everyone in Jasper County. 

 TWG
www.taxdogs.wordpress.com
http://www.facebook.com/taxdogs

STUNKEL COLLUDED WITH COUNTY ATTORNEY & P&Z DIRECTOR FOR R2 ZONING

February 23, 2023

 COMMISSIONERS RECALL NOTIFICATION

Collusion—secret or illegal cooperation or conspiracy, especially in order to cheat or deceive others

Why did the (now former) County Attorney, David Ozburn, tell all the BOC that the R2 Zoning vote was legal….because he was at the heart of the collusion….

RECALL OR RESIGNATION WHICH WILL IT BE?

Watch for more to come on www.facebook.com/taxdogs or www.taxdogs.wordpress.com