Hoschton PD to close down Jan. 31
Hoschton police will stop patrolling the city by the end of the month, the town’s council decided Friday.
The decision to make the Hoschton Police Department “dormant” for an unknown amount of time came as a result to pass a “survival” budget to keep the city alive amid troubling financial news laid out at recent council meetings.
Last week, the council held two called meetings to discuss its budget and outline the administrative changes in the amended budget.
In a 4-1 vote on Wednesday, Jan. 13, the Hoschton City Council adopted its amended 2010 water and sewer, and general fund budgets that forecast no money for the police department.
Council members Sandie Romer, Jim Higginbottom, Theresa Kenerly and Scott Butler voted to approve the amended budgets after an hour and a half of heated discussion between the council and citizens at the called meeting on Wednesday night.
Council member Richard Shepherd voted in opposition, and Jim Cleveland wasn’t present while still recovering from injuries in a recent motorcycle accident.
Butler said the amended budget will cut $300,000 in public safety expenses and help keep the city financially afloat for the next 24 months. If the council delayed further action, Hoschton would continue to spend more money a month than it receives and the city would probably have to be dissolved around September or October, he said.
“I believe that if we adopt this budget, we’ll be able to keep Hoschton a viable, independent town – and that’s most important if you want to keep Hoschton alive,” Butler said.
Hoschton currently has three officers, including its police chief. City police are available Mondays through Fridays, with the county sheriff’s office providing services on the weekends and holidays.
Mayor Erma Denney said in order for Hoschton to survive, it needed to cut the “redundant” law enforcement service while the city’s finances are struggling. Hoschton taxpayers have been paying for police protection in their tax bills to Jackson County, she said.
Hoschton doesn’t have a city property tax and Denney was adamant on Wednesday night that the council wouldn’t adopt a budget with a property tax
“There will be no mandatory tax coming from this council,” she said.
Several residents and business owners questioned the move to cut the police department without a city property tax and said they’d pay a tax for the service. One citizen asked for more time so voters could decide what they want.
Last week, the council held two called meetings to discuss its budget and outline the administrative changes in the amended budget.
In a 4-1 vote on Wednesday, Jan. 13, the Hoschton City Council adopted its amended 2010 water and sewer, and general fund budgets that forecast no money for the police department.
Council members Sandie Romer, Jim Higginbottom, Theresa Kenerly and Scott Butler voted to approve the amended budgets after an hour and a half of heated discussion between the council and citizens at the called meeting on Wednesday night.
Council member Richard Shepherd voted in opposition, and Jim Cleveland wasn’t present while still recovering from injuries in a recent motorcycle accident.
Butler said the amended budget will cut $300,000 in public safety expenses and help keep the city financially afloat for the next 24 months. If the council delayed further action, Hoschton would continue to spend more money a month than it receives and the city would probably have to be dissolved around September or October, he said.
“I believe that if we adopt this budget, we’ll be able to keep Hoschton a viable, independent town – and that’s most important if you want to keep Hoschton alive,” Butler said.
Hoschton currently has three officers, including its police chief. City police are available Mondays through Fridays, with the county sheriff’s office providing services on the weekends and holidays.
Mayor Erma Denney said in order for Hoschton to survive, it needed to cut the “redundant” law enforcement service while the city’s finances are struggling. Hoschton taxpayers have been paying for police protection in their tax bills to Jackson County, she said.
Hoschton doesn’t have a city property tax and Denney was adamant on Wednesday night that the council wouldn’t adopt a budget with a property tax
“There will be no mandatory tax coming from this council,” she said.
Several residents and business owners questioned the move to cut the police department without a city property tax and said they’d pay a tax for the service. One citizen asked for more time so voters could decide what they want.
you're all grown up. Everybody has to live die and pay taxes. No
matter where you are or who you are. I am a country girl and proud of it and I have relatives and friends who are in law inforcement.
You go out and follow these officers around and see what they do 90% of you might learn something instead of being a couch potato and watching Mayberry RFD. These officers are as good to you if you are good to them. But don't push their bottens too much or you end like the guy on Mayberry that stays in jail for drunk all the time. I wouldn't mind living back the western days at least we would have so much taxes to pay and and the bad guys didn't get away so easy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It can be done...I am glad Hoschton is on the right road financially now & trying to make cuts so the city can even survive. We have been in trouble for quite some time now.
I think I figured it out. You know how everyone says we need to go back to the old days. Hoschton is going back to the Old West where a cop(Marshal) is not close by, good thing they ain't still riding Horses.
Just like the mayor said-redundant services. I am glad the JCSO will be covering us now. It should not affect their budget-they get money from us Hoschtonites when we pay our property taxes in December. Might have to rearrange people's schedules, but that is easily done.
Resident redneck, I have already seen them actively patrolling the city and they set the speed limit indicator up on Peachtree Rd. I do not think crime will increase-they are making their presence known.
they race up and down the roads, the goal seems to be revenue rather than safety.
other POLICE in other states dont wear POLICE uniforms and use POLICE cars and equipment off duty for private gain.
they dont get to drive family around in Goverment or company cars.
has matter of fact it is against the IRS code for business equipment to be used personally and thus the use of the uniforms and equipment off duty by these officers is violation of FEDERAL and STATE tax law, they are stealing our tax dollars by using goverment equipment on off duty time and then failing to report using this when gaining income on the side.
WE NEED LESS POLICE< Police dont stop crime less then 50% of rewported murders get solved that is reported not the missing people the ones that just disappear, the police worry more about protecting the coffiers of the police then the safety and well being from VIOLENT criminals, they worry when we speed but they fly like the wind, they blow though traffic controls.