TALLASSEE HIGH SCHOOL HOMECOMING COURT
SPORTS EXTRA Full coverage of local sporting events
RELIGION, PAGE 4 ‘I’m just saying . . .’
Page B1
INSIDE
WELCOME BACK CLASS OF 1997, PAGE B2
The Tallassee Tribune DEDICATED TO THE GROWTH AND PROSPERITY OF THE GREATER TALLASSEE AREA
TALLASSEE, AL 36078
50¢
September 21, 2016
TALLASSEETRIBUNE.COM
VOL. 117, NO. 36
Utility rate increase could fund new city pool
By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer
During recent work sessions Tallassee’s City Council discussed the upcoming fiscal budget. In that meeting Councilman Darrell Wilson suggested adding a line item for the construction of a new city
Former TPD officer arrested for assault
pool. A new city pool has been the topic for many debates in recent years and a few proposals have been brought before the council. This time, however, one thing is different. There may actually be funding for this new pool in the form of restructuring city bonds. Because rates on
for lenders. The debt to equity ratio measures the riskiness of a city’s financial structure. The ratio reveals the relative proportions of debt and equity financing that the city employs. Lenders and creditors closely monitor it, since it can See UTILITY • Page 9
these bonds are much lower than the current rates, refinancing bonds already held could generate significant savings and allow for a line item added to the 2017 budget for the construction of a city pool. In order to restructure these bonds the city must present a debt to equity ratio
SWEET MEMORIES
A.C.T.S prepares for Christmas program By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer
By CARMEN RODGERS Staff Writer
A member of the Tallassee Police Department found himself on the wrong side of the law last Wednesday after the Tallapoosa County Grand Jury filed an indictment against 23-year-old Smirnoff Brandon Smirnoff for assault. The alleged assault occurred earlier this year after Smirnoff assisted other officers in the pursuit of a suspect who was attempting to elude police on an ATV. “The vehicle was eventually stopped and the driver was taken into custody,” Police Chief Jimmy Rodgers said in a statement to The Tribune. “It was at this point, See ARREST • Page 9
Carmen Rodgers / The Tribune
Dr. Jose Reyes, Principal at Tallassee Elementary, explains the significance of the monument dedicated to Mrs. Diane Haak, a former first-grade teacher, near the tree planted in her honor on the second anniversary of her passing Thursday morning.
Teachers remembered at Tallassee Elementary STAFF REPORT Tallassee Schools
On Sept. 1, teachers and students at Tallassee Elementary School took time to remember a beloved teacher, Mrs. Diane Haak. Mrs. Haak spent more than 40 years of her life in education, over a decade of those serving the students in Tallassee. Mrs. Haak’s passion was teaching children
to read, as she knew that it was this skill that would open so many doors for those she served. “We wanted to take this day to remember a life well lived. Mrs. Haak was one of the most well respected teachers in the community and she was just a quality human being. You would not ever find a person who worked harder than Mrs. Haak or put See REMEMBER • Page 3
As the year progresses, A.C.T.S. in Tallassee is preparing for the upcoming Holiday Season. For years the A.C.T.S. program, also known as Association of Christians in Tallassee for Service, has assisted neighbors who find themselves in need. The program will begin taking applications for the upcoming Christmas Program beginning Monday, Oct. 3. The application process will remain open until Oct. 13. This year’s Christmas program is for all children up to 14 years old. “After we finish taking applications, we will start sorting out ages and gender and then the volunteers will start shopping accordingly,” said Barry Adair Director of A.C.T.S. The A.C.T.S. program depends See PROGRAM • Page 3
Tallassee rates high on tax friendliness according to study WILLIAM CARROLL Managing Editor
Carmen Rodgers / The Tribune
Ron McDaniel and Dr. McCoy check the eyesight of fifth-graders Carlos Washington and Connor Keahey. Every year the Lions Club of Tallassee sponsors the yearly eye exams. Each year the club checks the vision of all first- third- and fifth-grade students who are enrolled in Tallassee City Schools.
Today’s
Weather
93 70 High
CONTACT US 334-567-7811 • Fax: 334-567-3284
Low
A recent study by a New York based technology company, which uses financial modeling concepts to provide advice on major financial decisions, rated Tallassee and Wetumpka as the number one and number two most tax friendly retirement spots in Alabama. The SmartAssets study’s methodology is based upon easily obtainable tax information for a certain class of citizens. The study used a base $50,000 income to ascertain how individual city tax policies would impact a retiree. According the hypothetical numbers plugged into the system, a retiree would receive $15,000 for Social Security, $10,000 from a private
F U N E R A L
Dolan A. Fannin Jr., LUTCF
H O M E
Cremations and Monuments
84632 Tallassee Hwy. [ Eclectic, AL THURS: HIGH 92 LOW 69
USPS 681-260
See TAX • Page 3
T TRUITT INSURANCE & BONDING, INC.
LINVILLE MEMORIAL
pension, $15,000 from retirement savings and $10,000 in wages. Of course the figures are merely hypothetical, but for those whose numbers deviate, they can use a sliding gauge to assess their numbers and the tax friendliness of communities throughout the state. In order to come up with a tally of expected taxes, standard exemptions and deductions were used. In determining property taxes, the study divided median property taxes paid by median home values in each city. A weighing system was used for each type of expense or tax retirees may face based upon the significance of that tax on the retiree’s bottom line income. Meaning that income
Surety Programs Business Coverages
334.639.4730
Home & Auto
www.linvillememorial.com
Life Products
319 Barnett Blvd. Tallassee, Alabama 36078 P: 334.991.4688 Toll Free 877-787-5727 dolan @truittinsurance.com www.truittinsurance.com
t GEORGE QUALIFIED EXPERIENCED c e l E A Full-Time Mayor with
McCain Conservative Beliefs & Christian Values
MAYOR
Runoff Election: Tuesday, Oct 4
Please Go to the Polls and Cast Your Vote! Vote! Pd. Pol. Adv. By Citizens for George McCain | P.O. Box 780471, Tallassee, AL 36078