If you think this year’s Athens-Clarke budget battle was bruising, just wait ‘til next year.

Commissioners couldn’t quite bring themselves to cut the $1.75 million necessary to avoid a tax increase, settling at about $1.2 million after Manager Alan Reddish told them gas prices and other expenses are rising even more quickly then anticipated. I just finished writing a story about it, and if you’re reading this on Thursday, it’s in the paper (that’s why no link).

I made a bit of a mess with my story Wednesday on Athens-Clarke commissioners’ property taxes.

The statistics accompanying the story included only what they owed the county in taxes, not state taxes, school taxes or the refund from the state. Unfortunately, the “county taxes” label for some reason didn’t make it into the paper. So suspicious taxpayers pulled out their own bills for comparison, then called me, the tax assessor’s office and the tax commissioner’s office wanting to know why commissioners are getting such a great deal.

They’re not.

We ran a clarification today, but for anyone who’s interested, here’s exactly how Mayor Heidi Davison and commissioners’ 2007 taxes broke down. The 2008 bills won’t be sent out for a few months.

In case anyone was wondering, here’s how the local delegation voted on S.R. 796, the remnants of the artist formerly known as the Glenn Tax.

Sen. Bill Cowsert, R-Athens: yes.
Sen. Ralph Hudgens, R-Comer/Hull/Athens: yes.
Rep. Tommy Benton, R-Jefferson: yes.
Rep. Terry England, R-Winder: yes.
Rep. Keith Heard, D-Athens/Atlanta/Fayetteville: no.
Rep. Tom McCall, R-Elberton: yes.
Rep. Doug McKillip, D-Athens: no.
Rep. Bob Smith, R-Watkinsville: yes.

It passed 48-7 in the Senate, but failed 110-62 in the House (it needed 120 votes because it’s a constitutional amendment). Seven Democrats voted in favor and only one Republican voted against it. I’m a little surprised at that. Tommy Benton, for example, didn’t like the plan at all, but I guess he figured why tick off the speaker if it’s not going to pass anyway?

For once, a Democrat has something nice to say about President Bush.

Congressional candidate Bobby Saxon came out today in favor of Bush’s plan to head off a recession by giving low- and middle-income taxpayers a $300 to $600 rebate, up to $1,200 for couples, and $300 for each child. It recently passed the Democrat-controlled Congress, so expect the checks to hit mailboxes late this spring.

I’m officially firing the starting gun on the 10th District election.

A rather unremarkable story last week about Paul Broun visiting a Spanish class at a Columbia County

Broun is quoted making some noncommittal remarks about how great the program is (I’m a little shocked he didn’t try to find out how many of the children are illegal) and took a swipe at No Child Left Behind.

Democrat opponent Bobby Saxon pounced, shooting out a press release taking Broun to task for voting against the S-CHIP (PeachCare) expansion and not providing “an effective alternative” to NCLB.