Attention, the city of Temple is trying to come up with approximately 440,000 dollars. We could (A..)charge all the businesses outrageous sewer and water fees to fulfill this deficient. (B.) We could stick it to the resident who are barely making ends meet as it is.( C.) We could write more speeding tickets. (If that is even humanly possible) Or (D) We could up the rate to the schools so much that the cost for water and sewer for FOUR schools would almost equal a teachers salary, when the school system is struggling to keep teachers on payroll,. or we could (E.) Balance the budget BY NOT SPENDING MORE THAN WE TAKE IN AND CUTTING THE FAT AT CITY HALL AND consolidating positions and getting rid of the folks hired to kiss butt and take names. It astounds me that we have not one but TWO school teachers as elected officials, One elected officials with 30 plus years as an employee with the GA. DOT (well-- we know how that department hides debt, check the main news channels for the story) We have one elected official who is suppose have a degree in Political Science, (not seeing the degree shine through to much on these recordings on TV, didn't they teach public speaking? Cause this one barely utters a word) Another one who should be able to do the math cause his daddy founded the MANN Math used for the past gazillion years, and at least he knew how to do a budget. We have another elected official who has more experience with recreation funds than any of the other ones, she been a volunteering for years and years..I would expect them to be able to DO SIMPLE MATH..Instead we have six people who cant even make a motion in an open meeting to vote on something that they saw as the solution, once those paying the price were looking them in the face. Yes PLEASE change the charter, that way the next election when THREE council members are up..they cant flippen blame the MAYOR!...

YALL SLOW DOWN YA HERE!

I simply love these post, when ever i have time I read them. I always look for the stories about Temple. Its like Dallas, only instead of "who shot JR--its who can the Mayor and his very few supporters blame this week. Its funny as H with a double L. Poor old Harmon, yes he made some mistakes, mostly with two people he hired to run the rec and the city hall building. But then again he wasnt a Mayor that had an office at city hall, he signed checks and let people do their jobs. Everyone knows if Ole mckenzie had never been hired, then good ole Lester would have never been voted out. Tricky promised to get rid of ole Mckenzie and in the end he did, but only after making nice with him for months. It wasnt Mckenzies fault all together, he was just the bad guy that everyone loved to hate. kinda like the dukes and Rosco. Anyway, bottom line is this mayor blamed lester for four years everytime he had a problem. Remember the kid that always said in school, HE MADE ME DO IT..that is ole tricky, always someone else to blame. Lester always took credit for what he did and didnt do, he owned up to his mistakes and as a MAN I respect him for that. I think it is so funny that old FORD wasnt going to run, then decided to run only to support a charter that gives the council all the power. He is mush, like oatmeal or grits, just bland plain mush, dont nail him down on anything like those sidewalks he promised, or any other promise from 4 years ago. As for Harmon and his appeal, GO FOR IT..cause I cant find 50 people who admit to voting for FORD..so I am curious myself as to how this vote was as close as it was reported to be. I got a first hand recount of the lastest council meeting, laughed till I made myself sick. They were all for upping those fees until a new group of hell raisers showed up, then not a one of those council members could make the motion to call the increase to a vote. If it was what was BEST for the city, then they would have passed it, they didnt, so it sounds to me like another "Ill get you bent over when your not looking..oops you saw me..let me pretend like I was just STANDING HERE!" The charter change is another soft spot of mine, funny how they are changing the charter to a charter none of us residents have seen or even heard read at a council meeting, just what form of leadership are they changing it too? NONE OF US COMMON FOLKS KNOW..we have no clue, but anything the six of those people agree on cant be too good for the city in my way of thinking. Just saying. Oh and for those of yall getting your kicks and giggles off of reading the Temple post who dont actually LIVE here, as soon as you past the old fire house on HWY 78 SLOW down to 35 miles per hour, Temple police dont patrol much out this way, they sit off the road between the fire house and the old Swifty,(texeco) and Jones BBQ running radar and writing tickets. Were broke and cant afford to pay our sewer bond, our chief wants some new patrol cars and revenue through increase in services and moving violations are our biggest money makers. Temple hell, its located inbetween villa rica and bremen..Dont say you were not warned. HAHA

Sad again...to see it continue....calling names,

being disrespectfull...I am going to urge this paper to review comments before releasing them to

this blog....even if you do not like Mayor Ford

why say he stole city money build a garage...that is slander.....and an intentional

lie designed to willfully libel and slander him..

whomever dirtdobber is.....act like an person

with some maturity. Templehaha is getting better

about expressing their thoughts, but must continue to make efforts to refrain from the uglies...Saying ugly things about Terron Bivins is disgraceful..if you differ with her fine, but

is it necessary to be so offensive. She is a strong, smart, fine iindividual who will represent us fairly...Terron is not the type to agree for sake of agreeing..She has dedicated her

life in Temple and I demand you show her respect..quite frankly I don't like most of you,

but would not show you disrespect in any form, least slander and libel you. This past weeks meeting resulted in business owners showing up

and expressing their thoughts. Personally I thought that was the purpose of the meeting. Mayor and councel wanted to hear..what folks had

to say...good...or bad...so is the next meeting..

yet the only folks complaining are those that spend all their time being ugly. How about making a planned, well executed, well spoken suggestion, present it at the next meeting, and

lets see...my money says a compromise can be met...Mayor Ford, Mr. Mann, Mrs. Bivins, and most

all others have to pay the same bill and no more look forward to an increase than any of us do...of course x-mayor harmon could pay his business license for the last 15 years...and the

increase on waterbill might not have to happen.

Better yet....he can get his buds together and

return city that taxpayer money $12,000 he dished

out for a ballfield at Sharpes Creek that has never been built. Ask him about that when he stops in your business...bet he don't stay long..

But hey templehaha...you are doing much better..

walks like a duck

talks like a duck

smells like a duck

must be FORD

For the rest of the story

What the Times Georgian didn't print:

The Tuesday Night Temple Council Meeting consisted of Business Owners and Residents that had been informed after the committee meeting, the week prior, that the Mayor and Council was getting ready to slip in behind everyones back to vote to increase the water and sewer rates.

To the mayor and Council's surprise they were NEW HELLRAISERS at the meeting. One business owner informed the Mayor and Council that he didn't have to do business in Temple.

After one business owner said he couldn't afford a $60.00 hike in his water bill, the DECEITFUL city council members failed to tell him that it would be twice THAT AMOUNT. It was one of the NEW HELLRAISERS, that inform him of the amount.

The Temple Council meeting had change the RULES OF DECORUM again!!!!!! After one business owner asked the Mayor how he was suppose to know what they, meaning the council was going to discuss before they actually discussed anything. To no ones surprise, Mayor Ford said stupidly, "I don't understand your question? Ford asks for public comment at the beginning of the meetings, unless your physhic, (everyone was thinking) you Moron,HOW IN THE HELL can we read your minds?

Guess it was because the old hellraisers weren't there.

Richard Brecknell also said he was glad to see the public interested in participating, that was a change, especially since he has been so vocal in stating "The people voted us in, and we are here to do a job, and we can't do it with the people interfering and keeping us from doing what we are here to do." Talk about a two face little twurp. Yea, it seems that the little confused physco can't make up his mind.

Then we have Terron Bivens who couldn't wait to voice her opinion at the committee meeting stating that she thinks everyone should have to pay for garbage fees whether or not they have the service or not.

Terron Bivien and Jay Mann seem to have lock jaw at the council meeting after the public showed up to stop their backstabbing screwing to the residents of this town.

And it seems that the Residents of Temple didn't know about all the LIENS Jay Mann had against him. It seems that Mr.Mann liked having a house built but didn't want to pay his contractors. According to the information at Carroll County Court House, and yet......he is making finacial dicisions. If the man won't pay his own bills, what makes you think he is going to do what is right for everyone else??????

Temple Residents don't forget about the EPD FINES that all you taxpayers paid because of Ford and his cronies TRIED TO HIDE AND not report the sewer spills About $25,000.00 plus and wasn't it last month that they were talking about another sewer spill that they were being Fine and couldn't work it out with the EPD because the lady was being "dIFFICULT TO WORK WITH"

Temple Residents you are being SCREWED DAILY...and it is not a pretty sight........

AND THE STORY GOES ON AND ON AND ON AND ON

One more suggestion:

Get rid of the community developement department. Temple is not big enough for all these Directors and whatever else. The VR inspector has to inspect and approve everything anyway. Fire the "Community Developement Department" and contract that out with Villa Rica. And don't give us the excuse that "The Director is almost certified!" Didn't she work for one of the council members anyway and he did her a favor by getting her this job even though she had not experience and no clue?

Nuff said.

Oh, and quit trying to be like Villa Rica. You are not big enough. Quit thinking with a "Big Town" mentality with small town resources.

Rollineyeball, here is your solution. Tell the current Temple Government to be honest for a change and tell the citizens the truth. But here are some suggestions worth taking for the City

1. Temple is not big enough to have a "City Administrator" and a City Clerk at the same time.

2. Answer the phones at City Hall

3. Have a water and sewer dept that can actually handle water and sewer problems. Didn't Red and Rutledge handle everything just fine by themselves? You have a department of 3 employees and one of them is a "Director"? Are you kidding? The Director can barely start a back hoe much less operate one. If Gary Dean is doing all the work that the Water and Sewer Department should be doing, shouldn't the department be dissolved and the City look to privatize water and sewer? Wouldn't that be more effiecient? The whole department has no experience in what they are doing, and that includes the Director.

4. Should Pope's husband be getting $650 or whatever a month (only working when he wants too) to work under her and have her approve anything that he wants purchased without question? Should he even have a City Cell phone? What does he do besides collect a check?

5. Shouldn't the Executive sessions that your council has be only to discuss Land purchases, Lawsuits, and Personel issues? IF Ford is the sole hiring and firing authority as of right now and the City being too broke to purchase real estate and no major lawsuits pending not give them any reason to have an executive session every chance they get.

6. Quit blaming others for your problems. The City is broke, plain and simple. If they were not, they would not be raising water and sewer rates this dramatically.

These are just suggestions but I am sure they are not the ones that you are looking for.

...looks like that same ole bunch stroking one

another. More rantings....but nary a positive suggestion or idea..only more critical remarks

about good people trying to bring Temple into

the 21st century. Facts are simple on our water

bill rates...between 1998 and 2004 growth was permitted and encouraged with no thought of the

infacture being in place to support it. Fact is;

and under Harmons term as a councelman and as Mayor, EPD ordered us to build a new sewer plant...the fellows didn't do it just cuz they wanted. Like every other town in this U S of A,

we were bank rolling on the building boom. Hindsight is always 20 20. Now we, just like all

communities, have to look at ways to pay for

services, and the fact is we must now look at water and sewer increases. Be honest with yourself, do you use as much water at home as a

car wash, a laundry, a resturant. Of course

you don't. If they use the services, they should

bear a portition of the costs. The city too

needs to look into other areas of income, areas

totally disregarded under the former administration. I do not want it assumed that

that is the sole answer..jack up rates...we need

to do a better job of collecting fees for things

like business licenses, electrical, plumbing, building permits. All sources of revenue. We are

stuck paying for this sewer plant..but perhaps it

ain't all that bad...the economy will improve and

we are well ready for that growth.....both in residential and commercial...Though I am absolutely not a Harmon fan, I do not blame him soley for the failure then to plan for today. He

had a council, its their fault too. I do not think Mayor Ford is taking credit for anything, but he is, even if unpopular, taking charge of the responsibility for the payment. Thats his job. Speak to facts, make a point. for example

a blogger starts 'yabbing' about cost city attorney. Be reminded, the previous city

attorney was paid to type ordinances, do closings, etc on behalf of the city. He got paid for things he did not do, and then was convicted of a crimminal charge of which the

same city that paid him became his victim. You can not rebutt...those are facts. That same blogger "yabs" on about cost lawsuits...another

reality check and on point...lawsuits abound

under the former administration..thus costing

the city an huge increase on their deductible,

per suit...indeed the former Mayor has every

right to contest an election...but in this case

that contest is based on racial slur, voter discrimation, and voters fraud. Not on the part

of Mayor Ford, not on the part of temple citizens, soley at the hands of the former Mayor.

No citizen group, no political party, have asked

the city to bore the cost of this election appeal. If Harmon loves this town as he says, stop. Relax, be a good citizen; be part of the

solution. Enough already. Quit making personal

attacks..if you disagree state why and offer adivse...suggestion..something besides worthless

"Yabbing" that holds no facts, and in most cases

now getting boring...Rick Ford is our Mayor, lets

respect him and all of those who work for our city. We can disagree, it is healthy, we however need not waste one moment calling one

another names...and telling of untruths...

Those elected officials in TEMPLE are like a flock of birds that are flopping around on the ground after they have smashed into a plate glass window

they don't know what the HELL going on!!!!!!!!!!!

Before your elected officials decide to up our water and sewer rates ASK THESE QUESTIONS

1. Why are the taxpayers paying Kim Pope $4800.00 year for car allowance? Do you see her out riding around other than to go feed herself?

2. Why are we paying $28,000.00 plus for a codes enforcer who can't inspect or approve? The city of Temple pays Villa Rica's codes enforcer to accommodate our codes enforcer then he is the one that grants the approval at $50.00 per hour to the taxpayers.

WOuld you like to know how much we paid to send the codes enforcer to school and Kim Pope to school? Call Walden, she has all the figures, and she don't mind giving the information to anyone who asks. Her phone number is 770-562-5827

3. Why does the taxpayers of the City of Temple pay for Cell Phones for all the city employees?

Kim Pope, Ashley Hulsey, Tina Duncan and Angie Williams all have cell phones. They also have a phone at their desk. So ask yourself why do they have a cell phone? THE TAXPAYERS PAY THOUSANDS of Dollars for cell phone usage for city empoyees that sat at a desk that comes with a phone.. when us taxpayers call we get an automatic answering machine, FOR GOD SAKE people wake up....

if that don't take the cake then tell me why do we pay for the City Council to have a cell phone? Every city council person has a cell phone WHY?????? I can tell you they like to be able to plot and chit chat at our expense which costs us THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. Does Pope know how to use a hard line phone and leave a message?

The following is a list of CELL PHONE NUMBERS FOR YOUR CITY COUNCIL AND CITY EMPLOYEES Use them and they may start answering the phone.

Tona Duncan 678-538-5793

Jay Mann 678-326-8297

Terron Bivens 678-538-5789

Rick Ford 404-535-6080

Ashley Hulsey 404-535-0925

Hiley Miller 678-326-8298

Kim Pope 404-535-1778

William Simmons 678-326-8300

Angie Williams 404-424-1714

Now does anyone know exactly what Angie Williams Costner does? Because averything goes thru Kim Pope that she does. So why keep her? Thats another $30,000.00 YEAR that we can cut. (Nothing against Ms. Costner)

Cut employees cut medical cost cut the education cost to educate those who were not qualify to have the position that they are in to start with!!!!!!!

Now Ford needs to pay the taxpayers what he costs us in getting his yard cleaned out, reimbusement for Daley's fees comes to about $17,000.00

Then make Larry Mann pay back what it costs he cost us after he slandered Acree which is about $10,000.00

Cut Kim Pope's salary $5,000.00 a year and re-coop some of that cost for educating her that still paying her around $40,000.00 a year. Pope is currently making $48000.00 a year and it looks like Pope added in a 5% raise for her in next year budget.....and Angie 1 1/2percent raise GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT I DO!!!!!!!!

Then cut that city attorney fees, the city went from paying $10,000.00 a year to CA for bad advice to $40,000 plus a year for bad advice go figure

Check out this year's budget

And this is just for the administration I won't even get into the Police Dept abuse of funds

AND THESE JERKS want us to pay MORE

where is the $3.6 million dollars reserve money that Ford said he still has that Harmon had when he left? Yep he LIED it's not there

The city is broke

And before some wise ass gets on here and tells you ther the water and sewer should be self supporting

Where was the self supporting when the city took the money out of the reserves to pay the bill for the sewer?

So take this $150,000.00 above for starters and START CUTTING before you self servings bastards come after us............and then have the nerve to tell us that the city is not the BAD GUYS.......

Next its going to be our taxes its coming if all of us don't stick together and STOP THE SOB'S

Sicofitall, you are right. Knowledge is power. If you had it, you would be dangerous. The cities that you mention produce the majority, if not all of their water. Temple pays for their water. They don't have the ability to produce their own water. So you think that Temple should charge comparable rates? Produce your own water. Didn't the city implement a penalty water schedule for customers that over used according to the size of the water meter that they had? I recall that it was in place several years ago because of the drought. They probably didn't remove it when we came out of the drought so the water customers are probably still getting punished for using water and now they are possbily going to get punished again? Take the water rate increases for what they are: A way to make up for the City Administrator's "magic pen" costing the citizens more taxes. The City is not cutting back at all because they don't know how. Ford and Pope sit at the council table signing purchase order after purchase order without justifying if the City actually needs it or not. Quit coming back to Harmon, you are just using him as a scape goat.

Why does the one posting as sicofitall have to bring everything back to Harmon vs Ford? Talk about an uneducated reply, it doesnt take much sense to figure out a cop out when you read one. As for legal fees, good point. The city has paid the current lawyer more in fees and phone calls than the city has ever paid in fees before. If the city cant afford the same lawyer that represents the school board and the county, then find one cheaper, villa rica doesnt use her firm, nor does bremen or carrollton..their legal fees are less. Temple needs that level of legal representation for for advice but for defense, the lawsuit figured into that "budget" on legal fees puts to shame any cost for Harmons appeal. Stop gettng sued and the legal fees might drop a bit. By the way, the cost of the appeal is in the budget, but has not been spent. Charging someone for something they have not got a bill for yet looks more like a political ploy than anything else. Harmon/ford Harmon/ford..many are sick of hearing it. Let it go man..if he wins the appeal then that means the law decided he was in the right and the voters were not fairly heard in the election. If he does not win an appeal at least he was given his rights as an UNITED STATES citizen at a time many feel our rights are being stripped away from underneath our noses. Stop complaining about the process that is given to him under law. I read the papers, watch the meetings on TV, hear from others what is going on in Temple. But why is it anyone who doesnt agree the city should raise our water to pay a bond payment has to be some open records asking hell raiser that the elected body loves to hate? Why does everyone who does not agree with the administration at hand as to be in some secret inside click with people out to get Ford? people like sicofitall think they are a part of some hatfield and McCoy battle that is just NOT at war. Your opponants are not radicals, just people trying to make their bills from month to month and confused over the fact our city is still spending more than it has to spend and expecting the residents to cover their high spending ways. That can only be blamed on those holding the checkbook

How about everyone just go to templega.us click on the link that says message from Mayor FORD, and read where the Mayor QUOTES that the city has done a great job planning for the future, he states that our STATE of the ART sewer plant continues to operate at less than 30 % of its capacity of 1,000,000 gallons a day. Then plant has received THREE gold awards for professionalism in the last few years from the GA association of water professionals. IT has also operated UNDER budget for the last four year..hence his time in office..and he gives this credit to his excellent staff. He eludes to the fact that plant is able to handle all new growth WELL into the future. It amazes me that Mayor FORD has bragged on this plant, took credit for positive issues with the plant, and now someone is on here blaming HARMON for the size of the plant.

The city of Temple continues wasteful spending, while the recession we have been in as a NATION for TWO years has forced everyone from the working class to the white collor professionals to spend less and do without just to make ends meet and sometimes even doing that is still not enough. How is it that surrounding cities mentioned in the post below have cut back, layed off, taken furloughs or consolidated departments to keep the cost of running those cities down while Temple still gives out bonus checks to employees and raises to a few of them as well. Dont tell residents that we have to pay the cost of a sewer plant that the Mayor has taken much credit for during the past four years and then blame the increase on former Mayor Harmon for building it now that the city cant afford to pay for it. Mayor Harmon did not hire all the employees now drawing paychecks at city hall. The staff is larger than it has ever been since the city was founded. If growth is down, revenue is down, you can bet population is down as well. How is it more people work for the city and get paid by taxpayers yet a machine answers the phone at city hall? Stop complaining and blaming a former mayor who left the city with Millions of dollars in reserves, who left office with a balanced budget and services with room built in them to grow. Blame the economy for the down turn and the current administration for failing to act accordingly. You cant justify it and people who are cutting back each and every way that they can with their personal budgets are not buying it.

Not on the city payroll just an informed citizen, but it does sound like you could be on a Harmon payroll somewhere. Explain the extra $18,500 the city had to budget for attorney's fees to keep fighting the election appeal by Lester Harmon. The sewer bond and now the attorney's fees. The citizens of Temple are still paying the price for Lester. Please do some research before you write or speak. I am sure you or some of your "friends" are pros at open records requests. Stupidity is not flattering on anyone!

My gosh who ever you are that is claiming the water fees have to be increased while bashing Mr. Harmon must be on the city payroll somewhere, What happened to Mr. Fords claims that he had as much in reserves as Mr. Harmon did when he left office..which was millions by the way?? Where is all the reserves now that he is back in office and supporting the idea of raising money through city business and residents? Dip into all those reserves you claim to have Mayor when you were RUNNING and denying to everyone that the city was broke. I heard the new chief was asking to purchase new patrol cars?? That has to be a rumor, how can we afford to purchase new cars to patrol this ONE mile stretch of property called the city of Temple when we cant even make a sewer bond payment that the CITY knows is due at the same time of EACH year? The Mayors old lady use to go around town whining about there not being a "good sit down place to eat in Temple" Well keep jacking up the rates and fees and I assure you, you wont get a place that serves what she was looking for. CUT THE SPENDING AT CITY HALL..CUT THE SPENDING AT CITY HALL..CUT THE SPENDING AT CITY HALL..CUT THE SPENDING AT CITY HALL..all you council members that want that charter changed to give you the power, well if raising the fees as you are trying to do for something as basic as water and sewer that everyone has to have and pay for(YOUR FIRST MONTH IN OFFICE) then the next few years with you in charge should be pretty "TAXING" to the residents and those operating a business. Next time you run and come to my door asking for a vote do me a favor and just say "MY SLOGAN IS I AM GOING TO STICK IT TO YOU-SO ELECT ME" Also, the fruit up there that said for the residents to just think before they flushed after using the bathroom kind of made me ill at ease with those comments. You expect the residents NOT TO FLUSH, but we keep paying fines for sewer spills where the feces are dumped into our rivers and streams, I think maybe the point could be to not flush in order to slow down the spills and the amounts of fines paid by the city and not to cut back on flushing to save us money on our water bill. I am all for changing the charter, that way in two years maybe the residents will actually care who they vote for for council and put some people up there that can clean this place up. Only time will tell. Until then get ready to pay the price residents while those in charge continue to practice big spending, big ticket writing, big talk, big budgets, in poor little ole Temple.

I am concerned about water rates increasing. I am also alarmed as to how the city is going to find $18,500 more dollars to fund attorney fees for an appeal of the election when they say they are already in a budget crunch. Seems Mr. Harmon doesn't seem to concerned about the citizens or businesses of this town since we are the ones that will end up paying for that too.

Templehaha the only thing funny about your post is your ignorance and lack of information. All of Temple knows that water rates must be raise to pay the water bond that Mr. Harmon set as mayor when he over expanded the sewer plant in Temple. Would you rather that Temple triple water rates of citizens on a fixed income that are struggling to make ends meet as it is? Temple water rates are dirt cheap compared to the surrounding cities such as Carrollton, Villa Rica and Bremen. Even with the water rate hike the cost to run a business in Temple is still much lower than anywhere else in the area. Isn't time we start really placing blame in this where it belongs and that is Lester Harmon and his poor decision he made? Temple citizens and business owners are now having to literally pay for his mistake. Knowledge is a powerful thing templehaha and I am afraid you will never understand that!

Oh yeah, forgot to mention that your City Administrator is the hardest working person in the City and that she makes that clear to the citizens of the town that she is suppose to be running(but is unqualified to do so.) I think I smell ketchup and mustard. (Inside Joke)

Wow, you post about the charter passing but no mention of how the City of Temple is trying to increase water and sewer rates by almost double to make up for their proposed budget shortfall? Not news worthy huh? No mention of the business owners that threatened to take their business elsewhere if Temple raised their rates huh? No mention of how the City swears that no one is getting a raise in the proposed budeget but yet they distributed a proposed budget to citizens that clearly stated that the City Administrator and her buddy are getting raises? I guess that is just Temple math huh? Or it could just be Temple reporting.