Author: On Common Ground News

DeKalb County Tax Commissioner Irvin J. Johnson is reminding DeKalb taxpayers who owned and resided in their property on Jan. 1, 2017 to qualify for a basic homestead exemption. The homestead exemption, which provides a significant tax savings to homeowners, must be applied for in person, by mail or via the Internet because exemptions are not automatically granted. Neither mortgage nor any other companies can file applications for property owners. By law, exemptions are not available for rental or commercial property and there is never a fee to file. In addition to the basic homestead exemption, there are special exemptions…

DeKalb County Commissioner Steve Bradshaw issued a news release today stating in support of Commissioner Kathie Gannon for the role of Presiding Officer. The seven-member Board of Commissioners will elect its leaders at Tuesday’s BOC meeting. Gannon is challenging Commissioner Larry Johnson, who is currently the presiding officer. “In tomorrow’s Board of Commissioners vote for the role of Presiding Officer, I intend to vote for District 6 Commissioner Kathy Gannon. My rationale is as follows: For 12 years, as a Super District Commissioner, Kathie has successfully represented a broad cross section of DeKalb County; North/South and Black/White. Commissioner…

The Rockdale Board of Elections will host its regular meeting on Thursday, Jan 12, 4 p.m., at the Rockdale Board of elections Office, 1400 Parker Road, Lobby C, Conyers. The public is invited to the meeting. For more information, call 770-278-7333.

Robbers are becoming more clever in their holdups. Conyers police are asking for the public’s help in finding the suspect who waited in a bathroom stall until closing to rob a Fred’s discount store. “It is unusual. I can’t think of any robbery we have had recently like this one,” Conyers Police Sgt. Kim Lucas said. Police said the black male entered Fred’s on New Year’s Eve around 8:40 p.m. and waited in a women’s bathroom stall before ambushing an employee at 9 p.m., closing time. The subject was armed with a black semi-automatic handgun and used duct…

Courts in DeKalb and Rockdale counties are among those in metro Atlanta that are making electronic filing mandatory for civil cases and land records, effective this year. The new system, officials say, will enable residents and attorneys to open cases and file documents from a user-friendly, secure website — 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Officials say electronically filed transactions are faster the old way of filing by paper, with many e-filings taking less than 60 seconds. “We have reached a pivotal moment in our transition to electronic court records and now documents can be digitally filed, served,…

If you own a business within the city of Atlanta, you will not receive a renewal application by mail this year. The city is cutting down on paper waste and boosting efforts to be more efficient by requiring businesses to file renewals online. The deadline to submit the renewal application online is Feb. 15. Once a renewal application is filed, businesses will have until April 1 to pay the invoiced amount. All applications and forms n be found on the City of Atlanta website at www.atlantaga.gov. Businesses are encouraged to renew their business license, using their PIN, online at https://web.atlantaga.gov/blis/.…

CONYERS—Rockdale County Chairman Oz Nesbitt, Sr. has named Sgt. Corey K. Hambrick, currently with the City of Conyers Police Department, as the county’s new Chief of Staff. Nesbitt plans to put the selection on the Board of Commissioners (BOC) Jan. 10 meeting agenda for the commissioners’ consent. “Sgt. Hambrick’s strong communication skills coupled with his mastery of organizational management makes him a good fit to assist me in moving Rockdale County forward,” Nesbitt said. “In addition, Sgt. Hambrick will help strengthen the relationship between the City, County and other local community entities and stakeholders. We have plenty of work ahead…

Three more candidates have announced plans to run for the Stonecrest City Council ahead of the qualifying period, which will be held Jan. 9-11. All candidates seeking to run for mayor or City Council must pay the required fees during the three-day time period. The fee is $600 for those running for mayor and $450 for those seeking city council seats. Jimmy Clanton, Jr. said he plans to run for the District 1 City Council seat. A community activist and organizer for the past five years in the Stonecrest Overlay area, Clanton is serving his second term as president of…

MLK Day 2017 Around Atlanta The King Holiday will be observed Monday, Jan. 16 and several events and celebrations are scheduled to commemorate the life and legacy of the late civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. While some of the events will be held on the holiday, others are scheduled before hand. Please check the status before attending:   ATLANTA   MLK Commemorative Services at Ebenezer Baptist Church The annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. commemorative service will be held Monday, Jan. 16, 10 a.m. at Ebenezer Baptist Church in the historic Heritage Sanctuary, 101 Jackson Street,…

The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners will elect its presiding officer on Jan. 10. The presiding officer, elected by the seven county commissioners themselves, sets the agendas, runs the board meetings and makes appointments to the board’s committees. Kathie Gannon and Larry Johnson have announced they will seek the year-long position. Gannon held the seat in 2008. Johnson has held the seat since January 2014. The board also will elect a deputy presiding officer. The elections may be the first look at how the new board will conduct business going forward. For several years, the board has been racially-divided on…