ATLANTA – The Georgia House of Representatives approved on Friday, January 24, 2014, HB 743, the Amended Fiscal Year 2014 (AFY 2014) state budget, which includes an additional $890,421 for the Ware County Board of Education. The AFY 2014 budget is the state’s mid-year spending plan which helps fund the final few months of the current fiscal year. Jason Shaw (R-Lakeland), Jason Spencer (R-Woodbine), and Ellis Black (R-Valdosta), members of the Ware County legislative delegation offered the following comments:
“I’m glad we we’re able to correct this situation and I appreciate the local school leaders who gave us everything we needed to justify this correction in the budget,” said Rep. Jason Shaw.
“The Ware County community was in need and the entire delegation responded,” said Rep. Spencer “When communities like Ware County come unified in support of a common goal, Atlanta listened.”
“This is a great example of what can happen when the members of the Ware County Delegation come together and work as a team,” said Rep. Black.
The additional $890,421 in funding in the AFY 2014 House version of the appropriations bill was added to the Department of Education’s Equalization Program and will ultimately have an impact on approximately 5,701 students in Ware County. The county’s schools received their tax digest later than usual due to a large number of property tax appeals. Because of the delay in finalizing the digest, Ware County was not able to submit their new millage rate to the Department of Revenue on time, which ultimately had a negative impact on Ware County Schools’ Equalization earnings.
The Department of Education’s Equalization Program is an attempt to equalize the disparities in property wealth per student that exist in the state. The state provides additional funding to these counties based on a formula that compares the relative property tax wealth of all counties in the state.
To view a complete copy of the AFY 2014, please click here.
Representative Ellis Black represents the citizens of District 174, which includes portions of Camden, Charlton, Clinch, Echols, Lowndes and Wares counties. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2000 and is currently the Vice Chairman of the Defense & Veterans Affairs Committee. He also serves on the Agriculture & Consumer Affairs, Appropriations, Legislative & Congressional Reapportionment, and Ways & Means committees.
Representative Jason Shaw represents the citizens of District 176, which includes all of Atkinson and Lanier counties, and portions of Lowndes, and Ware counties. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2010 and currently serves as the Vice Chairman on the Insurance Committee. He also serves on the Economic Development & Tourism, Game, Fish, & Parks, and Small Business Development committees.
Representative Jason Spencer represents the citizens of District 180, which includes Camden, Charlton, and Ware counties. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2010, and currently serves as the Secretary of the Special Rules Committee. He also serves on the Game Fish & Parks, Human Relations & Aging, and Juvenile Justice committees.
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