Davey Crockett
2 mins
TAX $ WELL SPENT OR NOT? Read the article then the comment. OR just skip to the comment which is the real story here.
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Smith-Gilbert Gardens seeks volunteers
by MDJ staff January 07, 2016 12:00 AM

The Smith-Gilbert Gardens, 2382 Pine Mountain Road in Kennesaw, is seeking volunteers to lead tours of the Gardens.
“The wonder on children’s faces as they admire the koi or see the bonsai tree is so rewarding,” said Stefanie Haerynck, the Garden’s education coordinator.
Haerynck originally started working with the Gardens as a volunteer docent. Now, she helps to schedule docent classes and tours.
Smith-Gilbert Gardens is 16 acres with more than 3,000 species of plants, several rare in American gardens. United by woodland paths, the Gardens consist of separate groupings with individual elements that include the Bonsai Exhibit, Palladino Camellia Garden, tea house and waterfall area, Rose Garden and Conifer Display.
The Smith-Gilbert Gardens is a member of various horticultural groups, including the American Conifer, American Daffodil, American Hosta and the Southeastern Camellia societies. It is also a designated wildlife habitat by the Atlanta Audubon Society and both the Rose Garden and the Conifer Collection have received special recognition as places to visit by their respective societies.
For more information about volunteer training in February, call (770) 919-0248 or email info@smithgilbertgardens.com.
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Comment FYI:
Going back 2 Kennesaw election cycles I recall giving some input to a then potential candidate for Council about some issues which we discussed.

Subsequently a statement was put forth about the large deficit being plugged by the City taxes for both the Railroad Museum and the Gardens.

My suggestion after that was put forward was that the issue should be tabled until AFTER the person got elected as it was not going to generate any votes and may well cost votes. The initial reaction was of course negative and the issue was not heard of again, said candidate went on to win.

Years have now gone by with the matter of the black holes eating up Kennesaw tax dollars for both the Railroad museum and Gardens and there is still no sign that there is any interest in taking the matter under consideration.

I said at the time and still say, that there is no good option for either, but both should have a public airing to make the Citizens and Taxpayers aware of how much City money goes into supporting both losing propositions and some hard decisions should be made after discussions as to whether funding of these black holes should continue and if so how much, if any, should be provided by Taxpayers to funding these 2 money losing propositions.

There is no 'upside' here, no correct answer. No one will win any friends by this discussion. No one on the 'old' Council wanted to start the ball rolling. It is like the old story about 'tar baby', once you touch it, you won't be able to get rid of it and you probably won't get any votes for having brought it up.

One major division of opinion here is that it will put the OLD Kennesaw residents, who have heavily backed the museum, which is in fact a railroad museum but is regarded by the old line folks with roots here for generations, as a CIVIL WAR museum, against the relative NEW residents who might really care where their scarce tax dollars are going and who really could not care less about any museum, railroad or Civil War.

Those NEWER residents might want those tax dollars going for better police service or lower taxes and not plowed back into 2 areas which have never showed any profit and never will.

So there is a considerable divide here between the long term City residents (read 'area' residents as not all are within the City limits) and those newer residents, many of which live here and commute to greater Atlanta to work.

Q) Will anything get done with a new Mayor and mostly new Council?

A) Probably not.