Q: Why were state offices closed on July 2 instead of the legal holiday, July 5?
—Dwayne Carr, Fayetteville
A: Whenever a holiday falls on a weekend, the state can choose to close offices on a Friday or a Monday, Bert Brantley, Gov. Perdue's spokesman, told Q&A on the News. "We thought people might want to get out of town early and start the weekend," he said. He said the state sometimes plans its holiday calendar before the federal calendar is set. When a holiday falls on a Sunday, the federal holiday is usually observed on a Monday, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. If the holiday falls on a Saturday, it is usually observed on Friday.
Q: Are Gwinnett County homes that are bank-owned due to foreclosure subject to property taxes or garbage fees?
—Leah Dunn, Lawrenceville
A: Yes. Bank-owned properties are subject to property taxes and other fees on the property tax bill, county spokesman Joe Sorenson told Q&A on the News. Gwinnett posted the most foreclosure notices in the metro area in June, with 2,301, followed by Fulton (2,145), DeKalb (1,634), Cobb (1,300) and Clayton (924), the AJC previously reported, citing data from Alpharetta-based Equity Depot. That was up from 2,022 foreclosure notices in May and 1,845 in April, but down from 2,648 foreclosure notices in March.
Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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