Scarborough Looks Back at 2014

Stephens County Commission Chairman Dean Scarborough looks back at 2014.

WNEG spoke with Scarborough this week about the last 12 months.

He said he feels the county had a lot of positive things take place last year.

“It seems like everything is turning around,” said Scarborough. “We may have bottomed out and are now heading up in the right direction is what I feel. I am looking forward to getting some sewer and water extension out to the (Toccoa) By-pass, and then the completion in another year and a half of the Highway 17 widening. I think those things long in the future will continue to give us new growth.”

He also pointed to a dropping unemployment rate, the new healthcare wing at North Georgia Technical College, and the growth of some existing industries in the county as other positives.

Scarborough said these are things that he feels will provide benefits to Stephens County in the future.

He said the adoption and implementation of land use in 2014 is also something that can help the county moving forward.

“I think we will be able to avoid some of the pitfalls we might have incurred in the future and that we have certainly incurred in the past, as far as undesirable things in areas they should not be,” said Scarborough.

Scarborough also said there are a lot of good things that the county does that do not get a lot of attention.

He said one of those is the Recreation Department, which Scarborough feels had a great year.

“They have been having some record enrollees in football and basketball,” said Scarborough. “They took over the soccer program after the Y closed and the first season was very successful. The wrestling program continues to improve.”

Other programs Scarborough singled out include the Senior Center and the Library, which he says both help many of the county’s citizens each and every day.

Scarborough said he is looking forward to 2015.

Moving forward, he said more is being accomplished, like a taxiway widening at the Toccoa-Stephens County Airport and adds that the city and county are working together in the same direction heading into the new year.

However, Scarborough said that Stephens County does face challenges in the year ahead.

At the top of the list is the budget.

Scarborough said the budget will be a challenge for the county until the tax digest increases due to economic growth.

With that in mind, Scarborough said the county has to find budget cuts.

“Everything that is funded is important,” said Scarborough. “Some of the things I just mentioned (above) have taken some pretty serious cuts and really cannot take much more and still be an effective program. We have to look elsewhere for those cuts. It is hard. It makes for tough decisions. We are hopeful everybody in county government will cooperate with us and make the cuts.”

Scarborough said the county commission will begin that work at a retreat early this year.

Overall, Scarborough said he has enjoyed serving as Commission Chair again for the last 12 months.

He said it has been a joy and pleasure to work with the other commissioners, as well as the staff and all of the county employees.

The county commission will select a chair and vice-chair for 2015 at their first meeting later this month.