County Commission began Budget Retreat Today, Regular Meeting Tomorrow
The Stephens County Board of Commissioners began several days of meetings this morning as county elected officials, administration and department heads work to draft a budget for the coming fiscal year, which will begin July 1 for both the city and the county.
Today’s budget retreat, after an 8:30 a.m. start, lasted throughout the day, and will continue tomorrow on the same schedule. Commissioners are scheduled to continue budget retreat sessions next Monday and Tuesday to discuss budget specifics and finalize the draft budget that will be presented to citizens at the public hearings. All budget retreat meetings will take place at the Toccoa-Stephens County Airport.
County commissioners will also meet at 6 p.m. tomorrow for a regularly scheduled meeting. The meeting will take place at the Historic Courthouse, 37 West Tugalo Street in Toccoa.
On the agenda for the meeting are six land use public hearings, followed by board consideration and voting on the land use requests.
The land use requests being considered include a variance request allowing full sewer hookup and extended stay for a residential multi parcel on N. Broad River Road; a variance request allowing for a garage in the front yard setback on a parcel on Chateau Village Drive in Martin; a variance request allowing a reduction of the front yard setback by 20 feet on a commercial industrial parcel on Highway 123; a variance request allowing a reduction of the vegetative buffer by 18 feet on the left yard setback on a commercial general parcel on Highway 17 Alternate; a rezoning request on an agricultural residential parcel on Golf Ridge Way to be rezoned to commercial general to allow for the property to be used for retail trade, lodging facilities and assembly hall – a a conditional use request will be considered for the same parcel of property to allow for a event venue.
Other items on the agenda for tomorrow’s regular meeting include the FY2024 Third Quarter Financial Report and renewal of the Motorola Solutions Service Agreement for E-911.
Members of the public are invited to attend the meeting, and are welcome to address commissioners during the Public Comment section of the meeting. Contact information for commissioners is available attached to this story on wnegradio.com.
For more information, contact county clerk Samantha Turner at (706) 898-5750.
April 22 Budget Retreat Schedule (tentative)
Airport – Amber McCall
Superior Court – Judge Smith
District Attorney – George Christian
Senior Center – Mary Smith
Clerk of Court – Tim Quick
Chief Executive, Planning & Zoning, Data Processing, Building & Grounds, and Capital Projects – Christian Hamilton
Lunch
County Agent – Susan Yearwood
DFCS – C. Sprowls
E911 – Danielle Rhodes
EMA/Rescue – Danielle Rhodes
Fire Department – Stacy Pulliam
Coroner – Chris Stephens
Probate Court – Glenda Ernest
Finance, OS Entities, and SPLOST – James Elrod
Clerk, Building Inspections, and Governing Body – Samantha Turner
Adjournment
April 23 Tentative Schedule
Tax Commissioner – Dene Hicks
Elections – Bruce Carlisle
Chamber of Commerce – Julie Paysen
Library – J. Haynes
Recreation – Chris Rainey
Solicitor – Anne Pickett
State Court – James Irvin
Humane Shelter – Jeff Roberts
Lunch
SCDA – Brittany Ivey
Marshal – Rik Wise
Public Defender – D. Powell
Shop, PW, and SW – Jason Holland
Health Department – Debbie
Jail
Sheriff
Adjournment
Chair Tara Simmons, Post 1
(706) 244-5670
Commissioner Debbie Whitlock, Post 2
(706) 599-3419
Commissioner Dennis Bell, Post 3
(706) 391-0447
Vice Chair Chris Rickman, Post 4
(706) 244-5125
Commissioner Chuck Wright, Post 5
(706) 886-9491