DAWSONVILLE, Ga. — With its very existence in jeopardy, the Development Authority of Dawson County held its first meeting of the new year Tuesday to elect a slate of officers and approve a 2017 budget.

Sherry Weeks was re-elected to serve as chairwoman, Brian Sticker was chosen vice chairman.

The budget adopted yesterday was about $150,000 less than 2016 after the Dawson County Board of Commissioners voted late last year to withhold funding for the organization.

Authority members acknowledged this is the final year it can exist at the new funding level.

Asked by one board member, if the county commission understood they may end up with no development authority, Chairwoman Sherry Weeks said she had informed commissioners they did not have the money to operate for more than one year. “They were clear about that,” Weeks said.

The lone county commissioner to attend Tuesday’s meeting was Chris Gaines, who was not on the board at the time commissioners voted against funding the authority in 2017.

Asked to comment, Gaines made it clear that he would like to see the DADC continue its work.

“Speaking only from my perspective, I believe in the mission you guys have in front of you,” he said. “We have to move forward in finding a way to provide the finances this organization needs.”

Although the county commission no longer funds the authority, it does appoint new members, something it is expected to do in the next few weeks.

“The thing we have before us now is to fill the board with qualified candidates,” Gaines said. He added that he is trying to schedule a meeting with newly-elected Commission Chairman Billy Thurmond to discuss future appointments.

“It is my goal to find a way to support you but I’m only one of many,” Gaines added.