Julie Hughes-Nix

DAWSON COUNTY, Ga – Thursday’s Board of Commissioners regular meeting started with what must have come as a surprise to many in the audience.

Julie Hughes-Nix, the first woman to be elected to the Dawson County Board of Commissioners announced that she will retire at the end of this year.

Nix, who will complete 20 years as commissioner of District 4 in December, made the announcement during Thursday’s regular county commission meeting.

“Today, I want to make the official announcement that after prayerful consideration that my time serving District 4 will come to a close at the end of this term,” she said.

“It has been a great honor and  I have truly enjoyed serving the people of Dawson County, and I want to thank the people for supporting me all of these years. I will continue to give my all for the next 11 months and will work as earnestly and hard as I have always tried to do. After serving it is now about how I want to spend the next chapter of my life. Enjoying family.

Her knowledge and experience will be missed on the Board. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree in education from Brenau. She is also a graduate of the Certified Commissioner’s Advanced Program. She has served as a board member of Ninth District Opportunity and treasurer of Reading Education Association of Dawson County.

In other business, commissioners rejected a bid of $311,111 on 77.67 acres of surplus real property located along Shoal Creek Road. The county purchased the property for $1.7 million and it has been appraised at $1.1 million.

The property has gone out for bids several times, but the Board has not received an offer that was acceptable.

Commissioners then voted unanimously to approve a budget adjustment to correct a billing error by the Enotah Judicial District Superior Court. Court officials discovered recently that it had under billed the county for its services the last few years.

Commissioners also approved:

An alcohol license for Ray’s Signature Grill located at 200 N400 Center Lane to sell beer on the premises;

A debris removal and disposal contract with Graham County Land Company to be utilized following a disaster such as a hurricane or flooding. There is no cost to the county unless the company is called to report during a disaster. Then the cost is per hour;

A debris monitoring contract with Debris Tech to monitor the cleanup following a disaster. There is no cost to the county unless the company is called to report during a disaster;

Emergency Services request to approve renewal of the statewide mutual aid agreement through 2024;

A 50-50 matching grant with the Georgia Forestry Commission. The grant is for $10,000. The county is responsible for $5,000;

An Emergency Management Preparedness Grant in the amount of $15,568.  The county is responsible for $7,784.

Items discussed during work sessions are generally not voted on until the next regular meeting.

A lengthy conversation that took place during the work session that centered on what has become a hot-topic in Georgia and nationwide – Second Amendment Sanctuary cities and counties.

The Board asked County Attorney Angela Davis to review the Second Amendment Sanctuary resolution adopted by Habersham County.

Her review resulted in a “redline version” of that resolution and a “short form” draft resolution that Dawson County could consider separately.

“I made some changes that are largely corrections of misquotes from the Constitution,” she said. “It also contains clarifications of federal law and also clarification as to the employees, agents and officials this Board can’t control. Obviously you can’t control operations of the Sheriff’s Office or the D.A.’s Office.”

She said the Board could also consider a “short form” drafted by her office.

That version states the Board’s firm support for the Second Amendment and that it will make no law that infringes on the right to bear arms. It also affirms the Board’s support of the sheriff to exercise his discretion when enforcing firearms laws.

“The short form,” Davis said, “stays very clearly in the lane of what you have controlling authority over. The redline version, she added, is “creeping out a little bit beyond what you have the authority to do.”

During the work session commissioners also considered:

A request by Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Greg Rowan to accept a 2020 Criminal Justice Coordinating Council K9 grant;

A request to approve a special event license for a Hippie Fest that celebrates the 1960s on March 14 and 15 from noon until 7 p.m. at the location of Uncle Shucks Corn Maze at the intersection of Bannister Road and Hwy. 9 South;

A request by Planning Director Jameson Kinley for the Board to create a nuisance property ordinance;

A request by Emergency Services Director Danny Thompson to approve an automatic aid agreement with Pickens County;

A request by Thompson to approve the 2020 Charity Boot Drives;

A request by Thompson to accept a Georgia Child Passenger Safety mini-grant;

A request by Thompson to accept an Emergency Management Performance Grant.

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