Governor Kemp’s shelter in place order halts vote on county emergency order

News

DAWSON COUNTY, Ga. – Moments before the Board of Commissioners was set to adopt a county emergency order related to the COVID-19 pandemic Thursday, Gov. Brian Kemp issued his shelter in place order making any vote unnecessary.

Commission Chairman Billy Thurmond had just completed the reading of the county’s proposed emergency order when County Attorney Jeff Strickland informed the Board he had just received a copy of the governor’s order which states, “No county or city shall adopt any similar ordinance while this order is in effect.”

Billy Thurmond

Surprised by that development, Thurmond said, “Then it is my interpretation that no further action is needed by this Board.” Commissioners unanimously agreed and no vote was taken.

Cities and counties all across the state have already passed local emergency ordinances in response to COVID-19 pandemic and some local officials have complained the governor’s executive order actually lessens the restrictions they adopted.

In November 2019, Dawson County voters approved an education special purpose local option sales tax (ESPLOST) referendum that authorizes the issuance of $10 million in Series 2020 general obligation bonds. School Board members approved a resolution to levy a millage rate sufficient to repay the principal and interest. County government is required pass a resolution to to include the school millage rate in the total tax millage rate. Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the resolution.

In other votes, the commissioners voted 4-0 to approve a mutual aid agreement with the United States Army Garrison, Fort Benning  that allows a systematic approach to expedite local and regional mutual aid assistance, information sharing and emergency aid. The agreement allows mutual aid capabilities to be deployed without approval from Army headquarters, when a request from civil authorities for assistance with imminently serious conditions.

Commissioners also approved a request to write off a bad debt owed to the county Transfer Station by Rakestraw Sanitation in the amount of $9,898.76. After several attempts to collect the debt, staff decided it is in the best interest of the county to write off this bad debt due to high cost of pursuit of legal action.

The Board also approved the appointment of Jennifer Wright to replace Edwin Looper on the Department of Family and Children Services Board.

 

 

Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com

 

Leave a comment

Back to Top