New Commission Chairman Will Preside at Thursday Meeting
News January 6, 2017
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. — Dawson County’s new Board of Commissioners Chairman brings a very specific set of goals to his new job and if past success is a barometer, Billy Thurmond can be expected to achieve them.
Thurmond, who will preside over his first county commission meeting on Thursday, served the county’s Emergency Management Agency for 37 years.
In 2000, the agency was recognized as Georgia’s EMA of the Year. In 2011, he received the governor’s Public Safety Award for contributions to his profession and in 2012 was named EMA Director of the Year.
His goals as chairman: To make the county government more productive and cost efficient, to halt the costly migration of county employees to other counties and to improve communication with citizens.
“We’ve got to get to the point where we are more competitive in the job market,” he said Thursday. It costs a lot of money to replace employees.”
About 300 county employees have left Dawson County for higher paying jobs in the last six years.
“If you look at the number of people we have lost in those years, it costs millions of dollars to train their replacements. The Sheriff’s Office lost 80-90 people during that time span and the Fire Department lost 40-50. Those jobs are hard to fill if you’re not competitive in the job market.”
Being competitive, of course, means salary increases, something that causes taxpayers to flinch.
But as Thurmond points out, “The upfront cost will be a little higher than most people want to pay, but you will save money in the long run.”
Thurmond said former Sheriff Billy Carlisle once told him it cost about $8,000 to hire a replacement for a deputy who leaves to take the same job in Hall or Forsyth counties where the pay is higher. Replacing the 90 or so deputies who have left in the last six years cost taxpayers about $720,000.
“He had to hire somebody off the street with little or no training, send them to school for 11 weeks to get trained and have them ride with somebody for another month,” Thurmond said. That meant the Sheriff’s Office had to replace an experienced law enforcement officer with an inexperienced one at a cost of $8,000 each.
Thurmond said improved communication with citizens is another top priority.
“One of the biggest things I learned during my campaign is that citizens want more information coming from county government and I want to give it to them. When they see there has been so much money spent on salaries or equipment, they want an explanation as to why. If the county commission executes a contract of an intergovernmental agreement (IGA), I would like to see the contract or agreement on our website the next day so citizens can review it.”
He also said there needs to be more details on commission meetings provided to the public. “If you attend a regular meeting, you really don’t know what is being voted on unless you attended the work session too,” he said.
Thurmond said, generally speaking, the county is in good shape.
“We don’t have a lot of debt, so that is good,” he said. “We’re getting a good bit of new business along the Ga. 400 cooridor and hopefully that will generate a lot more sales tax and give us an opportunity to roll back property taxes.”
Thurmond and Commissioner Chris Haynes will begin their first terms on the Board of Commissioners Thursday.
Early Voting for Primary Runoff Races Ends Friday
News, Politics July 18, 2016
DAWON COUNTY, Ga. — Early voting ends Friday for the July 26 general election primary runoffs.
The races in Forsyth County are between Tony Wooten and Jeff Johnson to decide who will replace retiring Sheriff Billy Carlisle and tax commissioner where two newcomers, Andi Henson Juliette and Nicole Stewart, are seeking to fill the vacancy left by Linda Townley who is also retiring this year.
Early voting started July 5 and the Dawson County Elections Office reports that the turnout has beem much heavier than expected. As of Friday afternoon, 1,569 people had cast their ballots
“That’s much greater than we anticipated, especially for a runoff election,” said Dawson County Director of Elections and Registration.
Georgia law requires a runoff if no candidate wins a majority in a general primary.
Defense Attorney Wants D.A. Disqualified from the Nydia Tisdale Trial
News June 1, 2016
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. — Lee Darragh, District Attorney for the Georgia’s Northeastern Judicial Circuit District, declined to comment specifically on a defense motion asking that he be disqualified in the Nydia Tisdale case and that a Grand Jury indictment be dismissed.
Tisdale faces several criminal charges, including felony obstruction of an officer stemming from a political rally at Burt’s Pumpkin Farm in Dawson County in August 2014.
The motion filed by attorney Bruce Harvey states: “District Attorney is paid a “supplement” to his statutory salary by Dawson County. Should Dawson County have to pay a significant settlement/or judgement out of county funds, Mr. Darragh may lose his supplemental salary. He thus has a direct financial interest in the prosecution or settlement of the cause. Such a financial interest is a conflict of interest sufficient to disqualify Mr. Darragh.”
When reached for comment Wednesday, Darragh did not seem overly concerned. His response: “I won’t comment on any specific criminal case.I will just say, in general terms only, that frivolous motions are often filed in criminal cases.”
A Grand Jury indicted Tisdale of felony obstruction of an officer, misdemeanor obstruction of an officer and criminal trespass.
But Harvey also wants that indictment set aside for the same reason.
Tisdale was taken into custody at a political rally when she refused to stop filming the event at the request of the property owner.
Sheriff Billy Carlisle said Tisdale was advised that Johnny Burt, owner of the farm where the rally was held, wanted her to stop recording or leave his property. When she refused, Sheriff’s Capt. Tony Wooten attempted to escort her off the property.
Tisdale reportedly kicked Wooten and fought with him, leading to the criminal trespass and obstruction charges.
Tisdale announced last month that she has filed a federal lawsuit against Wooten and two other deputies involved in her arrest for violations of the First, Fourth and 14th Amendments to the US Constitution.
Dawson County Women Face Charges for Violation of School Truancy Laws
News June 1, 2016
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. — Two Dawson County mothers have been arrested and charged with violating Georgia’s school truancy laws.
Morgan Lee, 30, was arrested May 18. She remains in the Dawson County jail and is charged with 14 violations. Anna Peacock was arrested Tuesday. She faces three truancy charges and has been released on her own recognizance.
Sheriff Billy Carlisle said arrests for violations of school truancy laws are very rare. “I don’t believe I’ve seen this since I became sheriff, maybe back in the 1980’s,” he said.
A Dawson County Grand Jury handed down the indictment against the two women and the Northwestern Judicial Circuit Senior Judge John Girardeau issued the arrest warrants.
According to the indictment against Lee, she failed to send her child to Riverview Elementary School 14 times after being notified that the child had more than five unexcused absences.
Peacock’s indictment says she failed to send her child to Black’s Mill Elementary School three times after receiving notice of five unexcused absences.
At the start of each school year, parents are required to sign a form explaining attendance requirements and informing them of penalties for non-compliance.
Tisdale Files Federal Lawsuit Against Dawson Deputies
News May 11, 2016
GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Who says you can’t fight City Hall? Fourteen months after Nydia Tisdale, a self-described citizen journalist, won a $200,000 settlement in a federal lawsuit against the City of Cumming, she’s at it again. This time Tisdale is suing three Dawson County deputies.
At a Tuesday press conference outside the Federal Courthouse in Gainesville, Tisdale announced her attorneys have filed a federal lawsuit claiming three Dawson County Sheriff’s deputies violated her constitutional rights when they arrested her at a political rally at Burt’s Pumpkin Farm two years ago.
The lawsuit alleges Capt. Tony Wooten, Cpl. Russell Smith and Cpl. Laura Bishop violated her First, Fourth and 14th Amendment rights when they arrested her.
But this time, Tisdale faces multiple felony and misdemeanor criminal trespass charges of her own stemming from the arrest. She was indicted on the charges in November and pleaded not guilty to all counts in March.
“I want to have my voice heard through my counsel, and through this lawsuit, and I will be vindicated,” Tisdale said.
Tisdale was arrested Aug. 23, 2014, after she refused to stop video taping a political rally in northwestern Dawson County and leave the property as the owner directed.
The claims allege Wooten violated Tisdale’s First Amendment when he shut down her filming of the event. “Second, we allege that Capt. Wooten and the two officers he called to the scene arrested Ms. Tisdale without probable cause in violation of her 4th Amendment rights,” said Attorney Brandon Waddell. “Third, we allege that the officers had no lawful basis to seize Ms. Tisdale’s camera.”
The suit also claims the charges brought against her were maliciously filed to silence her and that the officers seized the work product of a member of the press with no cause to believe the video related to the commission of a criminal offense.
Tisdale claims Wooten failed to identify himself, but Sheriff Billy Carlisle said Wooten was wearing a department-issued black polo shirt with the Dawson County Sheriff’s logo on the front left side, as well as his badge and a visible firearm.
Johnny Burt, the property owner maintains he instructed Wooten to have Tisdale stop recording and when she refused, Burt said he ordered Wooten to make her leave.
Sheriff’s Candidates Square off at Forum
News, Politics March 30, 2016
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. — With just 8 weeks left before the May 24 Republican Primary, Dawson County residents had another opportunity to evaluate the candidates for sheriff during Tuesday night’s forum at Dawson County Middle School.
The four — Jeff Johnson, Tony Wooten, Jeff Perry and Frank Sosebee — are all veteran law enforcement officers with many years experience. Sheriff Billy Carlisle has announced that he will retire at the end of the year, following 18 years as the county’s top cop.
Candidates agreed on many issues, like the importance of retaining good officers, community policing and fiscal responsibility.
Asked to cite their top priorities as sheriff, Johnson pointed to the need to prevent the flow of drugs into Dawson County. Sosebee said retention of good officers is critical. Perry said the next sheriff will have to address a staff shortage and Wooten cited crime prevention and pointed out that the county burglary rate had dropped by 36 percent in three years.
Sosebee, Perry and Johnson also agreed with a bill passed in the Georia legislature this year that would prevent civil forfeiture of property until after a suspect has been convicted of a crime. Wooten disagreed stating there is a strong system in place to protect the property of those who are found not guilty. “
Sheriff, Tax Commissioner Races Will Be Hotly Contested
News, Politics March 13, 2016
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. — The three local races that have attracted the most interest in Dawson County this year are County Commission Chairman, Sheriff and Tax Commissioner where a total of nine candidates will campaign.
Sheriff Billy Carlisle, who has been Dawson County’s top cop for 18 years, will not seek reelection. Chairman Michael Berg, who has devoted nearly half his life to public service has announced his retirement and Tax Commissioner Linda Townley, who has served the county for 12 years, said she is leaving to spend more time with her family.
Their departure creates opportunities for others to serve. Billy Thurmond and Peter Hill have tossed their hats into the ring to vie for County Commission Chairman.
Four veteran law enforcement officers will battle it out for Sheriff. Tony Wooten is an 18-year veteran of the Dawson Sheriff’s Office. Jeff Perry has 26 years experience, serving the last 18 as a parole officer. Jeff Johnson has nearly 23 years of experience in both a sheriff’s office and police department and Frank Sosebee has 32 years experience. He is currently the chief of security at the Hall County Correctional Institute.
Townley’s departure has attracted three potential replacements, Karin McGee, Johnny Glass and Nicole Stewart
District 4 County Commissioner Julie Hughes Nix, who seeks her fourth term in office, has drawn one challenger in Heather Hulsebus.
Incumbent Board of Education members Elaine Wilson, Roger Slaton and Doris Cook will return to office without opposition and so will long time Coroner Ted Bearden.
Candidate Qualifying Begins Monday in Dawsonville
News, Politics March 6, 2016
DAWSONVILLE, Ga. –It’s qualifying week for political hopefuls in Dawson County and all across Georgia.
Election Superintendent Glenda Ferguson said incumbents and newcomers seeking public office must officially declare their candidacy between Monday, March 7 and Friday, March 11. Qualifying will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Friday when qualifying ends at noon.
Dist. 4 County Commissioner Julie Nix will seek a fifth term in office but two familiar faces will be leaving the Board of Commissioners. After 12 years in office, Commission Chairman Mike Berg said he will not seek reelection. and Dist. 2 Commissioner James Swafford, who served two terms, has announced he is stepping down also.
The county will also lose a veteran law enforcement officer in Billy Carlisle, who is retiring after 18-years of service as Sheriff. Jeff Johnson, Tony Wooten, Frank Sosebee and Jeff Perry have announced they will campaign for the open position.
Other county offices up for election this year include: Clerk of Court, Coroner, Surveyor, Magistrate Judge and Probate Judge. Both State Senator Steve Gooch, who represents the 51st District, and State Rep. Kevin Tanner who represents Dist. 9 are also up for reelection.