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Board of County Commissioners
Habersham County's governing authority is the Habersham County Board of Commissioners. Habersham County is divided into five districts; and the five members of the Board of Commissioners are elected at-large for staggered, four-year terms. The chairman and vice-chairman of the Board of Commissioners are elected by the Board annually at their January meeting. The general duties of the Commissioners are:
County Commissioners have authority over the construction and maintenance of county roads, election facilities and equipment, the airport, and parks and recreational facilities. The Commission's taxing power allows the County to have law enforcement personnel, patrol cars, courthouses, and jails. County Commissioners affect the lives of residents more directly - and more often - than the governor, state senators and representatives, judges, the mayor, or the sheriff. County Commissioners have taxing and spending power over the departments that record your birth, your marriage, your vote, your death, your burial, your purchase or sale of real estate and the legal uses of property, the disposal of property, both real and personal. Commissioners have a role in the establishment, and often in the operations of hospitals, emergency medical services, and rescue units. County Commissioners even oversee the collection of school taxes through the Tax Commissioner's office. Commissioners may administer any function for which they are allowed to tax, and the Georgia Constitution enumerates those purposes. They include care for indigents, establishment, and maintenance of libraries, 911 centers, fairgrounds, civic centers, senior centers, and child daycare. As populations and the need for services have increased over the past 50 years, counties are offering even more services. Landfills, fire and police protection, water and sewer departments, animal control, economic development, and land-use planning have been added to the Commissioners' oversight. Since the nuclear scares of the early 1950s triggered the creation of the Civil Defense, counties have become responsible for what is now known as Emergency Management to cope with storms, floods or terrorist attacks. The Board of Commissioners meets on the third Monday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Jury Assembly Room on the first floor of the courthouse in Clarkesville. Special meetings are called when necessary. Meeting announcements, agenda, and information are kept up to date on this website. The public is invited to attend all Commission Meetings. Need to contact the Commission? You can either email the entire commission at commoffice@habershamga.com or get in touch with an individual commissioner using the following emails: Commissioner Palmer, District 1: bpalmer@habershamga.com Commissioner Mealor, District 2: dmealor@habershamga.com Commissioner Tench, District 3: jtench@habershamga.com Commissioner Harkness, District 4: bharkness@habershamga.com Commissioner Akins, District 5: takins@habershamga.com |
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