County Government Archives

Barrow County may have been hit hard by the recession, but it has weathered the worst of the nation’s financial storm and is showing signs of recovery, according to the chairman of the Barrow County Board of Commissioners.
In her first annual State of the County address, Pat Graham on April 24 gave the Barrow County Chamber of Commerce a presentation about where the county and its government stand.
Her overarching message was that while the downturn has severely affected Barrow County, the county is moving forward under new leadership.
“We have a new charter, a new manager, and a new role for our elected officials,” she said. “We have the opportunity to lay a foundation for the county that will serve to make Barrow County better.”
For the full story, see the May 1 issue of the Barrow Journal.

In addition to facing one or more property tax rate hikes in the coming fiscal year, some municipal water customers in Barrow County could face higher water rates. The Barrow County government’s new administration is in the process of notifying city officials that the county plans to raise its wholesale water rates almost to the level recommended last year by the Barrow County Water & Sewerage Authority. Hit hardest would be the cities of Auburn and Braselton, which buy the greatest volume of water from Barrow County. Based on their 2012 purchases, the $2.80 rate would amount to about a $221,000 annual cost increase for Auburn and about $242,000 for Braselton.

The Barrow County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to vote April 9 on amendments to both the county’s enabling legislation — commonly called its “charter” — as well as the Purchasing Ordinance.
Together, the amendments not only would transfer to the new county manager the spending authority historically exercised by BOC chairmen in Barrow County, but they also would more than double the manager’s independent spending authority — while significantly reducing the BOC’s direct oversight of contracts.
For the full story, see the March 27 issue of the Barrow Journal.

After heightened complaints about how the Barrow County Animal Shelter is run, the county manager has asked the shelter’s former director to spend six weeks evaluating its operations.
“I have asked Jimmy Terrell to come back to the County on a part-time basis and to assess the Animal Control operation,” said Jock Connell in an email to the Barrow Journal on March 11. “Jimmy has agreed to do this and his first day is today.”
For the full story, see the March 20 issue of the Barrow Journal.

Property owners in the vicinity of the proposed Rocky Creek Reservoir in Barrow County are breathing a little easier after the Barrow County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday night voted to scrap the project that would have forced them out of their homes.
In a 6-0 vote, with Commissioner Steve Worley absent, the BOC decided not to accept a $2 million Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority loan for the planning and permitting of the future reservoir. The loan was offered last September through the Governor’s Water Supply Program, which Gov. Nathan Deal established after taking office in 2011. And county officials had until March 18 to accept it.
For the full story, see the March 13 issue of the Barrow Journal.