Union County Sole Commissioner Harold Collins’ meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 22, primarily saw updates about county finances and infrastructure, among other business.
Collins adopted a resolution consenting to the City of Blairsville’s request to exercise eminent domain at the Blairsville Municipal Airport, which sits in an unincorporated area of the county.
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While working last month to negotiate with several property owners for air easements and one parcel acquisition, the Blairsville City Council had asked Collins to authorize the use of eminent domain if needed as the city works on safety improvements and runway expansion at the airport.
Additionally, Collins approved a resolution allowing the county to take funds generated from court fines and file them into a Georgia Fund 1 account. County Clerk Jennifer Mahan walked through how this works after the meeting.
“Georgia Fund 1 is like state bank accounts, so counties can utilize those how they need to, and they’re generally higher-yield interest (rates),” Mahan said. “It fluctuates, just like other banks, but it fluctuates higher, so instead of being between 3.5 and 3.8, you may be between a 4.1 and a 4.2, and it’s like an investment pool.
“There’s more money in the pool, so your returns are a whole lot more. What the county has been doing is trying to move everything – money that’s been sitting – to these Georgia Fund 1 accounts because they’re earning way more interest.”
In the past, income from fines has helped supplement the Union County Jail, such as when they were used to assist with inmate food costs, but Mahan said most of those funds have been collecting over time to add up to approximately $600,000.
That total is what is being moved to a Georgia Fund 1 account, and further revenue generated from fines will collect in that account to earn interest. Mahan shared that Sheriff Shawn Dyer intends those funds to remain in the account until they can be used to help build a new jail.
Fire Chief David Dyer was called up twice during the meeting, first to explain the FY2025 Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency Emergency Management Performance Grant, which was awarded to the Fire Department in the amount of $13,033.
“This is a grant we receive from the state … which helps pay for our emergency management services,” Dyer said, adding that the funds cover everything from salaries to “anything needed for emergency management.”
Dyer also clarified that the agreement between the Union County Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency Integrated Public Alert and Warning System platform, accepted as a memorandum in the meeting, essentially allows alerts to go out to cellphones in the event of an emergency for which the county wants to issue mass alerts.
On the topic of emergencies, Collins adopted a resolution approving the Hazard Mitigation Plan 2026 Update as part of the plan’s status as a “working document” that can be updated as needed.
“This is the first of many steps toward improving rational, long-range mitigation planning and budgeting for Union County and its municipality, the City of Blairsville,” Collins read.
County Manager Tony Hughes shared some county updates before the Q&A session started. Bradley Road, Pat Colwell Road, Crump Creek and Nelson Circle are done with paving, and Old Gumlog Road is being finished. A rubber-tire backhoe has been ordered for the Road Department, and its primary job will be replacing road culverts and working on the ditch line.
The new Road Department office building is “coming along,” and in response to social media comments about the county constructing a “million-dollar building” in favor of neglecting the roads, Hughes wanted to clarify that the facility is being sub-contracted to save money.
In the meantime, the new E-911 Center is close to opening; the county is waiting for a date to hold an open house.
Construction continues at the new dog park behind Meeks Park; the concrete slab for the bathroom has been poured, and the water line for the fountains will be installed soon.
The Union County Senior Center will be receiving a new smoke alarm system and may also get new flooring in the future.
As for the Q&A session, it opened with one commenter asking for clarification on the grant for transportation.
Another attendee asked for clarification on the final projected total for proposed SPLOST VI funds. When Collins attempted to answer, the resident left the meeting, accusing county officials of lying.
A third member of the public asked for the status of the current millage rate, which Tax Commissioner Lee Knight, who attended as a guest, spoke up and explained.
Another resident wanted to know why the county meetings were re-scheduled to happen in the mornings rather than the evenings, and Collins said that the officers responsible for meeting security were being paid overtime. To cut spending, Collins made the decision to hold the meetings in the morning, when their regular salaries covered the hours.
