What’s Happening in Carroll County

Trooper Steve Black and Commissioner Fuller counting votes at Boys State

Good government is only accomplished through cooperation and commitment.

These are just a few of the many successes that the Carroll County Board of Commissioners has had in the last three years:

  • Expanded High-speed Internet. We allocated $1.3 million in funding so Carroll EMC could receive a grant through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), bringing high-speed internet to underserved areas of Carroll County. SyncGlobal is working with Carroll EMC — not only expanding access, but creating competition with additional companies laying conduit and installing cable throughout the county.
  • Record Increases in Compensation for All County Employees. We saw the need to retain and attract quality personnel. In years past, Carroll County employees have gone years without pay increases. We made compensation a priority and we will continue to ensure equitable pay for all county employees. The Board of Commissioners raised pay by one dollar per hour for the last two years and provided bonuses to all employees for the last two years. Public Safety received hazard pay in 2020.
  • Preserving Our Agricultural Heritage. Along with members from the agriculture community, we’ll continue to collaborate on preserving agriculture in Carroll County. We lost more than 40 farms over the past decade. Carroll County now has fewer than 900 farms. Carroll County currently ranks third in beef production and eight in poultry production out of 159 counties in the state. Carroll County still leads the state with the total number of farms, but most of them are 40 acres or smaller. Carroll County is one of only two counties in the state that participates in the Federal Agriculture Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) and we have increased the total acreage in that program in the last three years. The Board of Commissioners continues to encourage farmers to use the Georgia Conservation Use Value Assessment Program to ease the tax burden on family farms.
  • Maintained Strong County Finances. Through sound fiscal policies, we have accrued a surplus that can mitigate inflationary expenses — especially in fuel and insurance. While some criticize the county for “excessive” surplus monies, we must remember that the property tax collection period ended Dec. 31 for this fiscal year. Property taxes will not begin again until October of this year. This “surplus” will dissipate; but with good management, we can keep our three-month buffer.
  • Rolled Back Millage Rate. The Board of Commissioners has rolled back the millage rate for the past three years. The budget was planned to fund manning for fire stations 17 and 18.
  • Helped Our Cities Thrive. Carroll County maintains excellent relationships with our municipalities through Intergovernmental Agreements. There are new challenges on the horizon concerning growth, but we will continue to work with cities to maintain the lifestyle that our residents enjoy and that attracts people to live and work here.
  • Improving County Facilities to Serve the Public. We’re completing plans to build a new administration building and complete the fifth floor of the new judicial complex. Along with commissioners Chance and McClendon, I served on the committee to research the logistics of moving offices and personnel from their current location to other locations after the fifth floor is complete. We’ve met with Sheriff Langley, District Attorney Cranford, the judiciary and the Public Defender, Maryellen Simmons, to determine their specific needs and how to meet them.
  • Honoring Our Service Veterans. Established Carroll County as a Purple Heart County. Personally, I’m most proud of this. This resolution honors all combat-wounded veterans who reside in Carroll County.

Growth — and how a county grows — is always an issue. Carroll County grew a little more than 9% in the past 10 years. This is an acceptable level.

We stayed ahead of pressure on infrastructure and services. Not everyone is satisfied with a steady growth rate of 1% per year; they would like to see a much higher growth rate — and if development occurs as some would like, we could be looking at a 25% growth rate in the next five-to-10 years.

This will put tremendous pressure on services and infrastructure. A statewide magazine, E911, recently described Carroll County as “a golden place to live.” If re-elected I will continue to work with my fellow commissioners to maintain this “golden place.”

Want to show your support for Steve?

Email Fuller4Carroll@gmail.com with your address or call 770-301-3221 to request a campaign sign for your yard or for info on how you can support his campaign for re-election to District 4.