Government

2007: State-of-the-County Report

The following is a state-of-the-county report from County Commission Chairman Jim B. Butterworth. The report was issued Dec. 17, 2007

Fellow Board members, Mayors and council members of Habersham County cities, Board of Education members, Chairs and members of Habersham County Boards and Authorities, and fellow citizens of Habersham County:

I am a proud member of a County Commission that has endeavored to lead your County strongly into the 21st Century. We have accomplished a great deal in 2007, and, I am honored to report, that the State of the County is Good, and, more importantly, improving.

It comes as no surprise to say so, but we face many grand challenges in the coming weeks, months and years. The good news, however, is that we have excellent team members in place to address current and future challenges. We continue to fill key positions on the team and will have news in the next few weeks regarding these critical positions.

For the next few minutes I would like to emphasize some of the important accomplishments we have achieved in 2007. After that I will touch on some of the challenges we face going forward. I will then close with a brief comment about the honor of Public Service.

2007 began as a time of transition for our County. Regardless of the fact that your Board of Commissioners had two new members on its Board, the issues did not allow much time for “settling in.”

Early in 2007 the reconstituted Water Authority of Habersham County had its members appointed and began work. As the Authority began its visioning process and took its charge from the Board of Commissioners, little did any of its members know the ramifications of their work and the timeline which would unfold. We now find ourselves in a historical drought of monumental proportions. If you hear nothing else I say tonight, please hear this: we must all prepare ourselves for the possibility of extremely limited water supplies in the coming months and years.

Fortunately for the people of Habersham County, the Board of Commissioners began work over 2 years ago putting together a short term and, also, a long term plan. This plan was to prepare us for almost any contingency. The key word there is almost. Time is not on our side in this current dilemma. We have a 50 year water plan that our new Water Authority can use as a road map to make recommendations on how to proceed. 2 years ago, we listened to our consultants and contracted with the City of Toccoa to acquire over 1 million gallons of water everyday. Most of this water will be sold, on a wholesale basis, to municipalities in our county for use by their customers. This is only a stop gap measure, however. We cannot sit back and ponder this visionary decision. We now have the momentum regarding water planning and acquisition. Momentum, The Big MO. We have it. And, my fellow Board members, we MUST NOT LOSE IT.

We must continue to facilitate planning by and with our Water Authority. We must continue to lobby our State Representative and State Senator to work with us to pass legislation which will enable funds to be used for not only reservoir building, but also for reservoir renewal. Acquiring water permits and creating more raw water storage in Habersham County are THE most critical issues facing us in the next 5 years.

To address these critical issues, we must continue to work with the municipalities which lie within the boundaries of our County. We must continue to build a cohesive bond of stewardship. For many other issues besides just water, we must build reasonable relationships with our municipalities. To the Mayors and Council Members of Habersham County municipalities present here tonight: We are your partners. Thank you for your willingness to serve your community. In 2008 we must take our business relationships to the next level. We must strive to put pencil to paper, step outside our comfort zones and the confines of our individual boundaries and work for the common good of our community. The end result and final goal for these strong bonds will be to plan, collectively, for the future of our region.

Lastly on this topic, I would like to mention the many hours and extra effort that have been put forth by the technical members of the water systems of our municipalities. In recent weeks these unsung heroes have come together, for the first time in recent memory, and have begun to put a plan in place which will prepare us in the event our extreme drought situation does not improve. These men and women have tried their best to plan for the unthinkable. They have worked together to move beyond past disagreements. We have already seen some incredible planning put in place and we have great expectations of things to come. On behalf of Habersham County, Terry Purcell has facilitated communications with and among our municipalities in order to put this plan in place. Terry has designated specific goals and will also work toward setting “’triggers” should our water situation not improve. This planning is critical and we appreciate all of the technical members of our water systems continuing to work in good faith.

During 2007, another key process which has been ongoing is our Comprehensive Land Use Update. Besides the aforementioned water planning, there is no more important plan which could be put in place for the future of Habersham County. Done correctly, the result of this plan will be THE article used to design future communities, developments, cities and towns. If we do not “buy into” this plan and do it correctly, the final result will be placed on a shelf and ignored.

The steering committee of this planning process is made up of many members of various communities in Habersham and also individuals who have specific interests. Collectively they continue to plan for what the face of Habersham will be 10 to 20 years from now. Commissioner Gerald Dunham, Mr. JD Wellons and Mr. Jim Blackburn have put countless hours into leading this steering committee and putting this plan together. Their diligence does not go un-noticed and is greatly appreciated.

In June of this year Habersham County voters went to the polls and approved, by a 78 percent margin, to renew a Special Local Option Sales Tax next year. This SPLOST renewal will generate tax revenue in the tens of millions of dollars. This broad based revenue will be used by every municipality for their own capital expenditures as well as by Habersham County for numerous projects. The list includes specific economic development projects, roads and bridges, a new 911 center, a fire station and recreation facilities. Lastly, with some degree of visionary planning, this SPLOST will build a new judicial center which may very well house every office of Habersham County government. Bottom line, there are a great deal of brick and mortar projects to be started in 2008. We should all be very excited at the many, many opportunities this creates for not only our building community, but the many generations of Habersham Countians that will benefit from these facilities.

There would be no reason to put these new facilities in place if it weren’t for the people who make our Government work. Recently all County employees participated in Customer Service training. This effort, coordinated by our Acting County Manager, should make a noticeable change in the service provided to the taxpayers and citizens of Habersham County. A great deal is asked of our employees, and our operation would come to a halt if it was not for their dedication to provide prompt, courteous service.

I would be remiss if I did not also mention another group of County Employees who deserve acknowledgement. There are many Public Safety individuals who have devoted their lives to creating a better place in which we can all live, work and play. These individuals, and their families, make many sacrifices everyday of the year, including weekends and holidays. Thank you for your enduring service to our community.

In order to make our community safer for not only our residents but also for those who pass through our communities, we have asked key members of our Public Safety community to study every area in Habersham County which could be safer. This “Blue Ribbon Committee” has been working for 2 months towards that goal. Once this comprehensive study is complete, the recommendations of the committee will be presented to the Board of Commissioners, and any municipality that desires. These recommendations will include any changes that could help to make our roads safer to travel on. I commend Sheriff DeRay Fincher, Lynn Smith, Jeff Cain, Jack Moody, Don Ford, County Engineer Lewis Canup, Planning Commission member Mike Van Winkle and the other members of this committee. We look forward to the results of your effort.

During 2007 Commissioners Doug Vermilya, Charlie Miller and Gerald Dunham have obtained Certified County Commissioner status. Along with the many other duties that Janeann Allison has expertly handled, she has also obtained Certified County Official status. Given the fact that Commissioner Austin has already accomplished this task, I guess that makes yours truly the only member of the group who seems to be the “slacker” in this respect. I have committed to accomplishing this goal in 2008. Thanks to all of you for raising the bar in your service to our community. You have answered the call to serve with both commitment AND knowledge.

2007 was a good year along the lines of Economic Development as well. This past year, we have partnered with a business in our Industrial Park to help them expand their operations. Plain and simply, the vision of this move will bring jobs to our County. We hope to have created even more jobs by purchasing two other key pieces of property in and around Habersham County’s Industrial Park complex. All of this, combined with the recent approval of adding jet fuel to the services at our airport, will STRONGLY position Habersham County, and its partner cities, to be THE destination for business in the future.

I would like to briefly comment on Public Service in Habersham County. The 2008 election cycle will bring a number of possible changes not only to the Board of Commissioners but also to many other offices. I am honored to serve our County as a member of this Board. In my opinion there is no more worthy endeavor than that of holding public office. I sincerely appreciate the opportunity of serving with the members of this Board. I also would like to acknowledge the service of the many, many members who strive to make our community better by holding public office, both elected and appointed. I encourage us all to serve the greater good, and not our own self interests. I truly believe the former to be the case in all of Habersham County, its partner municipalities and Boards.

I will now close by encapsulating the life of one of my most favorite Americans and use a quote of his to drive this last thought home. This man was born on the island of Manhattan, New York, in 1858. He never did anything half way, and no one was ever confused about what his opinion might be. He led a life of “strenuous endeavor” and required the same of those around him. He once stated, “I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life; I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.” He also stated, “A vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user."

During the Christmas season of 1898, he spoke to a group of young schoolchildren. He stated, "There are two things that I want you to make up your minds to: first, that you are going to have a good time as long as you live - I have no use for the sour-faced man - and next, that you are going to do something worthwhile, that you are going to work hard and do the things you set out to do."

In 1901, this man, Theodore Roosevelt, became the 26th President of the United States at the age of 42. To this day, Teddy Roosevelt is the youngest person ever to serve in the office of President of United States. He envisioned connecting the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf Of Mexico by creating something called the Panama Canal, was awarded the Nobel Peace prize for mediating the Russo-Japanese war and added hundreds of thousands of acres to a fledgling project called the National Forest. Roosevelt led a charge at the battle of San Juan Hill as Commander of the Rough Riders, survived an assassination attempt in 1912, when he was shot in the chest, and, after leaving the White House, went on an African Safari. He was best known for the thought that one should “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” To this, he always added, you will go far.

On the 23rd of April, 1910 at the Sorbonne, in Paris, France, President Roosevelt gave a speech to a group of Political Science students. The speech was entitled “Citizenship in a Republic.” The quote, now commonly referred to as the “Man in the Arena” has become legendary. It states:

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

To my fellow members of Public Office and any potential holders of Public Office I say this: Thank you for your service and willingness to serve. I am honored to serve with you. Have a good time as long as you live, dare greatly, vote with character, do something worthwhile and finish the things you set out to do.

Merry Christmas, and may God bless Habersham County.
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