The Gordon County Chamber of Commerce held their annual State of the City, County Booster Breakfast, sponsored by the Development Authority of Gordon County on Friday morning, Aug.30, 2024 at Georgia Northwestern Technical College.

 

Calhoun Mayor Jimmy Palmer and Gordon County Commission Chair Bud Owens both gave updates on Calhoun and Gordon County respectively, with both showcasing the positive aspects of what’s happening in the community.

 

Palmer started out thanking the Development Authority for sponsoring the event, and for all the entity does for local job creation and economic development.

 

“As we all know, job creation increases our quality of life,” said Palmer. “I think of it as a partnership between the City, County and the Industrial Development Authority, that improves infrastructure, extends necessary utilities and works together to bring projects to our community. In the last few year, we’ve been successful in bringing projects here that have added $356 million dollars to the County’s tax digest, as well as $150 million dollars for the City.”

 

Palmer also said that the City’s Revolving Loan Fund, a program for local start-up or existing businesses that offers low interest loans with the goal of economic development and low to moderate income job creation, has $2.5 million dollars on loan at this time, with around $600,000 to loan for industrial as well as commercial projects.

 

“Our residential growth continues to remain strong, as we had 256 residential permits this past year,” said Palmer. “We expect this to continue as we have 1,800 that are in ongoing developments that could build out in the next couple of years.”

 

Palmer said that there are a lot of things that attract people to our community, with location, education opportunities, quality of life, affordability, safety and healthcare being at the top of the list.

 

“One of the main things, of course, is location, with five locations on I-75. Also, the strength of our schools (is important); we’re a leader in public education. People are looking for good healthcare; we have a well-equipped hospital and medical community that provides excellent service to our community. Also, the quality of life; the affordability and the opportunity to live in a safe community (are important); where our police and fire departments are well-equipped and well trained.

 

“Our Fire Department last year responded to 2,500 calls for service; of those, 1,700 were medical calls. We have 24 EMTs in the department, and because of their training and quick response, they were able to save several lives. They maintained an ISO rating of 3; our training department hosted several local and state training classes during the year and some of these brought in people from all over the state,” continued Palmer. “We have also finished the Fire Admin building; furniture is being moved in now. This will house the Fire Chief, Assistant Chief, Training Officer as well as the Fire Inspector. It will free up some space in the stations that will be very useful.

 

“Speaking of renovations, we are almost complete with the old Police Station located downtown, which was formerly the old Post Office,” said Palmer. “I was there a couple of days ago, and I’m very pleased with the progress.

 

“The Police Department responded to 11,000 incidents (last year),” continued Palmer. “They worked 4,300 cases, they removed 40 DUIs from our streets, they started a new program that assists the homeless in our community. They also continued to partner with our schools to place a resource officer in our schools; this year, they added two new resource officers – two child-friendly K-9’s.

 

On his update of Calhoun Animal Control, Palmer said the facility had recently received a certificate from Best Friends Network for recognition of being a No Kill Shelter.

 

In Downtown Development, Palmer said three new block parties came to Park Avenue in downtown Calhoun this summer, with music, games and children’s activities, and moved the Farmer’s Market to Calhoun City Park, and that more events and improvements will be brought downtown in the near future.

 

Palmer said that the Calhoun Recreation Department continues to grow.

 

“Last year, we saw a 10-percent increase in youth participation and the overall park usage continues to increase,” said Palmer. “We have the bridge at the south end of the park now in place; it’s not open because of some extra concrete work that needs to be done, but we expect it to be open in the next couple of weeks. We are also looking at adding new picnic tables and benches throughout the park, as well as two new pavilions. We are very excited at looking and reviewing plans for a new rec building with gymnasiums. I am also pleased to say that Pickleball is alive and well in Calhoun; we have added eight pickleball courts that have open play on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings as well as Tuesday and Thursday evenings. We’ll have leagues in pickleball starting next month as well as our first tournament on October 19th, sponsored by the Young Professionals Committee of the Chamber.”

 

Palmer said that over the last year at Fields Ferry, there were 39,000 rounds of golf played, and continued to partner with both Calhoun City and Gordon County Schools, hosting 38 high school and middle school matches.

 

“Our utilities continue to play a major role in economic development and residential growth,” said Palmer. “We continued to grow our systems and should have capacity in water, power and sewer to last the next 50 years. Our Electric Department participated in the Plant Vogtle expansion Nuclear Units 3 and 4. With this added capacity, we expect our utilities to be 70 percent emission free. Our Water and Sewer Department received the Gold Award from the Georgia Association of Water Producers; this is for being in compliance 100 percent of the time with no state or federal violations. Our Water Department pumped 4.3 billion gallons of water last year, placing us in the top 10 percent of all the water producers in the state, and some of the lowest rates in the state. In our area, for a 7,000 gallon a month water customer, which is an average residential user, water and sewer rate combined in the City of Calhoun would be $74. In Cartersville, this would be $85; in Rome, $87; and in Dalton, it would be $90.”

 

Palmer also addressed the affordability of living in Calhoun.

 

“Another thing I think sets our city apart is affordability,” said Palmer. “We have one of the lowest millage rates in the state. Our millage rate is 3.5, when the average millage rate of cities of our size, being 25 of those, 8.35. To tell you what this means, if you have a $200,000 house, using an average millage rate, the taxes on that would be $688. But the taxes on that same house in Calhoun are $280. One thing that makes this possible, other than good financial management, is having a SPLOST in place, and I thank you for your support of that SPLOST. The SPLOST allows us to do major projects, as well as buy expensive but necessary pieces of equipment that also improve the quality of life in our city. It’s an excellent way to improve our community, and with 45-50 percent of these funds coming from people who do not live in our community.”

 

Palmer wrapped up his presentation thanking Commission Chair Owens for working together to establish the best city-county relationship in the state of Georgia, saying he knows no other place where the cities and counties meet on a regular basis just to discuss opportunities.

 

Owens then presented on the State of the County, saying it was important to make decisions that will affect citizens not just for today or a few years down the road but for generations to come, saying it’s important for everyone to be invested and love the community, willing to give and serve a little bit, to make a difference. He then gave highlights on county departments.

 

“Last year, I announced that Sheriff (Mitch) Ralston and the Gordon County Sheriff’s Office were launching a new program called CHAMPS, Choosing Healthy Activities and Methods Promoting Safety,” said Owens. “In this program, students received training in home along safety, child abduction prevention, prescription drug safety, dangers of substance abuses, peer pressure and other topics. In the past year, there were over 430 children that graduated from this program. Sheriff Ralston also reports that earlier this year, the Sheriff’s Office has become the new home of a blood hound named Maggie, a trained tracking hound that has already been put to work. She was recently instrumental in finding a missing child in our community. There are many things that occur in a year at the Sheriff’s Office. They are not only operating law enforcement services, they are operating a jail. They stay very busy, very active and have a lot to do and we appreciate them.”

 

“Fire Chief Doug Ralston reports that his department has held two recruit classes, resulting in 13 new firefighters; with these new recruits, our County Fire & Rescue Department is now fully staffed. That has not been the case in many years,” said Owens. The Department has also taken possession of one new fire engine this month, with three more engines purchased (and expected beginning in) 2025. With the new 2024 SPLOST, we were able to place the order for a 107-foot ladder truck which will be the first ladder truck in the county fire department. With the focus on firefighter safety, having the needed equipment and the addition of new fire stations over the next few years, it is our goal to significantly reduce the ISO rating for our citizens. I am also proud to report our fire departments work hand-in-hand; they take care of our citizens of Gordon County, not just the County Fire Department or the City Fire Department. (It’s) another area that works together to take care of our citizens.

 

“Much like many of our departments, the Emergency Management Agency and E-911 are much more than county departments, they are community partners as well,” said Owens. “Emergency Management worked with both Gordon County and City of Calhoun Schools to prepare annual safety assessments, they participate in active shooter training with both school systems, they assisted the Calhoun Police Department with submitting a grant for NARCAN, they worked with AdventHealth Gordon with providing free cancer screening for all public safety personnel. On Aug. 29, 2023, just after this event last year, they responded to a flooding event off Red Bud Road and assisted the City of Calhoun in evacuating, transporting, sheltering and feeding multiple families. After the immediate concern, EMA assisted the City of Calhoun and property owners with damage assessment. E-911 Director Angie Gillman and her staff continue to work with each public safety agency to ensure that our citizens are kept safe. There were over 200,000 calls last year into our 911 system. Director Gillman continues to refine our operations, this past year implementing a new service, Prepared, that gives the E-911 Center access to over 130 language translations, real time inbound and outbound texts, capabilities to receive live videos and photos and extract GPS coordinates from a callers cell phone. Over the last year, E-911 partnered with Gordon County Sheriff’s Office, Calhoun Police Department, AdventHealth EMS and Gordon County and City of Calhoun fire departments hosting their annual Meet and Treat, where they had over 200 children visit the Call Center.”

 

Owens also gave an update on the explosive residential growth in the county, saying that Chief Building Inspector Derron Brown has stated over the last year his office has issued 442 building permits, 589 electrical permits, 303 plumbing permits, 319 heating and air permits, 44 gas permits and 46 mobile home permits. Brown also reports there are several developments in unincorporated Gordon County that are beginning to be developed in different stages that will bring over 800 housing units in the County, and two other developments being proposed that will bring 200 more housing units each.

 

“The Building Inspections Department along with the Inspections Division of County Fire Department have built a very strong working relationship with their Calhoun City counterparts; they’ve developed joint preconstruction meetings for all of our larger developments,” said Owens.

 

Owens said that in Human Resources, the County has received the ACCG Safety Grant for the past six years and the funds have helped purchase AED Units in public buildings and purchased safety equipment for public works. Human Resources also reports that the employee retention rate is 96.7 percent year to date, up 11.3 percent from 2023 and the turnover rate, is 4.39 percent, a decrease of 16.2 percent compared to 2023.

 

“In addition to providing organized sports leagues for county residents, the department hosted numerous Georgia High School events in cooperation with the Gordon County School System,” said Owens. “There is a huge list of things they have sponsored and hosted over the last year.”

 

Owens pointed out the Girls 8 and under Basketball Team traveled to Bremen this year and won the State Championship, and two teams were sent to the Dizzy Dean World Series in Mississippi over the summer: the 8 and under team finished in 5th place in their age bracket, and the 6 and under team won the World Series Championship.

 

Owens said that the Probate Court has been able to scan all marriage and state records and now have the documents digitized and can be searched with a public terminal at their office. In the IT Department, Owens said the staff has placed new security cameras in the Sheriff’s Office and Jail, and implemented a new software for business licenses, zoning applications and building permits to make it easier for the public to go through those processes.

 

In the Elections Office, Owens said that Shea Hicks, Chairperson of the Gordon County Board of Elections and Voter Registration Office, reports that there are now 41,660 registered voters in Gordon County.

 

Owens also thanked the community for passing the SPLOST.

 

“With (SPLOST), our community would not be as successful in growing and progressing,” said Owens. “It’s important to have those folks that are traveling through our community to invest in our community as they invest dollars here.”

 

Owens said recently the 2012 SPLOST was closed out and many projects were completed with that, including the Peters Street project improvements, Red Bud Fire Station, Parking Deck, Library expansion, the Animal Shelter, Splash Pad and Pavilion at Gordon County Parks & Rec, new Health Department, Senior Center renovations, renovations to the Government Plaza, Gordon County Judicial Building and renovation of 1960’s Courthouse. He said that over the last year, the County has been able to complete a new Evidence Building, Brookshire Park, expansion of the Records Retention facility, renovations to the County Administration offices and the Public Works Administration Offices were rebuilt. Owens said the County is currently in the design phases of the Salacoa Campground renovations, a brand new Morgue and Coroner’s Office, Boone Ford and Lovers Lane intersections improvements, Mt. Olive Road dam replacement, Salem Road bridge replacement, greenway trails, the west side sports field, Sugar Valley Community Center and Fire Station and working towards a multi-purpose agriculture facility.

 

Owens said the recent SPLOST that was approved, with collections beginning just a few months ago, would bring a Ranger Community Center renovation, new playgrounds for Salacoa and Ranger, renovations of many of the fire stations, a new west side fire station, a brand new E-911 Emergency Operations Center and continued improvements to Belwood, Lovers Lane and Harmony Church roads.

 

“I can say that not only do we have a great working relationship between all of our elected officials, but all of our departments work well together,” said Owens. “They stay in constant communications on projects and this level of cooperation will only bring the City of Calhoun, our other cities and Gordon County stronger together.”