LUMPKIN COUNTY, Ga. – County Commission Chairman Chris Dockery and Dahlonega Mayor Sam Norton delivered the annual State of the City and County address to a large crowd at the Parks and Recreation Department Thursday evening.

The event was streamed live on the Fetch Your News website and sponsored by Northside Hospital Forsyth and Truist, which was formed when Suntrust Bank and BB&T merged.

Commission Chairman Chris Dockery

Dockery emphasized issues like the new $4.2 million library that will open in March, improvements to the county’s roads and bridges, the 2014 and 2020 SPLOST (special purpose local option sales tax) projects and the 400 Gateway Corridor.

About the library, Dockery said, “That is more than just a place to check out books. It is really going to be a community center, a place Lumpkin Countians can be proud of. The library says a lot about our commitment to the future.”

The lion’s share of building the library was paid for with SPLOST funds as were the improvements to the county’s roads and bridges.

“You will probably see more paving going on in Lumpkin County than you ever have because we have the funding through the TSPLOST,” Dockery said. “We’re really excited about this summer.”

The $4.2 million the county will spend on road improvement includes replacing badly needed maintenance equipment like an excavator and spreader truck. The city and county are working on a joint project to improve the Oak Grove Road/Hwy. 19 intersection with some Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) funding. Officials with both governments agree that is a very dangerous intersection.

The chairman also touched on a number of other capital projects undertaken since 2017 like expansion of the senior center, energy efficient upgrades to county-owned buildings, construction of Fire Station 7, expansion of the Senior Center and the splash pad completed last year which he called “the most popular place in the county last summer.”

Dockery said the county is prepared for the growth along the Georgia 400 corridor that will follow the construction of Northeast Georgia Medical Center Lumpkin that is expected to open in the Fall of 2021.

There is a 12-inch water line that runs all the way down Ga. 400 to Blackburn Elementary School. NGMC is expected to need 10,000 to 12,000 gallons of water daily. The water plant on Red Oak Flats Road can supply 50,000 gallons a day and can expand to provide up to 75,000 gallons daily.

Dahlonega Mayor Sam Norton

“Lumpkin County is a model for local government,” Dockery said. “Our core values are trustworthiness, respect, integrity, excellence and dedication. I think that accurately reflects each employee of your local government.”

Mayor Norton declared, “The state of the city is strong and we are optimistic.”

He pointed out the city’s population had doubled in the last 20 years to about 7,000. Employment is at a near historic low of 3.4 percent. The city has achieved an A bond rating from Standard and Poor, the millage rate was reduced by half a mill in 2019 and 419 new business licenses were issued last year.

He discussed the construction of a new hotel on Main Street and the expansion of another at the Smith House.

“The hotel (on Main Street) will probably be the most significant construction that has happened since the Gold Museum was revamped,” he said. “It will bring 100 people around the clock, day in and day out as customers to Dahlonega. We have never had that before and we believe it will have zero impact on parking since there are 75 rooms and 76 parking spots. Revenue from the hotel/motel tax has helped the City build projects like the All Abilities playground at Hancock Park.

As for parking, which has always been a problem in the City, Norton said, “We think we can finally start talking realistically about a parking deck. We are going to hire someone who is going to give us advice on that.”

As for future growth, the mayor said the old Mohawk plant offers an excellent opportunity. “There is a large tract of land there that is ripe for development. It has water, sewer and internet.”

The reservoir – a joint project of the City and County holds 850 million gallons of water and can treat up to 1.6 million gallons daily.

Norton also pointed out the City is continuing to upgrade its website. Residents can now find all City ordinances on line as well as City codes and meeting agendas. Soon, he said, residents will be able to pay many bills online.

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