Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for December 5, 2025

On December 7, 1787, Delaware became the first state to ratify the United States Constitution.

On December 7, 1801, Georgia’s United States Senator Abraham Baldwin was elected President Pro Tem of the Senate.

On December 6, 1847, Dr. William White spoke to a group of Atlanta residents about a proposal to move the state capital to Atlanta and was met with cheers.

On December 7, 1864, federal troops under W.T. Sherman engaged Confederate forces at Jenks’ Bridge on the Ogeechee, and Buck Creek and Cypress Swamp, near Sister’s Ferry, Georgia Confederates burned the bridge over the Ogeechee.

The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified on December 6, 1865, when Georgia ratified the Amendment outlawing slavery.

“Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”

The Washington Monument was completed on December 6, 1884.

On December 5, 1887, Georgia voters approved a new State Constitution and voted to keep the state capital in Atlanta instead of moving it back to Milledgeville.

Little Richard was born in Macon, Georgia on December 5, 1932.

Little Richard is known as the architect of rock and roll. He exploded the 1950s music scene with his high-energy, electrifying stage presence.

Little Richard rocked a signature hairstyle, eyeliner and thick makeup, popularizing that bold, androgynous look that many other bands adopted later.

His hits “Tutti Frutti,” “Long Tall Sally” and “Good Golly Miss Molly” were instrumental in building a whole new genre that took the world by storm.

It all started in a church in middle Georgia. Little Richard grew up singing gospel in the church.

On December 6, 1932, the legislation repealing Prohibition was introduced by Senator John Blaine of Wisconsin. It was ratified on December 5, 1933. Georgia never took action on the Amendment.

On December 5, 1933, Utah became the 36th state to ratify the 21st Amendment, repealing the 18th Amendment and ending prohibition. Earlier that day, Pennsylvania and Ohio had ratified the Amendment.

Sunday is the 84th anniversary of the Japanese bombing attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

On December 7, 1946, the Winecoff Hotel in downtown Atlanta, previously considered fireproof, burned in the worst hotel fire to date.

On December 5, 2000, the soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou was released.

On December 5, 2006, Republican Chuck Eaton won the General Election Runoff for Public Service Commission District 3, beating incumbent Democrat David Burgess. Total votes cast: 215,092.

Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections

In Clinch County, Tony Spradley was elected magistrate and probate judge in this week’s runoff election, according to WALB.

He won over Elexis Williams, a former city council member.

In Quitman, Robby Christian Sr. will be the new District 2 city councilman, beating the incumbent, Donald Morgan.

The Georgia State Ethics Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission decided that Lt. Governor Burt Jones (R-Jackson) may loan $10 million dollars to his leadership committee, according to the Associated Press via WALB.

Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is allowed to loan $10 million to his campaign for governor, Georgia’s ethics panel said Thursday.

Attorney General Chris Carr, who is running against Jones, alleged it evaded campaign finance restrictions. But Georgia Ethics Commission decided in a meeting in Carrollton, Georgia, that a loan to a leadership committee counts as a contribution under state law, adopting a legal opinion that there is “nothing in the current statute which prohibits such a loan of personal funds.”

The opinion clears Jones to keep spending his family fortune to pursue the Republican nomination. Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger are the other two top candidates in the GOP governor’s primary. They’re vying to succeed Gov. Brian Kemp, who legally can’t run again after two terms, along with numerous Democrats.

Republican and Democratic primaries are in May, followed by the general election in November 2026.

Under a 2021 state law, leadership committees can raise unlimited funds, can coordinate with candidates and can raise funds during legislative sessions when other fundraising is banned. But candidates can’t establish leadership committees until they win their party’s nomination for governor or lieutenant governor.

Instead, they are limited to candidate committees, which can raise a maximum of $8,400 from each donor. As the incumbent lieutenant governor, Jones controls a leadership committee, as does Kemp.

Rosario Palacios, executive director of liberal-leaning watchdog group Common Cause Georgia, said the decision only reinforces the injustice of leadership committees.

“We definitely think this is an unfair advantage that doesn’t allow for a true democratic process for voters,” Palacios said. “It’s not just about the two candidates here. This is not a fair process for anyone.”

Jones filed documents showing he made loans of $7.5 million and $2.5 million to the WBJ Leadership Committee when he announced his run for governor on July 8.

Carr argued that under Georgia law, loans could be made only to a candidate committee, not to a freestanding political action committee or leadership committee.

The commission earlier dismissed a complaint from Carr alleging that Jones broke state law because his previous financial disclosures didn’t show enough liquid assets to make such large loans to himself.

“It’s troubling that the commission shows no interest in understanding how Burt Jones went from claiming a net worth of $700,000 to loaning himself $10 million,” said Julia Mazzone, a spokesperson for Carr.

Jones’ campaign did not respond to the substance of the ruling, with spokesperson Kayla Lott only characterizing Carr as being “bad at being a lawyer.”

Carr announced his run for governor last year, saying he needed to raise money because he isn’t personally wealthy. Like Jones, Raffensperger has substantial personal wealth. Supporters of Carr have established an independent committee, but it can’t coordinate with Carr’s campaign.

Carr also sued in federal court to try to block Jones’ use his leadership committee. But in August, U.S. District Judge Victoria Marie Calvert dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that Carr should have challenged the constitutionality of the law. She said it was wrong to sue Jones and his campaign for “doing exactly what Georgia law allows them to do.”

Carr hasn’t filed a new lawsuit challenging the law’s constitutionality. That may reflect pressure from other Republicans who view leadership committees as a vehicle for them to maintain GOP political control. Kemp has made heavy use of his leadership committee.

In 2022, a federal judge ruled that a leadership committee for Kemp couldn’t spend money during the Republican primary that year, finding the “unequal campaign finance scheme” violated challenger David Perdue’s First Amendment right to free speech. However, that case never reached a final ruling on the law’s constitutionality.

The Georgia State Ethics Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission will pursue allegations against Georgia Republican Assembly entities over campaign finance filings, according to the AJC.

In an unanimous vote, the commission found probable cause that the Georgia Republican Assembly and the Georgia Republican Assembly Political Action Committee violated campaign finance laws dozens of times in recent years. Among other things, the commission found they failed to disclose more than $180,000 of campaign contributions as they rose to become dominant forces in state Republican politics.

In a written response, the GRA-PAC conceded that the ethics commission had probable cause to believe it violated campaign finance laws. But the Georgia Republican Assembly contested the charges, saying the two organizations are independent and it shouldn’t be charged with alleged violations by the PAC.

“The GRA-PAC was not operated in a way that the Georgia Republican Assembly had any factual or legal control over its actions,” GRA attorney Catherine Bernard told the commission.

But the ethics commission disagreed after hearing evidence of close ties between the groups, which shared many of the same board members.

Commission Executive Director David Emadi said he was pleased the commission “ruled there was ample evidence to support allegations that these groups broke the law by illegally influencing election results over a number of years.”

Thursday’s commission action is the latest fallout from the collapse of Newnan-based First Liberty Building & Loan last summer. Federal officials have accused First Liberty of operating a $140 million Ponzi scheme, and some investors say they have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The federal investigation continues, and the secretary of state’s office also is investigating First Liberty.

Georgia law requires groups that spend money to influence elections to register with the ethics commission and disclose their spending. In July, the ethics commission charged the GRA-PAC with failing to register as an independent political committee, failing to file required campaign reports and failing to disclose campaign contributions.

In October the commission added the parent organization as a defendant in the case. The commission has charged both groups with 50 violations of campaign finance laws.

On Thursday, Bernard argued they are separate groups with separate bank accounts. She said the GRA has no control over the political action committee.

Ethics commission attorney Timothy Baywal laid out evidence that showed close ties between the groups. He showed they have common leadership and cited examples of the GRA raising money for the political action committee. He even cited examples of GRA officials directing the PAC to spend money on specific candidates.

Baywal said the PAC’s bylaws show it could only spend money on candidates the GRA endorsed and who were members of the GRA.

The board’s finding of probable cause means the commission will continue its investigation. If the commission ultimately finds the GRA and its PAC violated campaign finance laws, they could face substantial civil penalties.

The Senate Study Committee on Higher Education Affordability adopted recommendations for legislation in the coming legislative session, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Valdosta Daily Times.

A record number enrolled in Georgia’s public colleges and universities this fall as the state’s lottery continued to produce a windfall for academic scholarships, but a bipartisan legislative committee thinks too many students are still being left behind.

More than 2 million have received a HOPE Scholarship since the public lottery that funds them was established three decades ago.

To qualify, they had to graduate high school with at least a 3.0 grade point average. They also had to maintain their GPA in college to keep the money.

Many have slipped below that line, especially students from lower-income families. They must work while they take classes, leaving less time for studies. When they lose HOPE, they fall further behind, often failing to improve their grades enough to recover the scholarship. Many then drop out.

So, a state Senate committee adopted bipartisan recommendations this week calling for Georgia to provide financial aid based on need and not just merit, like 48 other states.

“This is about affordability and about opening doors,” said Sen. Nan Orrock, D-Atlanta, who led the study committee that concluded its work Tuesday.

Republicans joined Democrats to unanimously approve the final recommendations. Their report, released Wednesday, said Georgia should adopt a $126 million need-based financial aid program that could be funded from $1.7 billion in Georgia Lottery Corporation reserves.

Converting the recommendations into law could be a tough sell though.

Some are dubious about need-based financial aid, dimming prospects for such a measure in a General Assembly dominated by conservatives.

For instance, the Selig Center for Economic Growth, a business think tank at the University of Georgia, wrote in a 2019 report that need-based financial aid “sometimes has been cast negatively as a social welfare program.”

It said the state could face a shortage of skilled labor if nothing changes. A growing pool of highly skilled workers attracts employers that offer more skilled jobs, in a “virtuous cycle” of growth that the state should promote by spending more on financial aid, said the Selig Center report, which was co-authored by former UGA president Charles B. Knapp.

“Whatever views are held on this matter, the reality is that without a need-based financial aid program, Georgia is leaving potential economic growth on the table and shortchanging its citizens,” said the report, which was cited by Orrock’s committee.

But the HOPE Scholarship has produced a treasured legacy, and many lawmakers could be wary of drawing from its foundation in lottery funding.

On Monday, the day before Orrock’s committee approved its recommendations, Gov. Brian Kemp lauded HOPE, noting that more than 2.25 million students had received one of the scholarships in the past three decades. The announcement came as the Lottery Corp. surpassed $30 billion raised since its start, a portion of the proceeds paying for both pre-kindergarten and college.

“Since 1993, Georgia students from Pre-K to college have been set up for success through the programs funded by the lottery, expanding access to high-quality education in our state,” Kemp said in a statement. “We look forward to seeing that legacy of impact continue for years to come.”

On Wednesday, Gretchen Corbin, president and CEO of the Lottery Corp., said at a legislative hearing that the lottery returned $1.47 billion— a quarter of all proceeds — to education for the fiscal year that ended in July.

The money paid for HOPE and Zell Miller scholarships and also subsidized pre-kindergarten attendance, helping to drive enrollment in both.

Sonny Perdue, a former Republican Georgia governor and now the chancellor of the state university system, told lawmakers at a hearing last month that a record-breaking 382,000 enrolled this fall, surpassing projections of 379,500 by 2029.

“So, we are really beating the numbers,” Perdue said.

But the premise of Orrock’s committee is that Georgia could be enrolling even more students if they could afford college. Four-year college recipients of the Pell grant, a federal subsidy for students from low-income households, had an average $11,883 in unmet need in 2020, Orrock’s committee report said. That was a few thousand dollars more than the funding gap for all four-year students.

Kamore Campbell, who was a high school salutatorian, told the committee that he had received Pell and Zell funding, yet he still left the state for college.

“There were no public four-year schools that offered me enough aid to make staying in state affordable,” Campbell said. He had wanted to attend Georgia Southern University but had a $10,000 gap. “I enrolled at American University and left Georgia,” he said.

Ray Li, a lawyer with the Legal Defense Fund, a racial justice group, told the committee that Georgia is suffering a “brain drain” as talented students find better deals in other states and never return to contribute to Georgia’s economy.

Georgia has the lowest home state college attendance in the region, he said, with 78% of high school graduates staying here.

Compare that to 91% in Mississippi, 86% in Florida and 85% in South Carolina, he said. “We are losing a ton of students simply because they cannot afford to go to college here.”

State Rep. Rick Townsend (R-SSI) supports the recommendations of the House Study Committee on Student Attendance in Prek-12 Education, according to The Brunswick News.

State Rep. Rick Townsend feels comfortable with the recommendations from the House study committee on school absenteeism that the Georgia General Assembly will take up when it convenes in Atlanta in January.

Townsend, R-St. Simons Island, a member of the House Education Commission, served on the study panel.

Why not recommend make-up days for students who fall behind, he asks.

“They can offer it during a teacher break or teacher work day,” Townsend said, adding Saturday school could be another consideration.

The proposal would cost local school systems, not the state.

That is why “we wouldn’t want to mandate it,” he said. “My opinion would be to make it a local decision.”

Townsend feels it is not too late to add make-up days to the panel’s list.

“I feel I can get them to add it,” Townsend said. “I can’t guarantee it is going to happen, but I’m sure going to try.”

Hearings held produced a number of recommendations from members of the House study committee. Among them are:

• Expand access to school nurses. Increase the number of full-time licensed school nurses so that every Georgia school has dedicated daily coverage.

• Expand the school social worker workforce to move closer to the nationally recommended 1:250 student to school social worker ratio. Ensure school social workers have manageable caseloads so they can conduct proactive outreach rather than crisis-only support.

• Leverage telehealth to address mental health needs

• Encourage coordination between telehealth providers and existing school teams (nurses, counselors, school social workers) to ensure students receive cohesive support.

• Increase judicial involvement and accountability. Strengthen judicial engagement in poor attendance protocols to reinforce early intervention and parental accountability.

After sitting down with school officials, policy experts and advocates during the three meetings the House study committee held, it is apparent to Townsend that something must be done to address absenteeism.

Absenteeism is defined as missing 10% of the school days.

In Georgia, the absenteeism rate in public schools was 21.7% in 2024. It ascended even higher in Atlanta Public Schools, where it climbed to 35.4%, and in Decatur County Schools, where it soared to 38.1%.

A state Senate committee also studied absenteeism in grades k-12 during the legislative break.

Among the consequences it will recommend for chronically absent students in 2026 is denial of a state driver’s license and inability to play school-sponsored sports.

“I’m not opposed to looking at the two studies,” Townsend said. “Each committee spent a lot of time on that.”

If it takes a joint resolution to get something passed, then so be it, Townsend agrees.

State Senator Derek Mallow (D-Savannah) want to raise settlement caps for people injured in police crashes, according to WTOC.

A Georgia state senator is calling for the General Assembly to raise settlement caps for victims of police crashes following a WTOC Investigation.

Democratic State Senator Derek Mallow said he was “disheartened” after learning about cases where victims’ medical bills exceeded the state-mandated settlement cap. Under Georgia law, the maximum amount of money victims of crashes with police officers can receive is $500,000.

“$500,000 in today’s timeframe with the increased costs of medical care, medical coverage, and what folks may have may not be adequate. And it might be time for the General Assembly to look at that,” Mallow said.

Under Georgia law, $500,000 is the maximum amount an individual involved in an accident with a police officer or another government entity can recover through the claims process, unless a municipality carries higher coverage. Mallow says most cities choose not to carry higher coverage.

The settlement cap was last raised in 2008, when it increased from $250,000 to the current $500,000 limit.

Mallow said he believes there needs to be insurance reform in general and advocated for that during this past legislative session when significant tort reform legislation was passed.

“One of the gentlemen lost his legs in an accident and his medical bills exceeded the $500,000. And I was disheartened by that because I am definitely a proponent of making people whole,” Mallow said, referencing Luther Roberts’ case, uncovered by WTOC Investigates.

Roberts was hit by a Savannah Police Department officer in 2019, causing him to lose his leg and spend months in a coma. He received the maximum $500,000 settlement from the City of Savannah.

“It didn’t even take care of the past medical needs. So, I still have bills from the accident, let alone the treatments that I still need. So, I, we have to pay for it,” Roberts said.

Roberts is one of three people who received the maximum settlement from Savannah since 2019. The city has settled claims with 216 people after crashes involving SPD officers since 2019, paying out close to $4 million total.

The City of Savannah utilizes self-insurance, which comes with the $500,000 settlement cap, as a cost-saving measure. The city says purchasing outside insurance for its entire fleet would cost over $5 million annually.

On average over the last six years, Savannah has paid out an estimated $650,000 in claims for police vehicle accidents each year.

New state laws take effect January 1, 2026, according to Atlanta News First via WTVM.

Georgia’s flat state income tax will again decrease as part of an effort to lower it to 4.99% by January 2027.

Who it impacts:

• Individual taxpayers
• Employers, payroll/reporting agents

Every Georgia taxpayer is now allowed to create one catastrophe savings account.

Who it impacts:

• Individual taxpayers who want to save for disaster-related losses
• Financial institutions and insurers

Insurance companies are now required to give policyholders a 60-day notice before their policies are terminated, instead of 30 days.

Who it impacts:

• Homeowners and policyholders, who may now have more time to shop for replacement coverage or seek reviews
• Property insurers, who must update their cancellation and nonrenewal procedures

Just before one of the nation’s sure-to-be most contentious midterms in history, the State Ethics Commission will no longer accept complaints made about candidates or their campaigns within 60 days of an election.

• Local officials are now required to send campaign and finance reports to the commission
• Candidates for county offices or school boards must prove they have completed all required training before running
• Political action committees must register, keep a bank account and give more detailed reports about their finances

Who it impacts:

• Candidates for elected office
• Current officeholders and candidates who are also officeholders
• The State Ethics Commission
• Lobbyists
• Campaign finance filers, political committees and registrants
• Watchdogs and public‑interest groups
• Lawyers

Georgia’s film/gaming/video/digital production tax‑credit law has been updated. If a production company sues over a denied certification and the denial is upheld by the courts, the company must pay court costs.

Who it impacts:

• Production companies seeking Georgia production tax credits

And coming July 1, 2026 …

• All public K–8 schools must ban personal internet-connected devices, such as smartphones, smartwatches and headphones, during school hours, although school-issued devices are permitted at the district’s discretion.

• Public school athletic programs must designate teams and competitions as male, female or coeducational. The new law bans biological males from participating in female sports and receiving women’s athletic scholarships.

Bibb County public schools will discontinue summer classes for high schoolers next year, according to the Macon Telegraph.

The Bibb County School District will discontinue summer school programs for high school students beginning in 2026, district officials said Thursday.

The decision was made possible by expanded credit recovery options and more frequent progress reports during the academic year, school officials informed parents in a message shared with The Telegraph.

“As part of our efforts to improve communication around student progress, school-based updates on student progress have been provided every three weeks throughout the semester,” the district shared in an email. “These progress updates provide our students with opportunities to stay focused and on track. “As a result, summer school will not be offered at the high school level in 2026.”

Elementary and middle school students can still attend summer school courses next year. “At this time, no decisions have been made that would impact elementary and middle schools,” district spokesperson Stephanie Hartley said in an email.

The district said it has successfully implemented credit repair and credit recovery opportunities during this fall semester and will continue doing so in the spring, highlighting more reason to end summer school opportunities.

State Senator Brian Strickland (R-McDonough) campaigned for Attorney General in Statesboro, according to the Statesboro Herald.

State Sen. Brian Strickland, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, came to Statesboro for a campaign event last Tuesday as he seeks the office of Georgia attorney general by way of the Republican primary. In an interview, he touted his past wins in a legislative “swing” district as showing ability to win in a state not guaranteed to go GOP “red.”

“Well, I think that our state is at a big crossroads,” Strickland said. “If you look at the Public Service Commission race a few weeks ago, we saw that our state can go blue, and as a result of that election you’re now going to see hundreds of millions of dollars pouring into Georgia trying to flip our state in ’26.”

In fact, two Georgia Public Service Commission seats went “blue” with the election of Democratic challengers by substantial margins over Republican incumbents in special elections on the Nov. 4 ballot. Of course, both of the Georgia’s  U.S. Senate seats – one of which will also be on the ballot next year, are currently held by Democrats. But all of the state constitutional offices, from Governor on down, are still held by Republicans, and the Republican party holds majorities of both chambers of the Legislature.

The party primaries will conclude May 19 or in a June 16 primary runoff before the parties’ nominees for all the top state offices face off in the Nov. 3, 2026 general election. Current Attorney General Chris Carr isn’t seeking re-election to that office but is instead one of the Republican primary contenders for governor, so the attorney general’s office is open for a new contender.

Strickland said it’s an office whose importance is often underappreciated.

“If you put the wrong person in that office, whether it be a Republican or a Democrat, they can throw a wrench into all the progress Georgia’s had, no matter who our next governor is, who our next U.S. senator is,” he said. “It’s important that we get the right person in this office, and I think that I am uniquely qualified to win this election and serve well for us.”

What he means by that, he said, is that the  area where he  lives in Henry County is one of Georgia’s “few legislative districts that is a swing district,” yet he has remained in office since 2012  through general elections occurring every two years since 2012.

Note, it’s arguably incomplete to state that “all of the state constitutional offices, from Governor on down, are still held by Republicans,” as two incumbent Republican Public Service Commission members were defeated last month, though the newly-elected members have not yest been sworn in.

Democratic former Labor Commissioner Mike Thurmond campaigned for Governor in Savannah, according to the Savannah Morning News.

Former Dekalb County CEO and Democratic candidate for governor Michael Thurmond campaigned in Savannah Wednesday, touting his goal to build a coalition that spans party, ideology and race.

The campaign stop was part of his “Boots on the Ground” tour, which included local stops at the Savannah Regional Central Labor Council and St. Phillip Monumental AME Church. The stop at St. Philip Monumental included a crowd of roughly 100 supporters, where he worked the room, shaking hands and speaking with residents, many whom he could call by name.

“We have to move beyond the racial and political divides. We have to, and I will,” Thurmond said in an interview. “Sometimes in order to build a bridge, you have to be the bridge.”

Thurmond said in an interview Wednesday his record of service distinguishes him from the field, pointing to his expansive resume that includes three terms as state Labor Commissioner and two years as the Dekalb County School District Superintendent in addition to his stint as Dekalb’s CEO. He also served as a state legislator representing his home Clarke County from 1987 to 1993.

Key accomplishments referenced by Thurmond included turning Dekalb County’s $27 million deficit into a $140 million surplus and turning unemployment offices into career centers as labor commissioner.

“I think the race will be decided not by promises but performance, and I have been elected statewide three times. The only Democrat to do that,” Thurmond said.

Three primary policy pillars include expanding access to affordable healthcare, investing in public education and creating jobs that will provide a “decent living” for Georgians, he said. He told supporters at St. Philip Monumental there needs to be “multiple pathways to success,” referencing the value of both four-year universities such as Georgia Southern and Savannah State and trade schools such as Savannah Technical College.

Thurmond added he would build a bipartisan coalition to expand Medicaid, a state and federally supported healthcare program for low-income individuals, and he also pledged in September to eliminate income taxes on tips and overtime. But he also wants to make Georgia the most “AI proficient workforce on the planet.”

Key to fighting the trepidation around AI is ensuring the data centers that power it foot the bill for their costs, he said.

“I don’t think that rate payers should disproportionately bear the burden of the construction of the data center that’s needed to power the AI revolution,” Thurmond said.

United States Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins will visit Peach County, according to 13WMAZ.

It’s part of the grand opening of the new facility in Peach County, which — when it was announced in 2023 — was touted as a 496,000 square foot facility at the Robins Industrial Park.

The governor’s office said in a release that the facility would also create over 100 jobs here in Central Georgia.

According to the release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, former Georgia governor, previous U.S. Agriculture Secretary and current Chancellor of the University System of Georgia Sonny Perdue will also be attending the event.

In the release, they say that Pratt Industries  — a Georgia based company that makes boxes and other paper products  — will be manufacturing boxes for vegetables and agriculture products right here in Central Georgia.

The governor’s office said ahead of the opening that the company, which is headquartered in Atlanta, has invested $800 million in Georgia. The site in Peach County is the state’s 13th site in Georgia.

Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch will step away temporarily for health reasons, according to AccessWDUN.

Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch has stepped away from daily duties due to a private health issue.

Derreck Booth with the sheriff’s office said Chief Deputy Kevin Head is handling the agency’s day-to-day operations, while maintaining contact with Sheriff Couch.

It is unclear when he will return to his position.

Chatham Area Transit disputes County Commission Chair Chester Ellis’s statements, according to the Savannah Morning News.

The $4 million for Chatham Area Transit’s paratransit services that Chatham County Chairman Chester Ellis claimed was unaccounted for, appears to be documented in a transparency process the county signs off on every year.

Representatives of CAT held a press conference Wednesday afternoon to dispel some of the claims made County Commission Chair Chester Ellis in the latest episode of the ongoing saga between CAT and the county, spurred by HB 756 that restructured the makeup of the board that oversees the transit authority.

Five days after Ellis sent a Nov. 13 letter to CAT notifying the agency and community of the county’s intent to end its agreement for transportation services, Ellis held a press conference where he claimed that millions of dollars allocated for paratransit, the service to transport those with disabilities, was missing.

Specifically, Ellis claimed that $4 million of the $7.08 million that was approved by the county to be allocated for paratransit services in 2025 was missing, a point CAT Spokesperson Spencer DeMink refuted at Wednesday’s press conference. “There are two different agreements for paratransit,” DeMink said. “One for three, and one for four. They just didn’t add in the four.”

The additional $4 million dollars allocated to CAT for paratransit is for costs associated with administration, insurance, maintenance and the call center. Despite Ellis’ allegation that only $3.2 million is seen in CAT’s 2025 budget for paratransit, the budget also lists the $4 million.

DeMink also pointed to an accounting process called “true-up” to refute the chairman’s claims. “True-up” adjusts budgeted amounts to reflect actual expenditures once they become available. In this case, DeMink explained, each party pays back what they may owe each other.

In the intergovernmental agreement between the county and the agency for paratransit, the county reimburses CAT 100% for paratransit operating services. This means that if CAT goes over the allocated funds, CAT would pay the county for the overages. If CAT does not use all the allocated funds, the county would pay CAT, which is documented through accounting and financial statements.

Chatham County Commissioners proposed a settlement of issues with CAT, according to WSAV.

“Senator Mallow is working with our delegation and working with the county so that we could get to a place where we all could agree,” Chatham County Chairman Chester Ellis said. “Right, and to use the vernacular of some folks, we could get along.”

The Chatham Area transit responded to claims by Ellis on Wednesday. A day later, Ellis and Mallow held a conference to present items that will allow them to work with CAT and continue the partnership.

Mallow wrote a letter outlining a way to move forward. In the letter he is asking for the following:

• Increasing the County’s representation on the CAT Board
• Adding an addition Seat for the City of Savannah
• Establishing a deadline for completion of the CAT Audit
• Create a framework for earlier CAT Millage Hearings

Ellis had made previous statements that claim millions of tax dollars are not allocated for by CAT. The CAT Board responded that the $7 million dollars were split between two different documents.

CAT claimed the county didn’t look at the second document. Ellis responded to CAT response during Thursday’s conference.

“I never said anybody stolen or anybody took money, but there were gaps in what was given to me from my managers and financing, and we needed for those gaps to be filled,” Ellis said.

Mallow said if the changes and items are agreed upon, the new bill can be in front of the state legislature as early as January.

“We are all coming together and by moving this thing forward, all those other losses, everything else in my opinion, becomes a moot point because there will be a new governing law,” Mallow said. “We all agree that that is going to be the best pathway forward.”

Mallow is slated to share his proposal with his delegation on Friday.

Richmond Hill cannot withdraw from the proposed Bryan County airport without state legislation, according to the Savannah Morning News.

In the days leading up to the runoff election for Post 2 City Council in Richmond Hill, the discussion of the proposed airport became front and center as each candidate had different views on the development.

But Airport Authority Board Member Trip Addison confirmed with the Savannah Morning News that, based on his knowledge, city officials nor city council can make a motion to withdraw from the airport.

In fact, the only way for the city to be withdrawn would be at the state level.

“This is a joint authority created by an act of the Georgia General Assembly,” said Addison in an email addressed to council candidate Buck Holly who questioned whether the withdrawal at the city level was legal. “Any change to its structure, such as dissolution or unilateral withdrawal by one party, would require an amendment or repeal of the enabling legislation through the General Assembly and approval by the Governor.”

“There is no provision in the Act allowing voluntary withdrawal by either the city or the county,” reads Addison’s email.