On January 5, 1734, the Trustees of Georgia ordered the return of 42 Jewish settlers who had come in 1733, primarily from Portugal, without the knowledge or approval of the Trustees. The Brits who sponsored the Jewish settlers refused and Georgia is home to one of the oldest Jewish settlements in the United States.
On January 5, 1781, traitor Benedict Arnold and 1600 British troops captured Richmond, Virginia.
Samuel Elbert was elected Governor of Georgia for a one-year term on January 6, 1785. Elbert was an early participant in Patriot meetings at Tondee’s Tavern, a Lt. Colonel in the first group of troops raised in Georgia, and a prisoner of war, exchanged for a British General, and eventually promoted to Brigadier General reporting to Gen. George Washington. As Governor, Elbert oversaw the charter of the University of Georgia and afterward, he served briefly as Sheriff of Chatham County.
Utah was admitted as the 45th state on January 4, 1896.
On January 6, 1961, United States District Court Judge William Bootle ordered the University of Georgia to enroll Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter, ending the segregation of UGA.
On January 4, 1965, shortly after the assassination of President Kennedy, Lyndon Baines Johnson delivered the State of the Union and outlined his plan for a “Great Society.”
“He requested ‘doubling the war against poverty this year’ and called for new emphasis on area redevelopment, further efforts at retraining unskilled workers, an improvement in the unemployment compensation system and an extension of the minimum wage floor to two million workers now unprotected by it. … He called for new, improved or bigger programs in attacking physical and mental disease, urban blight, water and air pollution, and crime and delinquency.”
The Great Society legislation included “War on Poverty” programs, many created under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, which established jobs and youth volunteer programs as well as Head Start, which provided pre-school education for poor children. Johnson’s social welfare legislation also consisted of the formation of Medicare and Medicaid, which offered health care services for citizens over 65 and low-income citizens, respectively. In addition, the Great Society included the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Voting Rights Act of 1968.
On January 4, 1974, President Richard M. Nixon refused to turn over tapes recorded in the Oval Office to the Senate Watergate Committee.
On January 5, 1978, the British band the Sex Pistols started their American tour at the Great Southeast Music Hall in Atlanta, GA.
On January 6, 1988, the United States Postal Service released a stamp commemorating the bicentennial of Georgia’s ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1788.
Georgia Congressman Newt Gingrich was elected Speaker of the House on January 4, 1995, the third Georgian to wield the gavel. This marked the first time in more than forty years that Republicans controlled the House of Representatives.
On January 4, 1999, in DeKalb County, State Court Judge Al Wong became the first Asian-American judge in Georgia and the Southeast.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
The late former President Jimmy Carter lies at the Carter Center after being honored at the State Capitol, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.
Carter’s remains arrived at the state Capitol around 3 p.m., and were met by dignitaries including Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.
State and local leaders reflected on his impact on Georgia and the U.S., with a focus on his faith and dedication to others.
“He cared for people who were the least fortunate,” Perdue said. “I think he was a great example for any public servant.”
The Carter family’s pastor, Rev. Tony Lowden, also spoke, recalling Carter’s strong Christian faith. He said when he would come every Saturday to see Carter, he would be wrapped in a blanket embroidered with his favorite Bible verse, Psalm 23.
“The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I lack,” Lowden read from the verse during the service. “He lets me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He renews my life.”
Carter’s remains will lay in repose at the Carter Center until Tuesday, when they will be flown to Washington, D.C., and lie in state at the U.S. Capitol. On Thursday, Carter’s remains will be taken to the National Cathedral for a national funeral service before being returned to Plains.
There, a third and final private funeral service will take place at Maranatha Baptist Church, where Carter taught Sunday school for many years. A Navy flyover and a private internment at Carter’s home will conclude the ceremonies.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens lead a moment of silence during the service. Other dignitaries were also present, including former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue.
“For all Georgian’s we’re proud that a Georgian became president of the United States, and I think, again in his years after the presidency, continued to minister to people around the world in so many ways,” said Perdue. “So, we are grateful, we’re proud of his legacy and very appreciative that he began right here in Middle Georgia and South Georgia.”
From the Savannah Morning News:
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Atlanta Mayor Andrew Dickens and their spouses joined 90 state legislators, three former governors and three state supreme court justices on the capitol steps facing Washington Street in a moment of silence.
State Rep. Bill Hitchens, R-Rincon, also served in the Georgia State Patrol as part of Gov. Carter’s security detail.
When Carter began his campaign for president, “all the troopers were traveling all over the country with him, so they called me back to be in charge of the governor’s mansion for the last three months,” Hitchens said.
“He was very congenial. He was easy to talk to. He liked people,” he said. “He liked to talk to people he didn’t know, and didn’t know who he was when he was governor. But he was always a man of faith, and he had a special place in his heart for people who were downtrodden.”
And though we know where Carter sat in the Senate – a third-row end seat on the speaker’s left – the exact desk isn’t known. The desks have been used since 1889, but have been moved several times.
Jimmy Carter left marks figuratively and literally in office while he was Georgia’s governor. Carter started the tradition, upheld by every executive since, of signing the inside of the middle drawer of the governor’s desk. Carter’s is the only signature in pencil.
After leaving the Capitol the former president’s remains were taken to the Carter Presidential Center for a 4 p.m. private service, after which they lie in repose, beginning at 6 p.m., as the public was invited to pay tribute.
President Joe Biden has declared next Thursday, Jan. 9, to be a National Day of Mourning following the passing of former President Jimmy Carter who died on Dec. 29 at 100.
And that means some federal offices will be closed.
Essentially a National Day of Mourning operates like a federal holiday, but in this instance a complete closing of all government operations isn’t required. The U.S. Supreme Court will not be in session and the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq will be closed, according to USA Today, however, bond markets will be open, but will close at 2 p.m. EST.
“The heads of executive departments and agencies may determine that certain offices and installations of their organizations, or parts thereof, must remain open and that certain employees must report for duty on Jan. 9, for reasons of national security, defense, or other public need,” a press release from the White House announcing Biden’s executive order reads.
The US Postal Service will also be closed.
“The Postal Service will suspend regular mail deliveries, retail services and administrative office activity,” a statement from the National Post Mail Handlers Union reads. “There will be limited package delivery on Jan. 9 to ensure the organization does not experience any impacts to its package delivery operations that may negatively affect customers or business partners.
“All Postal Service facilities-including Headquarters in Washington, DC, and area and district administrative offices are included in the National Day of Observance.”
But don’t worry, you’ll still be able to go to the bank. They’re not required to be closed on a National Day of Mourning.
“Through his extraordinary moral leadership, President Carter lived a noble life full of meaning and purpose. And as a trusted spiritual leader, he shepherded people through seasons of pain and joy, inspiring them through the power of his example and healing them through the power of his guidance,” Biden said in a statement.
From civil rights to mass transit, Carter’s impact on the state still looms large.
During his time as a state senator, and later governor, he led a massive overhaul of Georgia’s agencies, established the Georgia Film Commission and voted to create the Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority.
“Jimmy Carter changed the terrain of political Georgia,” said Calvin Smyre.
Smyre served as a state rep while Carter was in office.
He was just 27 and one of few Black lawmakers in the country.
“The time to end racial segregation is now,” said Carter in his inauguration speech.
He remembers how Carter’s inauguration speech shook up politics.
While other lawmakers walked out, Carter dug in.
Carter appointed more minorities to state boards than all other governors before him.
“And we live better because of that,” said Symre.
Bill Hitchens remembers basketball games at the Governor’s mansion.
“He wasn’t a very good basketball player, but we enjoyed the interaction and so did he,” said Hitchens.
Hitchens says to serve him and learn from him was an honor enough.
“It’s a combination of a lifelong pretty much pursuit of watching Jimmy Carter and I was here really when he pretty much started and now I’m here for the conclusion, so I’ll remember it forever,” he said.
In his time in the White House, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter advanced environmental priorities, from protecting millions of acres of land in Alaska to creating the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area in Georgia.
But he took one of his first big environmental actions as governor of Georgia when he surprised – and angered – many people by deciding to block construction of a proposed dam.
That decision set a tone for Carter’s later conservation efforts, and for the direction of environmental advocacy in Georgia.
A ‘mountain scene’ in middle Georgia
Sprewell Bluff is about 75 miles south of Atlanta, but it looks like it could be in the north Georgia mountains. It’s where the Flint River runs through a deep gorge.
“It’s a remarkable place,” said Neill Herring, a long-time environmental lobbyist in Georgia. “I mean, it’s like a mountain scene down in middle Georgia.”
Now, Sprewell Bluff is a popular park where people fish, camp, paddle and hike. But in the early 1970s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was planning to put a dam there.
At the time, dams around the country were going up to control floods, generate hydropower, secure water supply and create lakes for recreation.
“Dams were flying up all over the South,” Herring said. “People wanted them; people loved them. It was like, you know, they thought they were going to have tourism and marinas and everybody’s going to have boats.”
Dam-building was popular on both sides of the political spectrum. But there was strong grassroots opposition to the one planned for Sprewell Bluff.
“We didn’t want to see that area wiped out,” said Mark Woodall, who now, like Herring, is an environmental lobbyist in Georgia but, at the time, was a kid growing up near the site of the proposed dam.
Woodall knew the area; he’d go on floating trips on the Flint with his Methodist Church group, and there was a Boy Scout camp there.
So, as a teenager, he asked then-Governor Jimmy Carter to stop the Sprewell Bluff dam.
“I was not an accomplished lobbyist at the time. I just told him it was too beautiful to ruin,” Woodall said. “Governor Carter was not a very effusive person. So he said, ‘Well, I’ll think about it,’ or something like that.”
Protecting a ‘treasure’
Carter did think about it, and canoed down the Flint to see it first-hand. With his background in nuclear engineering, he took a systematic look at the Army Corps’ claims about why the dam was worth building.
He didn’t buy them, and told the Corps not to build the dam.
“That made Republicans and Democrats mad,” said Flint Riverkeeper Gordon Rogers. “That made everybody mad. Everybody.”
Rogers, who as a teenager also dipped his toe into environmental advocacy with the Sprewell Bluff dam when his youth pastor in Columbus recruited him to write a letter to Carter opposing it, said Carter’s decision to stop the dam left a huge legacy.
According to the Riverkeeper, the Flint is one of only about 40 rivers in the country that flows for more than 200 miles without a dam blocking it somewhere. It’s within a couple hours’ drive for millions of people in metro Atlanta, and it’s become an international fishing destination.
“A local treasure, state treasure, national treasure,” Rogers said.
And, Herring said, his legacy in Georgia is still apparent, too. Not just at Sprewell Bluff, but in attitudes about environmental protection. What success environmental advocates have had in Georgia – Herring said that Carter did a lot to make it possible.
“He made it popular. Not merely honorable, but popular.”
Don’t expect a sea change on state spending in the next Session of the Georgia General Assembly, which convenes one week from today, on January 13, 2024. From the AJC:
For years Georgia’s political leaders have cut taxes and increased spending, thanks to a confluence of factors that boosted state revenue following the 2020 COVID-19 shutdown.
Gov. Brian Kemp and legislative leaders have signaled they’ll follow that same playbook as they prepare spending plans for the new year. Tax refunds, hurricane aid and child care tax credits are among the ideas they’re kicking around.
Georgia is well-positioned to withstand any turbulence. The state has socked away about $16.5 billion in “rainy day” and undesignated reserves — enough to run state government for about six months at current spending levels.
Kemp and legislative leaders are already making plans to spend some of that money. How much to spend and how to spend it are key questions that will occupy them when the General Assembly convenes Jan. 13.
Georgia still has plenty of cash on hand. It finished the fiscal year that ended in June with an $11 billion undesignated budget surplus, plus nearly $5.5 billion set aside in case of revenue shortfalls. That doesn’t include $2.4 billion in lottery funds and other restricted reserves.
In January Kemp will unveil a proposed spending plan for fiscal 2026, which begins July 1, as well as a revised plan for the remainder of the current year. He and legislators are already planning to spend some of the surplus.
Relief for Hurricane Helene victims will be a top priority.
State Sen. Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, believes Kemp’s request will gain quick support.
“It’s going to be disaster relief, disaster relief, disaster relief,” Tillery said of lawmakers’ budget priorities.
“You’ve got farmers who are wondering if they’re going to be able to replant,” he said. “Sometimes families with forestland they had saved for retirement are now seeing it flat on the ground.”
Kemp and Republican legislative leaders also have announced plans to refund more than $1 billion to Georgians when they file their income taxes next year. If approved by the General Assembly, they would receive a maximum refund of $250 for single residents, $375 for heads of households and $500 for married couples filing jointly, based on their 2023 earnings.
Legislators also will consider other priorities. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who is considering a run for governor in 2026, recently announced support for new and expanded child tax credits to make day care more affordable.
And House Speaker Jon Burns said legislators “will continue to focus on making investments that ensure the continued success of our state and provide a better quality of life for every Georgian and their families.”
“Whether it’s health care, education, public safety or economic development, what you will see in the House’s budget is an emphasis on investments that uplift our citizens and communities across the state,” the speaker said in a statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
State legislators are likely to consider legislation on speed cameras, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen News.
When the Georgia legislature starts its session on Monday, Jan. 13, state Rep. Jason Ridley, R-Chatsworth, said he expects school traffic cameras to be a hot topic.
“That’s something we’ve been hearing a lot of complaints about,” he said. “They are administered by these third-party companies, not local governments. And they aren’t subject to the 35% limit on revenues from speeding tickets.”
Georgia law allows the state Department of Transportation to revoke a local law enforcement agency’s ability to use speed detection devices if fines from tickets issued using those devices exceed 35% of the agency’s budget.
“But speed cameras aren’t included in that,” Ridley said.
He said rather than banning them, lawmakers will likely pass reforms such as mandating that revenues generated by these cameras count toward the 35% limit.
“We want them to be used to reduce speeding, not to create a profit for cities,” he said.
In addition, Ridley said he and other lawmakers will be looking to deter what he terms “frivolous” lawsuits.
“Car insurance here in Georgia is going through the roof,” he said. “We are hearing from businesses who are seeing their liability insurance rates doubling or tripling. I’m not sure what we will do about them. But it’s definitely something we are going to work on.”
Gov. Brian Kemp has indicated that tort reform will be a priority for him, and local lawmakers have said legislators will wait to see what Kemp proposes on that and on some other issues before moving forward.
The Dalton City Council and Whitfield County Board of Commissioners will be asking local lawmakers to introduce a bill to allow the city and county to create community improvement districts (CIDs).
CIDs allow local businesses to vote on whether to create a special tax district to fund improvements to infrastructure such as roads, sewers, street signs and stormwater control.
Democratic Party of Georgia Chair Nikema Williams (D-Atlanta) is eying a position at the DNC, according to the AJC.
U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams is running for a post on the Democratic National Committee, a campaign that if successful could make the thorny internal effort to oust her as chair of the Georgia Democratic Party a lot less complicated.
The Atlanta lawmaker pulls double duty as both a congresswoman and the state party chair, a volunteer role that is unpaid. She has been under pressure to step aside from the latter role after President-elect Donald Trump won Georgia in November. State party insiders have been working to clear a path for that to happen by considering a rule change that would make the party chair a paid full-time position.
Williams is now running to be vice chair of civic engagement and voter participation for the DNC. Should Williams win, presumably she would step aside from her state gig to focus on the national initiative, clearing the way for local activists to pick her successor.
“This is a moment that demands bold leadership, and I’m ready to step up,” Williams wrote in her appeal to fellow Democrats, adding that her goals include expanding “voter protection infrastructure” nationwide and new investments in grassroots organization.
But she doesn’t have a clear path to the vice-chair gig. Among her opponents is state Sen. Sheikh Rahman of Lawrenceville, who entered the race weeks ago and has been collecting endorsements ever since.
Federal legislation sponsored by U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (D-Atlanta) passed and was signed into law, according to WTVM.
According to officials, in December, Sen. Ossoff brought Republicans and Democrats together to pass the Social Security Fairness Act, which will increase Social Security benefits for public employees like teachers, firefighters, and law enforcement officers.
The bipartisan law eliminates the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which previously reduced or eliminated regular Social Security benefits for workers and their eligible family members. This affected individuals who received or were entitled to a pension based on earnings from employment not covered by Social Security, including many public employees such as teachers, firefighters, and law enforcement officers.
“Educators, firefighters, and law enforcement officers already make huge sacrifices for our state and aren’t in it for the money — it makes no sense to unfairly reduce their Social Security benefits,” Sen. Ossoff said. “That’s why I worked to successfully pass into law the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act to repeal these unfair policies that risk hurting teachers, firefighters, and law enforcement officers and ensure these public servants receive the Social Security benefits they’ve earned through their work.”
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge will be expanded, according to WTOC.
The boundaries of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge will be expanded, following a decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The refuge contains the Okefenokee Swamp, which is considered one of the seven wonders of Georgia.
There has been a controversial strip mining project bordering the refuge- which environmental advocates say would be detrimental to the swamp and the wildlife in it.
The boundary will now be expanded by 22,000 acres.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says that the expansion opens the door for them to work with landowners on voluntary conservation efforts, including the agency acquiring more land in the area or adding conservation easements.
The service also says the boundary will strengthen the protection of water in the area, provide habitats for gopher tortoises, and mitigate the impacts of wildfires.
Lowndes County public schools will opt out of the property tax homestead exemption created by House Bill 581, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.
The Lowndes County School District announced Friday that it plans to opt out of a homestead exemption offered by House Bill 581.
HB 581, passed by the Georgia General Assembly in 2024, introduces a floating statewide homestead exemption that limits increases in taxable home values to the prior year’s inflation rate, the school district said in a statement released late Friday afternoon.
The law allows local governing authorities to opt out of the homestead exemption following three public hearings.
The school district said its analysis showed opting out would best protect the financial stability of the schools and protect public education in the community.
“Our mission is to serve every child, every day. To do that, we must make decisions that safeguard our ability to provide quality education while fostering equity for all stakeholders,” said Superintendent Sandra Wilcher.
While HB 581 aims to reduce property tax burdens for homeowners, the school district said it introduces significant financial risks for school systems.
“Lowndes County Schools has consistently prioritized stability, equity, and academic excellence,” said Wilcher. “Opting out of HB 581 allows us to uphold these values and remain accountable to the needs of our students, families, and the entire One Lowndes community.”
By opting out, Lowndes County Schools will maintain existing property tax assessment practices, the school district said in its press release. Following the public hearings, the Lowndes County Board of Education will vote on the resolution to opt out of HB 581 before the March 1, 2025, deadline, the release said.
Brunswick is considering starting a transit service, according to The Brunswick News.
“Looking ahead, a lot of the next year is a continuation of what we’re working on right now,” City Manager Regina McDuffie said.
At the top of her list is the city’s planned public transit system. Forgoing the traditional bus model, city commissioners plan to implement an Uber-like rideshare public transit system in the spring, Planning, Development and Codes Director John Hunter has explained at public meetings.
Rather than operating the system itself, Hunter said the proposal is for City Hall to hire a contractor, such as one that serves the city of Valdosta, to bring a “turnkey” operation to the city.
Hunter said most such contractors operate by scheduling rides on smartphone apps or by phone call and are paid via the usual methods of electronic transfer. As currently planned, residents will be able to purchase “ride cards” with cash at City Hall.
Federal grant money will cover most of the cost of the startup and the first year of operation, and she said the city is working on a plan to keep the program sustainable in the long run.
Chatham Area Transit (CAT) will extend the Student Zero-Fare Pilot Program, according to WSAV.
Chatham Area Transit Authority (CAT) is extending its Student Zero-Fare Pilot Program, an initiative focused on reducing transportation barriers for students across Chatham County, through January 31, 2025.
Since its inception in 2024, the Student Zero-Fare Pilot Program has provided more than three thousand trips, enabling students to access schools, campuses, libraries, and other essential destinations at no cost, fostering academic success and increased mobility within the community.
“Extending the Student Zero-Fare Pilot Program reaffirms CAT’s dedication to building a more connected and inclusive community,” said CAT’s Interim Executive Director/CEO, Stephanie Cutter. “This initiative provides students with a critical resource and inspires confidence in public transportation as a viable option for everyone.”
Former Cobb County Assistant District Attorney Linda Dunikoski joined the Augusta Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, according to WRDW.
A new assistant district attorney for the Augusta Judicial Circuit was sworn in on Friday, according to Augusta District Attorney Jared Williams.
“As a result of this community investment in law enforcement, one of the premier prosecutors in the state of Georgia will now serve our local community,” said Williams.
Williams says Linda Dunikoski, formerly of the Cobb and Fulton DA’s Offices was sworn in on Friday.
Dunikoski will also serve in leadership as Chief of Appeals and Director of Attorney Development, according to a press release.
Dunikoski served as lead prosecutor in the case of the three men who killed Ahmaud Arbery, a local son of Burke County who was murdered while jogging in 2020.
Williams says Dunikoski will represent Richmond and Burke County citizens in the highest courts, train local prosecutors and assist in jury trials involving serious violent felonies.
“We are grateful to have the experience, talent, and leadership of a prosecutor like Mrs. Dunikoski,” said Williams after her swearing. “Recruiting her to serve the citizens of our community would not have been possible without the investment our Commission and city leadership made. This is just the beginning of our renewed efforts to make the Augusta Judicial Circuit the safest place to live, work, and raise a family.”
Houston County Sheriff Matt Moulton has taken office, according to 13WMAZ.
A new chapter is unfolding in Houston County as Sheriff Matt Moulton takes the seat of his predecessor, the legendary Cullen Talton, who served as our nation’s longest-serving sheriff until his passing in October.
This marks the first time in 52 years that the position has seen a change in leadership, after Chief Deputy Billy Rape filled in Talton’s role to complete the rest of his term.
Elected by almost 60% of voters in Houston, Moulton officially took his oath of office on Dec. 30. His title became effective at midnight on New Year’s Day, when he also began swearing in his deputies.
Moulton attended the Georgia Sheriffs-Elect Academy alongside 39 other newly elected sheriffs. He was nominated and elected by his peers to be the class president of the 13th Sheriff’s-Elect Academy.
Together, the class completed training that covered constitutional mandates, statutory duties and leadership responsibilities.
He described the experience as transformative, calling it “the best training” of his 30-year career in law enforcement.
Centerville Mayor John Harley resigned, according to 13WMAZ.
On Dec. 17, now-former mayor John Harley tendered a letter noting that he’d be resigning from the position. His last day in office was on New Year’s Eve.
“It has been a great honor being Mayor of this wonderful City for the last 15 years,” Harley said in his letter. “The Citizens, Council, City employees and local and state leaders have made this time memorable, and I greatly appreciate everyone’s support.”
Harley had served as the city’s mayor since 2009 and had seen its growth to around 8,200 people. While no longer the mayor, he said that he will continue to live in the city and support Centerville “in every way.”
Mayor Pro Tempore and Councilman Michael Evans will serve in Harley’s role until a special election is held on Tuesday, March 18. Qualifying dates for candidates will begin on January 27 and continue through January 29.
Long-time council member Justin Wright told 13WMAZ that he will announce his plans to run for mayor on Jan. 6 at 11:30 a.m., at Centerville City Hall.
Albany City Commissioners are considering how to move forward after the death of Ward VI Commissioner Demetrius Young, according to the Albany Herald.
Young, 53, who was one year into his second four-year term in office, died on Dec. 29 of natural causes, according to Dougherty County Coroner Michael Fowler.
According to the city’s charter, the commission has 15 days from the office being vacated, which includes a death while in office, to plan for filling the vacancy.
“We are all distressed at Commissioner Young’s passing,” Albany Mayor Bo Dorough said.
The mayor said he does not want to seem disrespectful toward friends and family members of Young, whose funeral was Friday, but the charter is clear in its instructions, unless there is a state law that would supersede it.
The next commission meeting is on Tuesday, and with the tight timeline the process of moving toward an election will need to start at that time.
“Obviously, if we have to call an election within 15 days, we will be talking about it,” Dorough said.
The state establishes dates during the year on which special elections may be called, Dougherty County Election Supervisor Ginger Nickerson said.
“In accordance with state law, the first special election has been established for 2025 on March 18,” she said.
In order to authorize an election, the City Commission is required to approve a resolution calling for a date for a special election, she said. The Albany-Dougherty County Board of Registration and Elections would then approve that request and call for an election.
Feb. 18 is the last date on which an election could be called to allow for an election to go forward on March 18.
Once the election is called, Nickerson’s office will begin preparing for a qualification period for candidates and for holding the election.
Statesboro voters will elect a Mayor and two City Council members this year, according to the Statesboro Herald.
[F]ormally setting the qualifying fees for candidates is on the agenda for City Council’s first meeting of the year, 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7, in the usual room upstairs at City Hall, the historic Jaeckel Hotel at 50 East Main St.
Council’s vote is a legally required formality. The qualifying fees are prescribed by state law as 3% of the annual salary of an office. So the fees will be $560 for candidates for mayor and $330 for candidates for City Council in District 1 and District 4, as stated in the proposed resolution.
Mayor Jonathan McCollar is Statesboro’s first African American mayor and, when first elected in 2017, he displaced its first female mayor, Jan Moore. McCollar was re-elected by a large margin over a challenger in 2021.
In the last six years, the council has evolved from having only men representing the five districts ever before to now comprise four women and one man, besides the mayor.
Councilman John Riggs, the longest serving member, represents District 4 and so is up for election this year. So is the most recently arrived member, District 1 Councilwoman Tangie Reese Johnson.
Even though Johnson won a November 2024 special election, it was only for the remainder of former Councilman Phil Boyum’s term, after he resigned last summer. So if anyone else qualifies as a candidate, Johnson will have to run again to keep the seat for four years beyond Dec. 31, 2025.
Although the fees are set this early, candidate qualifying will probably be held during a few days in August, yet to be announced. This year’s elections for Statesboro and other Georgia cities will conclude Nov. 4, after an early voting period.
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