On July 16, 1790, Congress declared Washington, DC the new capital city.
On July 17, 1864, General William Tecumseh Sherman set up headquarters in Fulton County on Powers Ferry Road near the Chattahoochee River. Late that night, Confederate General Joseph Johnston was replaced by newly-commissioned Gen. John Bell Hood.
For nearly three months, Johnston and Sherman had maneuvered around the rugged corridor from Chattanooga to Atlanta. Although there was constant skirmishing, there were few major battles; Sherman kept trying to outflank Johnston, but his advances were blocked. Though this kept losses to a minimum, there was also a limit to how long Johnston could maintain this strategy as each move brought the armies closer to Atlanta. By July 17, 1864, Johnston was backed into the outskirts of Atlanta. Johnston felt his strategy was the only way to preserve the Army of Tennessee, but Davis felt that he had given up too much territory.
On July 20, 1864, the Battle of Peachtree Creek took place in Atlanta.
On July 16, 1914, Asa Griggs Candler, retired President of Coca-Cola, wrote his brother Warren, who was a Bishop in the Methodist Episcopal Church, a letter offering one million dollars and 72 acres of land in Atlanta for the church to establish a new university in the East.
Sir Edmund Hillary was born on July 20, 1919 in Auckland, New Zealand. He and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first to summit Mount Everest on May 29, 1953.
The greatest political journalist to ever put pen to paper, Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, was born on July 18, 1929. That makes today “Gonzo Day.” You have been warned.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt was nominated for a third term at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on July 18, 1940.
The United States performed the first test of an atomic bomb on July 16, 1945 at the Trinity site in New Mexico.
Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer, director of the project, watched the mushroom cloud rise into the New Mexico sky. “Now I am become death, destroyer of worlds,” he uttered, reciting a passage from an ancient Hindu text.
President Harry S. Truman signed the second Presidential Succession Act on July 18, 1947
The original succession act designated the Senate president pro tempore as the first in line to succeed the president should he and the vice president die unexpectedly while in office. If he for some reason could not take over the duties, the speaker of the house was placed next in the line of succession. In 1886, during Grover Cleveland‘s administration, Congress removed both the Senate president and the speaker of the house from the line of succession. From that time until 1947, two cabinet officials, (their order in line depended on the order in which the agencies were created) became the next in line to succeed a president should the vice president also become incapacitated or die. The decision was controversial. Many members of Congress felt that those in a position to succeed the president should be elected officials and not, as cabinet members were, political appointees, thereby giving both Republican and Democratic parties a chance at controlling the White House.
In 1945, then-Vice President Truman assumed the presidency after Franklin Roosevelt died of a stroke during his fourth term. As president, Truman advanced the view that the speaker of the house, as an elected official, should be next in line to be president after the vice president. On July 18, 1947, he signed an act that resurrected the original 1792 law, but placed the speaker ahead of the Senate president pro tempore in the hierarchy.
Georgia-born Ty Cobb died on July 17, 1961.
Georgia Congressman Carl Vinson set a new record for longevity in office on July 16, 1963, having served 48 years, 8 months, and 12 days since his election in 1914. Vinson’s record held until 1992 and his tenure is now sixth-longest.
The Beatles premiered The Yellow Submarine on July 17, 1968 in London.
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first people to set foot on the moon.
When the lunar module lands at 4:18 p.m EDT, only 30 seconds of fuel remain. Armstrong radios “Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.” Mission control erupts in celebration as the tension breaks, and a controller tells the crew “You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue, we’re breathing again.”
At 10:56 p.m. EDT Armstrong is ready to plant the first human foot on another world. With more than half a billion people watching on television, he climbs down the ladder and proclaims: “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”
Aldrin joins him shortly, and offers a simple but powerful description of the lunar surface: “magnificent desolation.” They explore the surface for two and a half hours, collecting samples and taking photographs.
They leave behind an American flag, a patch honoring the fallen Apollo 1 crew, and a plaque on one of Eagle’s legs. It reads, “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon. July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.”
The National Minimum Drinking Age Act was passed by Congress on July 17, 1984. From the New York Times:
President Reagan, appealing for cooperation in ending the “’crazy quilt of different states’ drinking laws,” today signed legislation that would deny some Federal highway funds to states that keep their drinking age under 21.
“We know that drinking, plus driving, spell death and disaster,” Mr. Reagan told visitors on a sweltering afternoon. “We know that people in the 18-to-20 age group are more likely to be in alcohol-related accidents than those in any other age group.”
“It’s a grave national problem, and it touches all our lives,” he added. “With the problem so clear-cut and the proven solution at hand, we have no misgiving about this judicious use of Federal power.”
Under the law Mr. Reagan signed today, the Secretary of Transportation is required to withhold 5 percent of Federal highway construction funds from those states that do not enact a minimum drinking age of 21 by Oct. 1, 1986. The Secretary is required to withhold 10 percent of the funds for states that do not act by Oct. 1, 1987.
The President said he was “convinced” that the legislation would “help persuade state legislators to act in the national interest to save our children’s lives, by raising the drinking age to 21 across the country.”
A senior White House official said after the ceremony that it was not clear that the new law would compel states to raise their drinking ages, even with its incentives and penalties.
He said some states, such as Florida, were proving resistant to the changes because people considered it unfair to allow residents to vote and serve in the armed services at the age of 18 but not to drink in public.
On July 18, 1988, the Democratic National Convention opened at the Omni in Atlanta. That night, actor Rob Lowe would shoot a videotape in a hotel with two hairdressers, one 22 and one 16. Several weeks later, the era of the celebrity sex tape began.
Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton gave the speech nominating Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis for President on July 20, 1988 at the Democratic National Convention in Atlanta. Dukakis accepted the nomination the next day.
Clinton’s performance was widely panned.
[Clinton] bombed so badly that there was speculation it might spoil his political future.
The prime-time speech would be a perfect opportunity for Clinton to regain some of the ground he’d lost to Gore and to reestablish himself as the one to watch from the party’s moderate/Southern wing.
But he blew it. The speech he delivered was long – 33 minutes, or twice the expected length – and mechanical. It only took a few minutes for convention delegates to tune him out, as the din of their conversations began drowning him out on television. Eventually, the broadcast networks began cutting away from his speech, with commentators noting the crowd’s complete lack of interest. The lowlight came when Clinton uttered the words “In closing,” prompting a spontaneous round of sarcastic cheers from the audience. His home state paper summed it up this way:
ATLANTA Gov. Bill Clinton’s big national moment his prime time speech Wednesday night in nomination of Michael Dukakis was an unmitigated disaster.
The Los Angeles Times has a great contemporaneous take on the speech.
On July 18, 2000, United States Senator Paul Coverdell died of a cerebral hemorrhage. I remember where I was when I heard the news.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Democrat Peter Hubbard won last week’s Special Democratic Primary Runoff Election to become the nominee for Public Service Commission District 3, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
Peter Hubbard (D) 66,084 votes, 58.18%
Keisha Sean Waites (D) 47,501 votes, 41.82%
The runoff had exceptionally low turnout, with roughly 1.6% of active voters in the state voting in the election.
In the general [primary] election, the turnout was still just 2.7%.
This comes after nearly three years of delays due to lawsuits surrounding the statewide nature of the races. The races for the PSC ultimately stayed statewide for all five districts, and all five seats are currently held by Republicans.
Hubbard will square off against incumbent Republican Fitz Johnson for the District 3 seat on Nov. 4.
Hubbard is a project director and has advocated for green energy. Waites, his opponent in the runoff, actually accrued more votes in the general election, with 46% of the vote compared to Hubbard’s 33%.
The state’s PSC has the power to set rates and energy plans for Georgia Power, Georgia’s largest electric utility. They also regulate telephone and natural gas utilities in the state as well.
From the Capitol Beat News Service:
Clean-energy advocate Peter Hubbard captured the Democratic nomination for a seat on Georgia’s energy-regulating Public Service Commission (PSC) Tuesday.
Hubbard defeated former Atlanta City Councilwoman Keisha Sean Waites with 58.2% of the vote to 41.8% for Waites in Tuesday’s runoff election, according to unofficial results. He will face incumbent Republican Commissioner Fitz Johnson in November in PSC District 3, which covers Fulton, Clayton, and DeKalb counties.
Waites was the top vote-getter in a three-way race in last month’s Democratic primary, with Hubbard coming in second. While neither candidate received the 50%-plus-one vote margin needed to win the primary outright, third-place finisher Robert Jones, a former utility executive, was eliminated.
Hubbard is an advocate for the nonprofit Georgia Center for Energy Solutions. In that role, he has served as an intervenor calling for reducing the use of fossil fuels in the production of electricity, which is expensive, pollutes the air and harms human health.
Waites served three terms in the state House of Representatives before being elected to the Atlanta City Council in 2021. Before entering city and state politics, she spent 15 years working in the federal government, with the Small Business Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The nonprofit group Georgia Conservation Voters congratulated Hubbard Tuesday night on his victory.
“We endorsed Peter because he knows how to bring bills down,” said Connie Di Cicco, the group’s political director. “When we talk to voters about a candidate, they ask two questions: Are they qualified, and will they fight for me? With Peter, the answer to both is yes.”
Gov. Brian Kemp appointed Johnson to the commission in 2021 to fill a vacancy, so this year will mark the first time he has faced Georgia voters.
Both the 2022 and 2024 PSC elections were postponed pending the outcome of a lawsuit that challenged the way commissioners are elected. Voting rights advocates argued that choosing members of the PSC statewide rather than by districts dilutes Black voting strength in violation of the 1965 federal Voting Rights Act.
A federal appeals court ruled against the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, leaving the system of statewide PSC elections intact.
Two seats on the commission will be on the ballot this fall. Besides the District 3 contest, incumbent Republican Commissioner Tim Echols is seeking reelection in District 2 against Democratic challenger Alicia Johnson. District 2 stretches from Atlanta’s eastern and southeastern suburbs to Savannah.
Governor Brian Kemp issued Executive Order #07.17.25.02, suspending Camilla Mayor Kelvin M. Owens from office after the Mayor was indicted on allegations of election-related mischief. The suspension will last until the case is disposed of or the Mayor’s term in office expires. From WALB:
This comes after Owens was indicted on May 28, 2025 for charges of election interference and conspiracy to commit election fraud. The governor’s office was made aware of the indictment and created a commission to review Owens’ alleged offenses on June 17.
On Tuesday, July 15, the commission found that Owens’ indictment adversely affected his administration as the mayor of Camilla. Therefore, they decided that it was in the public’s best interest that Owens be suspended from office, according to Gov. Kemp’s Office.
Governor Kemp issued Executive Order #07.17.25.01, appointing a three-member review commission to investigate and recommend whether to suspend Guyton City Council member Theodore W. Hamby, who was indicted, according to WTOC.
Guyton City Councilman Theodore Hamby was arrested in March.
Then last month he was indicted on charges of financial transaction fraud and making false statements.
Thursday, Governor Kemp issued an executive order to appoint a review commission to determine Hamby’s future in office.
According to the GBI, his charges stem from his position on city council and his misuse of a city credit card.
Shortly after his arrest the mayor of Guyton sent Hamby a formal letter requesting him to resign from his appointed seat… that didn’t happen.
Now, under Kemp’s executive order a review commission has 14 days to look over the indictments and accusations.
Then it must give a written report as to if Hamby should be suspended from office.
We also know the commission includes Attorney General Chris Carr, Perry City councilman Dan Peterson and Fitzgerald City Councilman Tommy Roberts.
Governor Kemp also announced he will appoint Georgia Court of Appeals Judge Benjamin Land to a vacancy on the Georgia Supreme Court.
Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced he will appoint The Honorable Benjamin A. Land to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court of Georgia created by the retirement of The Honorable Michael P. Boggs earlier this year.
“After careful consideration of multiple accomplished and noteworthy candidates, I’m proud to announce Ben Land as my appointment to serve on the Georgia Supreme Court,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “Judge Land has earned the respect of his peers and hardworking Georgians through his commitment to fairness and impartiality, his strong work ethic, and his integrity. His extensive experience as a former litigator and judge will make him a valuable addition to the Supreme Court as he continues his service to the people of our state.”
Benjamin A. Land has served on the Georgia Court of Appeals since July 20, 2022, following his appointment to the court by Governor Brian Kemp. He won election statewide for a full six-year term in 2024. Judge Land was previously a judge on the Superior Court for the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit, having been appointed by then-Governor Nathan Deal on February 7, 2018.
Prior to his service on the bench, Judge Land was a private practice attorney in Columbus for nearly 26 years, focusing on complex civil litigation. He represented plaintiffs and defendants in a wide variety of cases, obtained several record-setting verdicts, and played a key role in the defense of numerous nationwide class action lawsuits. Throughout his career, Judge Land has demonstrated a commitment to his profession and his community. He was presented with the State Bar of Georgia’s William B. Spann, Jr. Award for Pro Bono Advocacy, is a graduate of Leadership Columbus, and has served as the President of the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit Bar Association, the Columbus Inn of Court, and the Columbus Bar Association. He was also a District Representative for the State Bar of Georgia’s Younger Lawyers Division, a member of the Joseph Henry Lumpkin Inn of Court, and has volunteered on the boards of the Columbus Area Habitat for Humanity, the Pine Mountain Trail Association, and other community organizations. During his time on the bench, Judge Land has served on the Council of Superior Court Judges Budget Committee and Pattern Jury Instructions Committee, in addition to the Judicial Council’s Court Reporting Matters Committee.
Judge Land graduated with Highest Honors from the University of Georgia where he also earned his law degree, finishing second in his class. While attending law school, he served on the Editorial Board of the Georgia Law Review, clerked for the Georgia Supreme Court, and was elected to the Order of the Coif.
Chief Justice Nels S.D. Peterson also shared a statement on the appointment:
“The Supreme Court congratulates and welcomes Judge Land. His background and experience, including years as a state appellate judge, trial court judge, and litigator, position him well to serve on the state’s highest court. My fellow Justices and I look forward to working with him.”
Governor Kemp ordered state agencies to maintain current spending levels amid federal budget changes, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Statesboro Herald.
Gov. Brian Kemp is ordering state agencies to hold their spending at current levels during this fiscal year and fiscal 2027.
“While the governor remains committed to meeting the needs of our growing state, conservative fiscal management means prioritizing spending to live within our means and keeping more tax dollars in the pocketbooks of our citizens,” Rick Dunn, director of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget (OPB),” wrote state agency heads in letter dated last Friday.
Kemp’s order comes amid uncertainty over the potential impacts of President Donald Trump’s budget bill on states. The Republican-controlled Congress passed legislation July 3 containing about $1.5 trillion in spending reductions aimed at partly offsetting a $4 trillion tax cut Democrats argue will primarily benefit the wealthy. Those cuts are expected to filter down to the state and local levels of government, affecting among other things health-care services and education programs.
Dunn’s letter calls on state agency heads to develop plans for dealing with potential losses in federal funding.
“While we believe our current revenue projections are sufficient to meet our spending requirements, prudent fiscal management requires that agencies be prepared if conditions were to change,” the budget director wrote. “We are asking that all agencies internally prepare thoughtful plans for a state funds holdback contingency as we continue to monitor economic trends and policy changes at the national level.”
There will be some wiggle room in the governor’s order. Agencies with “mandatory” needs that cannot be met by redirecting fund from the current fiscal year without hurting service delivery will be allowed to discuss those needs with the OPB.
Some legislative Democrats are calling on Kemp to call a special session of the General Assembly to consider providing state funds to fill the gaps caused by federal spending reductions. However, the Republican governor thus far has shown no inclination to reconvene lawmakers under the Gold Dome before the start of the 2026 legislative session in January.
The state began fiscal 2026 July 1 with a budget of $37.7 billion. State agency heads must submit their spending requests for the 2026 mid-year budget and the fiscal 2027 spending plan by Sept. 5.
Georgia Public Service Commissioners reelected Commissioner Jason Shaw as Chair, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.
The Public Service Commission on Tuesday unanimously re-elected Commissioner Jason Shaw as chairman of the commission. He will serve as chair through July 2027.
Every two years, commissioners elect a chairman with a simple majority vote. A commissioner is allowed to hold the chairmanship for two consecutive terms. Rules for the chairman’s election can be found in Georgia Code 46-2-5(a).
“I appreciate the confidence, and I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to serve as your chair for another term,” Shaw said after he was elected. “I am honored. I look forward to continuing to work with each of you and our great staff. Thank you very much.”
Shaw, of Lakeland, was appointed to the PSC in 2019 by then-Gov. Nathan Deal. He was elected to the seat in 2020. He was first elected chair in July 2023.
Georgia State House Speaker Jon Burns (R-Newington) appointed State Rep. Rick Townsend (R-SSI) to the Georgia Water Council, according to The Brunswick News.
Members are appointed by the House Speaker and by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. The director of the state Environmental Protection Agency chairs the council.
The council’s objective is to ensure cooperation among state agencies in the development of a comprehensive statewide water management plan in coordination with the Georgia General Assembly and other state agencies.
“I am thankful to Speaker Burns for appointing me to serve on the state’s Water Council,” Townsend said. “As a resident of one of Georgia’s coastal communities, I am especially passionate about protecting our state’s natural resources and ensuring sound and sustainable water policy.
“Water is one of our most critical resources, and I am honored to help shape policies that will safeguard Georgia’s water supply for generations to come.”
Gov. Sonny Perdue was in office when the water council was given birth in 2004 with the passage of the Comprehensive Statewide Water Management Planning Act.Townsend, secretary of the House Natural Resources Committee, resides within the council’s Coastal Region. In addition to Glynn County, other counties in the region are Bryan, Bulloch, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Liberty, Long and McIntosh.
The other regions made up of the state’s other 150 counties are the Altamaha, Coosa-North Georgia, Lower Flint-Ochlockonee, Metro Water District, Middle Chattahoochee, Middle Ocmulgee, Savannah-Upper Ogeechee, Suwanee-Satilla, Upper Flint and Upper Oconee.
Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones (R-Jackson) appointed members of the Georgia State Senate Study Committee on Eliminating Georgia’s Income Tax, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Savannah Morning News.
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones Thursday announced the creation of a state Senate committee that will consider eliminating Georgia’s income tax.
Jones, who presides over the Georgia Senate, announced last week he will seek the Republican nomination for governor next year. He signaled in his opening campaign video that, if elected, he would push to get rid of the tax.
Legislative Republicans and conservative tax policy advocates have long called for abolishing Georgia’s income tax to help the state compete for jobs with neighboring states.
“Among southeast states, only South Carolina has a higher income tax rate than Georgia,” Jones said Thursday. “If we wish to remain the No.-1 state for business and keep our state competitive, we must expand on the progress made over the past four years to eliminate Georgia’s income tax.”
Term-limited Gov. Brian Kemp has steered legislation through the General Assembly gradually reducing the state’s income tax rate.
This year, the Republican-controlled legislature passed a Kemp-backed bill to cut the tax rate from 5.39% to 5.19% retroactive to the beginning of the current tax year. Democrats who opposed the measure argued it would benefit primarily wealthy taxpayers.
The 11-member Georgia Senate Committee on Eliminating Georgia’s Income Tax will include eight Republican senators and three Democrats. It will be chaired by Sen. Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, who also heads the Senate Appropriations Committee.
The panel will begin meeting later this summer and will have until Dec. 15 to wrap up its work and make recommendations.
From a Press Release by State Senator Larry Walker, III:
Today, Lt. Governor Burt Jones appointed Senator Larry Walker III (R–Perry) to the newly formed Senate Special Committee on Eliminating Georgia’s State Income Tax.
“I’m honored to be appointed by Lt. Governor Burt Jones to serve on this important committee,” said Sen. Walker. “This effort marks a critical step toward shaping Georgia’s economic future. Eliminating the state income tax is a bold goal that requires serious, thoughtful commitment. Our mission is to ensure that any proposed changes are fiscally responsible and in the best interest of Georgia’s families and businesses.”
The Senate Special Committee on Eliminating Georgia’s State Income Tax is charged with identifying viable pathways to eliminate the state income tax for all Georgians entirely. While the General Assembly has taken steps in recent years to reduce income tax rates for households and businesses, many Georgians still face a heavy tax burden. This committee will work to explore responsible solutions that ease that burden and create a more competitive economic environment.
Senator Blake Tillery (R–Vidalia) will serve as Chairman of the committee.
From Atlanta News First via WTVM:
“Last year, nine states cut individual income taxes, and three others cut corporate income taxes,” Jones said. “Among southeast states, only South Carolina currently has a higher income tax rate than Georgia. If we wish to remain the number one state for business and keep our state competitive, we must expand on the progress made over the past four years to eliminate Georgia’s income tax.”
“It is vital the Senate lead the effort to continue reducing our reliance on income taxes by examining additional ways to make significant cuts to our income tax rate, while maintaining the fiscal soundness of our state.”
The committee will be led by state Sen. Blake Tillery (R-Vidalia), who has been rumored to be considering a lieutenant gubernatorial bid himself. Besides Tillery, state Sen. John Kennedy (R-Macon) — the top-ranking Senate Republican who has already announced his campaign to replace Jones in 2026 — is also on the committee.
Also on the committee is another announced lieutenant governor candidate, state Sen. Steve Gooch (R-Dahlonega).
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr (R-Cobb County) is criticizing Lt. Governor Burt Jones (R-Jackson) over campaign contributions, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Savannah Morning News.
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr launched an attack against his Republican primary opponent for governor Thursday, calling for an investigation of Lt. Gov. Burt Jones’ $10 million loan to his own campaign.
“In his 2022 financial disclosure, Jones reported a $12 million net worth with only $700,000 in liquid assets,” Carr’s campaign said. “Now he claims to have loaned $10 million to his leadership committee — 14 times what he previously disclosed. Either he misrepresented his finances then or he’s misrepresenting them now, and Georgians deserve the truth.”
Jones’ camp promptly dismissed the allegation, which was detailed in a complaint to the State Ethics Commission Thursday.
“Not surprised by this weak attempt to get attention — it’s exactly what you’d expect from a campaign that’s losing steam with many months to go until Election Day,” Jones campaign spokeswoman Kendyl Parker said.
Carr was the first leading Republican to announce his candidacy. Jones then jumped into the race last week.
Mandatory campaign finance disclosures they filed last week show each raised about $3 million from donors. But Jones — an executive in a family-owned oil company — leapt far ahead by adding another $10 million of his own money. He benefits from a 2021 law that allows him to collect unlimited sums due to his role as lieutenant governor.
The law authorized so-called leadership committees as fundraising vehicles. The governor also has one, as do legislative leaders. Whoever wins the primaries for governor and lieutenant governor can also have one.
On the Democratic side, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and state Sen. Jason Esteves, a former member of the Atlanta school board, had each raised about $1 million. State Rep. Derrick Jackson from Tyrone raised less than a tenth as much.
Candler County Superintendent Dr. Fred “Bubba” Longgrear announced he will run for State Superintendent of Schools, according to WTOC.
This election will take place November 3, 2026.
Candler County Superintendent Dr. Fred “Bubba” Longgrear announced that he will be entering the race for Georgia State School Superintendent.
The current Georgia State School Superintendent, Richard Woods is seeking re-election for a fourth term in this election. Woods was first elected in 2014 and re-elected once in 2018 and then again in 2022.
According to Dr. Longgrear’s campaign website, “He is passionate about and committed to ensuring all Georgia schools are safe learning environments, every child acquires and develops strong literacy skills, and career development opportunities are designed to meet the need of each student in Georgia. He has a strong passion to engage Georgia families in their children’s education to ensure success for all students.”
From the Capitol Beat News Service:
Georgia’s top elected education official will face a third challenger in next year’s Republican primary election when he seeks a fourth term.
In early June, State School Superintendent Richard Woods announced he was seeking re-election as two others were contesting the seat. Now, Fred “Bubba” Longgrear, the superintendent of the Candler County School District, has entered the race.
Longgrear is the only local public school employee in the running. Randell E. Trammel, who lives in Cartersville and is CEO of the Center for Civic Engagement, announced his candidacy in June, nearly a year after Nelva M. Lee, a Locust Grove entrepreneur whom Gov. Brian Kemp had appointed to a two-year term on the state Board of Community Health in 2021.
Woods previously worked as a local educator but has led the state superintendent’s office since 2015.
Longgrear touts his experience as a teacher, coach and principal, plus 11 years as a superintendent, currently for the 2,000 students in Candler County, straddling I-16 between Macon and Savannah. His campaign website emphasizes safe learning environments, literacy and career development.
Brunswick City Commissioners discussed a proposal to regulate small personal vehicles, according to The Brunswick News.
City commissioners spent much of the second half of their Wednesday meeting trying to clarify the intent behind a proposed ordinance further regulating dirt bikes, ATVs, e-bikes and other small electric personal vehicles.
City officials said the new rules are simply based on common sense and the fact that most of the electric vehicles in the ordinance did not exist when the city’s code was written.
“I think everyone is aware that the issues are primarily arising from users who are not abiding by general common sense and decency when utilizing a motorized vehicle,” said City Attorney Brian Corry.
The ordinance would ban anyone under 15 years old from using e-bikes on public streets and require all e-bike riders to “wear a properly fitted and fastened bicycle helmet.”
The ordinance clarifies that e-bikes, bicycles, dirt bikes and ATVs are considered motor vehicles when on public streets and must abide by the same traffic laws as cars, trucks and motorcycles.
Other small electric vehicles face other restrictions.
All motorized skateboards and scooters would be completely banned from “any public street, public roadway, public sidewalk, public park, public or private parking lot, public trail, public shared multi-use path, public bicycle path and all other public property.”
Their usage would only be allowed on private property with the consent of the owner. The ordinance allows homeowner associations to regulate them in private neighborhoods.
“No person shall operate a motorized play vehicle, motorized skateboard or motorized scooter on any private property in a manner causing excessive, unnecessary or offensive noise which disturbs the peace and quiet of any neighborhood or which causes discomfort or annoyance to a reasonable person of normal sensitivity,” the draft ordinance states.
Bibb County Board of Education Members voted to tentatively adopt a property tax millage rate hike, according to 13WMAZ.
The release says the Bibb County Board of Education has tentatively decided to adopt a millage rate of 14.674 mills, which would increase county property taxes by 4.65%.
The millage rate increase – .652 mills higher than the roll-back rate – means that the property tax for a $200,000 home would increase by approximately $47.60, per the release.
The press release specified that this is a tentative tax increase, and has not been fully implemented yet.
A federal funding freeze under President Donald Trump’s administration loomed large over the Bibb County Board of Education’s committee meeting Thursday, prompting concerns about district finances and the potential for higher property taxes.
The Trump administration withheld nearly $7 billion in congressional-approved K-12 education money just weeks before schools are set to reopen. At the board meeting, Bibb County school leaders said nearly $7 million of that total remains on hold for the district.
In response, the board voted unanimously to tentatively adopt a millage rate of 14.674 mills, a move that would increase property taxes by 4.65% for Macon residents.
“The proposed tax increase for a home with a fair market value of $200,000 is approximately $47.60, and the proposed tax increase for non-homestead property with a fair market value of $200,000 is approximately $52.16,” the district said in a statement Thursday.
Eric Bush, the district’s chief financial officer, said maintaining the current millage rate would generate about $4 million in additional revenue, providing some stability during the funding crisis. Two alternative options would have raised the rate further and brought in more revenue; those proposals are available on the district’s website.
Board member Daryl Morton asked when the district had expected to receive the frozen funds.
“Funds are released to the state on July 1, and then the state board of education would vote on that for the state of Georgia, that would’ve been this July board meeting, and then the funds could be dispersed to the school districts,” Lori Rodgers, BCSD assistant superintendent of district effectiveness and federal programs, said.
Morton said he supports the tentative millage rate adoption, citing recent national developments such as the Supreme Court’s decision to approve the dismantle of the U.S. Department of Education.
“These are funds that Congress approved, the president approved, and then they yank the carpet out from under us right at the last minute,” he said. “I’m not a fan of tax increases, but I think given our current circumstances, maintaining the current millage rate and not rolling back is prudent, and I also think is necessary.”
Board member Henry Ficklin agreed.
“I think that we are not doing our community or our school system a favor if we relax and sit back, hoping and anticipating that the money is going to be released,” Ficklin said. “What we have seen under this administration is that things … have changed, and we need to be more cautious about what we spend and appropriate.”
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