Conflict of Interest
In his own words ...
(a) (1) The Chairperson of the board shall receive a base salary in the amount of $53,000.00
per annum. Such compensation shall be paid in equal monthly installments from the funds
of Barrow County. The Chairperson shall be on a full-time basis and shall devote himself
or herself solely to the duties of his or her office.
“It’s a great sales-tax boost for the school system and the county,” Garrison said.
BUT
Garrison was unsure whether the revenue generated by the Barrow Crossing Shopping Center would help lower Barrow County’s 28.359 millage rate.
Garrison, a real estate agent by profession formerly with Maynard, Bartlett and Butler Realty Group, said he has been working with this project since 2003.
“I am the real estate agent representing the family,” Garrison said. “I had this property under contract before I was elected to the board of commissioners and is the reason I did not give up my real estate license. I needed to see this through.”
BUT
“They thought it was too early to be here, and they walked away from it,” Garrison said.
COINCIDENCE?
This is an expression of the can-do and business-friendly atmosphere present in Barrow County,” Moore said. “The commissioners making water and sewer available to this project shows the cooperative spirit among government entities in working together to make things happen.”
Belk, Target, Publix to anchor Barrow shopping center
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Barrow County Charter
BARROW COUNTY CHARTER
(COMBINED)
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA :
SECTION 1.
On and after January 1, 1989, the Board of Commissioners of Barrow County, sometimes referred to as “The Board, shall be composed of seven members, one of whom shall be the Chairperson, and all of whom shall be selected as provided in this Act.
SECTION 2.
The Board of Commissioners of Barrow County shall have such control of the county affairs as is now conferred by law, and all the powers, rights, duties, liabilities, responsibilities and prohibitions which were previously conferred by law upon the Board of Commissioners of Barrow County, and which are not in conflict with this Act, are hereby expressly preserved and shall devolve upon and shall be exercised by the Board of Commissioners of Barrow County herein created. Said powers, rights, duties, liabilities, responsibilities and prohibitions shall be in addition to and supplemental of all such authorities and liabilities as may hereinafter be conferred upon said Board.
SECTION 3. (Amended 9/23/03)
(a) No member of the board shall be ineligible for public office pursuant to Code Section 45-2-1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. Each of the persons elected or appointed from commissioner districts shall have been a resident of that person’s respective commissioner district for at least one year prior to their election or appointment. In the event the Chairperson ceases to be a resident of Barrow County during that person’s term of office or in the event any member ceases to be a resident of the respective commissioner district from which that member was elected or appointed during that member’s term of office, a vacancy shall thereby be created and shall be filled in the manner provided in Section 8 of this Act. The Chairperson of the Board shall be elected by the qualified electors of the entire county. Each of the other members shall be elected by the qualified electors residing only in the respective commissioner district from which that person seeks election as a member. Any person wishing to offer as a candidate for Chairperson shall offer as a candidate for that office. Any person offering as a candidate for member of the board other than Chairperson shall designate the commissioner district for which that person is offering. The Chairperson and all other members of the board shall be nominated and elected in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 2 of Title 21 of the O.C.G.A. (b) A person appointed or elected to fill a vacancy on the board pursuant to Section 8 ofthis Act shall meet; as of the time such person takes office, the residency and otherrequirements established for that office pursuant to subsection (a) of this section and, if that person is elected to fill that vacancy, shall be elected by those electorsauthorized to vote for that office under that subsection (a).
SECTION 4. (AMENDED 5/1/03)
(a) For the purposes of electing the members of the board other than the Chairperson, Barrow County shall be divided into six commissioner districts. The six commissioner districts shall be and correspond to those six numbered districts described in andattached to and made a part of this Act and further identified as Plan Name:BARROW03 Local User: Linda Administrator: Barrow Co. (b) When used in such attachment, the terms ‘Tract’ and ‘BG’ (Block Group) shall mean and describe the same geographical boundaries as provided in the report of the Bureau of the Census for the United States decennial census of 2000 for the State of Georgia. The separate numeric designations in a Tract description which are underneath a ‘BG’ heading shall mean and describe individual Blocks within a Block Group as provided in the report of the Bureau of the Census for the United States decennial census of 2000 for the State of Georgia . Any part of Barrow County which is not included in any such district described in that attachment shall be included within that district contiguous to such part which contains the least population according to the United States decennial census of 2000 for the State of Georgia . Any part of Barrow County which is described in that attachment as being in a particular district shall nevertheless not be included within such district if such part is not contiguous to such district. Such noncontiguous part shall instead be included within that district contiguous to such part, which contains the least population according to the United States decennial census of 2000 for the State of Georgia . Except as otherwise provided in the description of any commissioner district, whenever the description of such district refers to a named city, it shall mean the geographical boundaries of that city as shown on the census map for the United States decennial census of 2000 for the State of Georgia .
DISTRICT 001 Barrow CountyTract: 1803BG: 11000 1001 1002 1008 1009 1010 1013 1014BG: 22000 2001 2002 2003 2007 2999Tract: 1804BG: 11000 1001 1002 1003 1004 1005 1006 1007 1008 1009 1010 10111012 1013 1014 1015 1016 1017 1018 1019 1020 1021 1022 10231024 1025 1026 1027 1028 1029 1030 1031 1032 1033 1034 10351036 1037 1038 1039 1040 1041 1042 1043 1044 1045 1046 10471048 1049 1050 1051 1052 1053 1054 1055 1056 1057 1058 10491060 1061 1062 1063 1064 1065 1066 1067 1068 1069 1070 10711072 1073 1074 1075 1076 1077 1078 1079 1080 1081 1082 10831084 1085 1086 1087 1088 1089 1090 1091 1092 1093 1094 10951096 1099 1100 1101 1102 1103 1104 1105 1106 1107 1108 1109 1110 1111 1112 1113BG: 2BG: 3Tract: 1805BG: 22000 2001 2002 2003 2006 2007BG: 44000 4001 4002 4003 4004 4005 4006 4007 4017 4018 4020 4021 4023 4024 4025 4026 4027 4028 4029 4030 4031 4032 4033 40344035 4036 4037
DISTRICT 002 Barrow County Tract: 1802.02 BG: 1 1000 1001 1002 1003 1004 1005 1006 1007 1008 1009 1010 1011 1030 1031 1033 1034 1035 1036 1037 1038 1039 1040 1041 1042 1043 1044 1045 1046 1047 1048 1049 1050 1051 1052 1053 1054 1055 1056 1057 Tract: 1803 BG: 1 1003 1004 1005 1006 1007 1011 1012 1026 1027 1028 1029 1030 1031 1032 1033 1034 1035 1036 1037 BG: 2 2004 2005 2006 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 2036 2037 2038 2039 2040 2041 2042 2043 2044 2045 2046 2047 2048 2049 2050 2055 2056 2057 2058 2059 2060 2061 2062 2063 2064 2065 2066 2067 2068 2069 2070 2071 2072 2073 2074 2075 2076 2077 2078 2079 2080 2081 2082 2083 2084 2085 2998 Tract: 1804 BG: 11097 1098 Tract: 1805 BG: 2 2004 2005 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 2036 2037 2038 2040 2041 2042 BG: 3 3000 3001 3002 3003 3004 3005 3006 3007 3008 3009 3010 3011 3012 3013 3014 3015 3016 3017 3018 3019 3020 3021 3022 3023 3024 3025 3026 3027 3028 3029 3030 3031 3032 3033 3034 3035 3036 3038 BG: 4 4008 4009 4010 4011 4012 4013 4014 4015 4016 4019 4022 4038 4039 4040 4041 4042 4043
DISTRICT 003 Barrow County Tract: 1801.02 BG: 5 1066 Tract: 1802.01 G: 3 3026 3027 3030 3036 3037 3038 3039 3040 3041 3042 3043 3056 3057 3058 3059 3061 3062 3063 BG: 4 4000 4001 4002 4003 4004 4005 4006 4007 4008 4009 4010 4011 4012 4013 4014 4015 4016 4017 4018 4019 4020 4021 4022 4023 4024 4025 4026 4027 4028 4029 4030 4031 4032 4033 4034 4035 4036 4037 4038 4039 4040 4043 4044 4045 4047 4050 4999 BG: 5 5068 5069 Tract: 1802.02 BG: 1 1012 1013 1014 1018 1019 1020 1021 1022 1023 1024 1025 1026 1028 1029 1032 BG: 2 2043 2047 2048 2049 2052 2053 2054 2055 2056 2057 2058 2059 2060 2061 2062 2997 2998 2999 Tract: 1803 BG: BG: 2 2051 2052 2053 2054 Tract: 1805 BG: 1 1000 1005 1006 1008 1009 1010 1011 1012 1013 1014 1015 1016 1017 1018 1019 1020 1021 1022 1023 1024 1025 1026 1027 1028 1029 1030 1031 1032 1033 1998 BG: 2 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2039 2043 2044 2045 2046 BG: 3 3037
DISTRICT 004 Barrow CountyTract: 1801.01BG: 11000 1001 1002 1003 1130 1131 1132 1136 1137 1138 1139 11401141 1142 1143 1145 1146 1147 1148 1149 1150Tract: 1801.02BG: 11000 1001 1002 1003 1004 1005 1006 1007 1008 1009 1043 10441045 1046 1047 1048 1049 1050 1051 1052 1053 1054 1055 10561057 1058 1059 1060 1061 1062 1063 1064 1067Tract: 1802.01BG: 33002 3003 3004 3005 3006 3007 3008 3009 3010 3011 3012 30133018 3019 3020 3021 3024 3025 3031 3032 3033 3034 3035 30443045 3046 3047 3048 3049 3050 3051 3052 3053 3054 3055 3060BG: 44041 4042 4046 4048 4049Tract: 1803BG: 11041 1042 1043 1044 1048 1049 1050 1051 1053 1054 1055 10561057 1058 1059 1060 1061 1999Tract: 1805BG: 11001 1002 1003 1004 1007 1999
DISTRICT 5 Barrow CountyTract: 1801.01BG: 11005 1006 1007 1008 1009 1010 1014 1015 1016 1017 1018 10191020 102 1 1022 1023 1024 1025 1026 1027 1028 1029 1030 1031 1032 1033 1034 1035 1036 1037 1038 1039 1040 1041 1042 10431044 1045 1046 1047 1048 1049 1050 1051 1052 1053 1054 10551056 1057 1058 1059 1060 1061 1062 1063 1064 1065 1066 10671068 1069 1070 1071 1072 1073 1074 1075 1076 1077 1078 10791080 1081 1082 1083 1084 1085 1086 1087 1088 1089 1090 10911092 1093 1094 1095 1096 1097 1098 1099 1100 1101 1102 11031104 1105 1106 1107 1108 1109 1110 1111 1112 1113 1114 11151116 1117 1118 1119 1120 1121 1122 1123 1124 1125 1126 11271128 1129 1133 1134 1135 1144 1151 1152BG: 22056 2058 2059 2061Tract: 1801.02BG: 11010 1011 1012 1013 1014 1015 1016 1017 1018 1019 1020 10211022 1023 1024 1025 1026 1027 1028 1029 1030 1031 1032 10331034 1035 1036 1037 1038 1039 1040 1041 1042
DISTRICT 6 Barrow CountyTract: 1801.01BG: 11004 1011 1012 1013BG: 22000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 20112012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 20232024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 20352036 2037 2038 2039 2040 2041 2042 2043 2044 2045 2046 20472048 2049 2050 2051 2052 2053 2054 2055 2057 2060 2062 20632064 2065 2066 2067Tract: 1802.01BG: 33000 3001 3014 3015 3016 3017 3022 3023 3028 3029BG: 55000 5001 5002 5003 5004 5005 5006 5007 5008 5009 5010 50115012 5013 5014 5015 5016 5017 5018 5019 5020 5021 5022 50235024 5025 5026 5027 5028 5029 5030 5031 5032 5033 5034 50355036 5037 5038 5039 5040 5041 5042 5043 5044 5045 5046 50475048 5049 5050 5051 5052 5053 5054 5055 5056 5057 5058 50595060 5061 5062 5063 5064 5065 5066 5067Tract: 1802.02BG: 11015 1016 1017 1027BG: 22000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 20112012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 20232024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 20352036 2037 2038 2039 2040 2041 2042 2044 2045 2046 2050 2051Tract: 1803BG: 11015 1016 1017 1018 1019 1020 1021 1022 1023 1024 1025 10381039 1040 1045 1046 1047 1052
SECTION 5. (AMENDED 5/1/03)
(a) The members of the board serving in office on January 1, 2003, and any person selected to fill a vacancy in any such office shall continue to serve until the expiration of the terms for which they were elected and until their successors are elected and qualified.
(b) (1) Paul Withers, the member of the board elected at the November 2000 general election, shall be designated
to be serving from and representing Commissioner District 1, but as newly described under this Act.
(2) Bill Brown , the member of the board elected at the November 2000 general election, shall be designated to be
serving from and representing Commissioner District 2, but as newly described under this Act.
(3) Roger Wehunt, the member of the board elected at the November 2000 general election, shall be designated
to be serving from and representing Commissioner District 3, but as newly described under this Act.
(4) Norma Jean Brown, the member of the board elected at the November 2002, general election, shall be
designated to be serving from and representing Commissioner District 4, but as newly described under
this Act.
(5) David Dyer, the member of the board elected at the November 2002, general election, shall be designated to
be serving from and representing Commissioner District 5, but as newly described under this Act.
(6) Thad Brasfield, the member of the board elected at the November 2002, general election, shall be designated
to be serving from and representing Commissioner District 6, but as newly described under this Act.
(c) (1) All members of the board shall be elected from the commissioner districts described in Section 4.
(2) The members of the board representing Commissioner Districts 4, 5,and 6 shall be elected at the general
election in 2002 and quadrennially thereafter and shall take office on the first day of January immediately
following their election for terms of four years and until their successors are elected and qualified.
(3) The chairperson and members of the board representing Commissioner District 1, 2, and 3 shall be elected
at the general election in 2004 and quadrennially thereafter and shall take office on the first day of January
immediately following their election for terms of four years and until their successors are elected and
qualified.” SECTION 6.
Before entering upon the discharge of their duties, the Commissioners shall subscribe an oath before the Judge of the Probate Court of Barrow County for the true and faithful performance of their duties and that they are not the holders of any public funds unaccounted for. The Commissioners shall each give a satisfactory surety bond, approved by and payable to the Judge of the Probate Court of Barrow County and filed in the office of the Judge of the Probate Court, in the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00), conditioned upon the faithful performance of the duties of their office. The cost of the bonds shall be paid from the funds of Barrow County .
SECTION 7. (AMENDED 1987)
(a) The Chairperson of the Board shall: (1) Preside at all meetings of the board but shall not vote unless the board is equally divided, in which event the chairperson shall vote and that vote shall be counted the same as the vote of any other member of the board; (2) Appoint members and chairpersons of all committees of the board; (3) Be recognized as the official head of Barrow County by state, federal, and other authorities for military and ceremonial functions; (4) Veto, approve, or fail to approve resolutions of the board as provided in subsection (b) of this section; and (5) Be the Chief Executive Officer of Barrow County with authority and responsibility to implement the actions of the board and generally to supervise, direct, control, and provide for the administration of the affairs of Barrow County . (b) Every official act of the board having the force and effect of law shall be by resolution of the board. Any such resolution adopted or approved by the board shall be submitted to the chairperson thereof within two calendar days following its adoption or approval. The chairperson shall approve or veto the resolution within eight calendar days after adoption or approval, and no resolution shall become effective without the chairperson’s approval except as provided in this subsection. If the chairperson vetoes a resolution, the chairperson shall within two business days of such veto return it to the board accompanied by a written statement of the reasons for that veto. If the board shall pass the resolution by a vote of five of its members at the meeting next held after the resolution has been returned with the chairperson’s veto, it shall become law without the chairperson’s approval. The chairperson may veto any item or items of any resolution making appropriation; the part or parts of any resolution making an appropriation not vetoed shall become law, and the part or parts vetoed shall not become law unless passed by the board over the chairperson’s veto as provided in this subsection with respect to the passage of a vetoed resolution. (c) A chairperson pro tempore, to be selected by the board, shall preside at board meetings in the absence of the chairperson, shall have no other powers of the chairperson but shall have the same right to vote while so presiding as any other member.
SECTION 8. (AMENDED 1/1/89 & 3/15/04)
SECTION 9. (AMENDED 2/10/98)
The Board shall not pay out any money for any purpose except on the submission of an itemized account and approval by a majority vote of the Board. After approval of an account, a check in payment therefore shall be issued and signed within thirty days of such approval; and all checks or vouchers shall be signed by the chairperson and countersigned by the clerk or any other person so designated by the Board of Commissioners, except that after an account has been approved by the board for payment the other three members are hereby authorized to sign a check or voucher for payment of such account in lieu of the chairperson in the event of the chairpersons inability or refusal to so sign.
SECTION 10. (AMENDED 3/24/78)
No member of the board shall hold any subordinate position of the Board.
SECTION 11. (AMENDED 3/25/86, 4/2/98 & 9/23/03)
(a) (1) The Chairperson of the board shall receive a base salary in the amount of $53,000.00 per annum. Such compensation shall be paid in equal monthly installments from the funds of Barrow County . The Chairperson shall be on a full-time basis and shall devote himself or herself solely to the duties of his or her office. (2) The members of the board other than the chairperson shall receive a base salary of $6,000.00 per annum, to be paid in equal monthly installments from the funds of Barrow County , and shall devote the time necessary in assisting the chairperson. (3) On and after January 1, 1999, whenever that state employees in the classified service of the state merit employees in the classified services of the state merit system receive a cost-of-living increase or general performance based increase of a certain percentage or a certain amount, the salaries of the chairperson and other members of the board provided for in paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection together with any prior cost-of-living increases awarded under this paragraph shall be increased by the same percentage or the same amount applicable to such state employees. If the cost-of-living increase or general performance based increase is in different percentages or different amounts as to certain categories of employees, the amount fixed in paragraph (1) or (2) of this subsection plus prior cost-of-living increases shall be increased by a percentage or an amount not to exceed the average percentage or average amount of the general increase granted to state employees. The periodic changes in the amounts fixed as provided in this paragraph shall become effective on the first day of January following the date that the cost-of living increases received by state employees become effective; provided, however, that if the cost-of-living increases or general performance based increases received by state employees become effective on January 1, such periodic changes in the amount fixed as provided in this paragraph shall become effective on the same date that the cost-of-living increases or general performance based increases received by state employees become effective. (4) The chairperson and each other member of the board shall receive an expense allowance of $25.00 per day for each day spent in the execution of their official duties. The expense allowance shall be payable for not more than six days in each calendar month and shall not be payable with respect to the one day in each month upon which a session of the Board is required to be held pursuant to Section 13 of this act. The allowance authorized by this paragraph shall be payable monthly upon presentation of a written statement by the member seeking the allowance of the number of days for which the allowance is claimed and the official duties performed by the member of each such day. The statements required pursuant to this paragraph shall be kept on file with the board for not less than four years and shall be available for public inspection at all reasonable times. (5) The chairperson and members of the Board of Commissioners shall be reimbursed from the funds of Barrow County for the necessary and actual expenses in the execution of their official duties and not reimbursed pursuant to paragraph (4) of this subsection. (b) The board shall elect a Clerk whose duties shall be to keep a full and accurate record of all the actions and doings of the board of said county, which record for the inspection of the public at all times during office hours and when the board is not in session. The Clerk shall perform such other duties and keep such records as required by law or may be required of them by the board. For the Clerk’s services, the Clerk shall receive an amount of compensation to be determined by the Board, payable monthly, and withe further provision that the Clerk shall not be a member of the board and shall give his entire time to the work of his office.
SECTION 12. (AMENDED 2/10/98)
The board shall be the purchasing agent of Barrow County and shall purchase any and all things for the use of the county. Purchasing shall be done in accordance with a purchasing policy adopted by the Board of Commissioners.
SECTION 13. (AMENDED 2/10/98 & 9/23/03)
The Board shall hold at least one session on the second Tuesday in each month at a site duly designated by the Board of Commissioners. At the request of a majority of the members of the board, the Chairperson shall, at a time agreeable to most of the members, call an extra session. The Commissioners shall have the right to adjourn from day to day until they finish their business. A quorum shall consist of four members of the board in addition to the chairperson. An affirmative vote of a majority of the quorum present at any meeting of the board shall be necessary to pass any order or any subject matter.
SECTION 14. (AMENDED 9/23/03)
The Board shall not neglect any public road in the county, nor refuse to keep up a road that has been built and accepted by the County. The Board shall not build more roads in one section of the county than in another, except farm to market roads. Roadwork shall be fairly and equitably divided between the different road districts according to the needs in said districts.
SECTION 15. (AMENDED 9/23/03)
The Board shall have the authority to employ a County Attorney who shall receive an annual retainer in an amount determined by the Board, payable in equal monthly installments from the funds of Barrow County . The county attorney shall be entitled to such other reasonable compensation for services rendered to Barrow County as may be approve by the Board.
SECTION 16.
The Clerk of the Board shall give a surety bond in the sum of $25,000.00, to be approved by the Judge of the Probate Court of the county, and payable to the Judge of the Probate Court of the county, for the faithful performance of any and all duties of said office, said bond to be paid for by Barrow County. The property of said clerk, as well as the security on this bond, shall be bound from the tie of execution thereof for the payment of any and all liability arising from the breach of said bond.
SECTION 17. (AMENDED 3/24/78)
The Board shall cause to be published in the official county organ, under oath, a financial statement and an audit report prepared by a certified public accountant covering the financial affairs of the county for the immediately preceding fiscal year. The publication shall occur not later than May 1 in any year. (a) Beginning October 1, 1978, the fiscal year of Barrow County shall begin on October 1 in each year and shall end on September 30 of the following calendar year. All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
THIS COMBINED CHARTER IS FOR REFERENCE ONLY. ALL OFFICIAL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE CHECKED IN THE GEORGIA CODE BOOK BEFORE RELYING ON THIS INFORMATION OR QUICK REFERENCE CHARTER.
