"Tough times can sometimes be the catalyst for getting results"

Mike Berg reviews Dawson County's accomplishments in 2009—
and looks forward to some "bright spots" in 2010

By Barbara Schneider
bschneider@bigcanoenews.com

Mike Berg
Chairman of Dawson
County Board of Commissioners

“Managing through this economy,” was the immediate response of Mike Berg, chairman of the Dawson Board of Commissioners, when asked to name Dawson County’s 2009 accomplishments.

His comments on 2009 and looking forward to 2010 came in an interview with Smoke Signals after the Dec. 4 Nathan Deal Breakfast at the Sconti.

“We expect to receive $50 million in tax revenue through SPLOST over its six-year life, that’s down significantly from the $94 million originally projected,” he said. The special purpose local option tax is used to fund capital projects such as the new county courthouse. The local option sales tax also has been running significantly below 2007 and 2008 collection levels.

Because of lower county revenues the commission went back to 2006 budget levels for its 2010 Dawson County budget, Berg said. “We are planning to run the county at the $23.4 million level, down from $30 million originally proposed.

County Manager Kevin Tanner did a good job of setting furlough days (rather than layoffs) to reduce expenses. This option saved Dawson approximately $200,000 in 2009, according to Berg. The five furlough days taken by all county employees in 2009 likely will continue in 2010, with talk of increasing the number to 12 required unpaid days. Tanner is putting together a list of possible dates for the furlough days for court calendars and meetings.

Dawson County’s unemployment rate—at 10.4 percent—was higher than state and nation averages in July. The rate dipped in August to 9.9 percent, which means 1,078 people out of the county’s 22,006 population filed for unemployment in that month.

Good news for the courthouse
The recession’s financial crunch did generate some good news for Dawson’s government. Bids received for construction of the new courthouse, originally budgeted for $30 million, came in substantially lower than expected. So low, in fact, that cost-saving modifications to the courthouse’s design taken earlier in the year are back in the plan.

Winter’s Construction submitted the lowest bid—$14.5 million—and won the contract. Groundbreaking is scheduled for January. (For a more detailed report, see "Bid for Dawson Courthouse promises hugh savings for county.")

Berg counts among Dawson’s accomplishments the Monument Road Fire Station and the Dawson County annex building, now under construction on Hwy 53 about two miles west of State Road 400.
Pickens and Dawson counties in conjunction with the Wildcat Community Association, Inc., worked together to build, man and equip a new fire station (Fire Station 8) on Monument Road, near Big Canoe. Wildcat is an association of eight communities including Big Canoe along or near Monument Road that sprawl across both counties.

Tough times can sometimes be the catalyst for getting results, Berg noted. “The new Monument Road Fire Station near Big Canoe, known as Station 8, is a solid example of inter-county cooperation.” Pickens County built Station 8, while Dawson contributed two pieces of fire fighting equipment and Dawson County Emergency Services will manage the station.

In other new construction, the Dawson County Annex will include the new Fire Station # 2. Sheriff’s Dept. East Precinct, a satellite tax office and branch library. A recycling center will be located near the complex. The facility will have enough space to accommodate a voting precinct if needed.

Looking forward
Berg expects 2010 will have its bright spots but he has one overriding concern: “unfunded mandates.” He is concerned about the impact of a continuing weak economy and legislation that places the burden of unfunded mandates on the county. With SPLOST and LOST revenues down, the county has limited revenue options. Dawson has held the millage rate on property taxes for the last six years and Berg would like to see that record hold.

Charlie Auverman, executive director of Dawson’s economic development authority, is spearheading an important technology upgrade that should pay huge dividends in spurring commercial growth.

The North Georgia Network is an initiative by the economic development authorities of Dawson, Forsyth, Lumpkin, Union and White counties to improve the broadband infrastructure in the North Georgia region. The proposed $45 million fiber optic project would run from Forsyth up State Road 400 from Cumming to Dawsonville, Dahlonega, Cleveland and then curve toward Blairsville in Union County.

“The five-county NGN authority applied for federal stimulus grants,” said Berg. “The state and counties have to provide $5 million (they are close to that amount) of the funding and the feds will supply $40 million.”

In a September presentation to the Big Canoe’s Community Relations Committee, Auverman said the project is an attempt to solve local broadband problems. The lack of capability, he said, united a land grant university, two colleges, five counties, five electric membership corporations and two hospitals in a common goal—a fiber optic trunk system that can support competitive demands for a fast, reliable broadband infrastructure.