CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES Will Nichols (I) 

What are the three most important issues/problems facing Rabun County in the next 12 months? 

1. C&D at the landfill. There were 4 cells. The 4th cell has only approximately 5% remaining capacity left. When the C&D is full the county will have to start transferring the material. Municipal Solid Waste/recycling same issue. The county is currently transferring the MSW. Marketing for recyclables is extremely limited and the cost to transport outweighs the value of the recyclable most times. 
2. Helping to secure funding for water/sewer infrastructure. This will be the key to responsible growth. 
3. In order to continue providing services as the county grows, Public Safety and Roads/streets 

As Commissioner, how will you address those issues? 

Addressing these issues are vital in moving our county forward. These are multimillion dollar projects and must be addressed in a way that accommodates affordable living for all citizens of Rabun County. I will look at revenues such as TSPLOST, SPLOST, grants and the general fund and use that funding to provide for these issues. Public input is also of utmost importance. 

There are boards and people that the commission have put into place to look at these issues and give the commission recommendations as to how the problems are assessed and solved. (Examples: Water and Sewer Authority, Development Authority, Key employees, consultants, etc.) 

Using all these resources will allow us to move forward at a pace that Rabun County Citizens can afford. 

The new Short-Term Rental (STR) ordinance will be one of the county’s top revenue sources. What are the top three areas of need you would allocate to these brand-new funds?

First, these are not brand-new funds for the county. Second, since 62.5% of these funds are restricted for specific purpose by state law, it remains to be seen if this source will increase to an amount that would qualify as a top revenue source. Since fiscal year 2019 (prior to COVID) Hotel/Motel Tax revenue has increased from approximately $183,000 annually to approximately $575,000 annually in fiscal year 2023. As previously mentioned, Hotel/Motel Tax funds are restricted funds and must be spent as follows: 

37.50% = can be transferred to the General Fund and used in the County’s General Fund budget. 

43.75% = must be used for TCT (Tourism, Conventions, and Trade Shows). These funds must be sent to a Destination Marketing Organization (Forward Rabun) and may only be spent by this organization on advertising to attract tourism, conventions and trade shows. 

18.75% = may be used for TPD (Tourism Product Development). These funds can be spent on creation or expansion of physical attractions which are available and open to the public and improve destination appeal to visitors. If these funds are not spent on TPD, they must be spent on TCT. 

As Commissioner, what will you do differently about the transparency of how tax dollars are allocated? 

Both the audited financial statements as well as budget are on the county website. The Board of Commissioners office currently advertises more than what is required by the state law. Yearly, there is a budget meeting held with the department heads that is advertised and open to the public. Budget hearings are also open to the public. You can also “open record requests” for information or come to a monthly meeting. As your Commissioner, I am available to answer questions and want to hear your input. 

What is your opinion on future Commercial growth in noncommercial areas, such as the land around the lakes and predominantly residential and farm roadways? 

I know most people would like to see commercial growth stay along major thoroughfares. I think the commercial growth in these areas would be limited by the absence of municipal water and sewer. 

I am an advocate for private property owner’s rights and the free enterprise system. The county has codes and ordinances in place to protect land values. Landowners buy and pay the taxes on their properties and should be able to use them as they see fit as long as it does not harm their neighbor. 

There are many different groups of people and different types of communities with differing needs. The best place for a marina or a restaurant that serves those on the lakes is on or near the lake. Storage is needed in various communities, not just on Highway 441. Gas and grocery services need to be available in our many communities. The value of agricultural land has increased to a point that it is not always feasible for the landowner to keep it in agricultural zoning. The landowner may need to explore other avenues to make the land a more lucrative investment. 

Do you support term limits for our County Commissioners? 

This request would have to go through the state legislature in order to be approved. There are less than five counties in the state of Georgia that have term limits. The majority of these counties have a consolidated government, and the term limit only applies to the mayor of the consolidated government.

I am not in favor of term limits because I truly believe that it takes at least one term to figure out how a local government operates (required classes, budgets, policies, projects, ordinances etc..). If a project started or a consolidation started, of let’s say water and sewer, there would be too many different views with commission turnover to be efficient. I think we should let the people decide who they choose. In closing, when you term limit someone you are effectively cutting out their incentive to invest in learning how to do the job. 

CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES Roger Glenn 

What are the three most important issues/problems facing Rabun County in the next 12 months? 

1) A lack of transparency & accountability of government. Eliminating conflicts of interest. 

2) A comprehensive land use plan as part of the Rabun County strategy and overall comprehensive plan (last updated in 2019). 

3) Infrastructure development & increased access to housing for young people, working families & seniors. 

As Commissioner, how will you address those issues? 

1) By supporting the ‘transparency of government’ initiative which includes the timely disclosure of financial reports, hiring actions & contract awards. Furthermore, we can begin to livestream commissioner & board meetings, use referendums to ascertain public sentiment & hold regular town halls. We should publish board agendas sooner and provide copies of first readings sooner, i.e. comply with the spirt of public notices acts not just the letter. 

2) Work with public & private sector to revise our existing zoning in order to create a coherent land use plan and revised zoning categories and their respective permitted uses. Our existing lack of a coherent land use strategy is a major vulnerability to uncontrolled development. 

3) Water and sewer expansion that would allow us to offer more ownership for first-time home buyers (young people), working families, and seniors. This would include repealing some of the arbitrary ordinances that have been passed in the last 5 years and hopefully either avoid or mitigate the risk associated with pending litigation. 

The new Short-Term Rental (STR) ordinance will be one of the county’s top revenue sources. What are the top three areas of need you would allocate to these brand-new funds? 

While there is a new revenue stream, I believe that overall the county will realize lower gross income because of the ordinance’s damage to the tourism industry. The 14-page ordinance was passed without any economic impact study and most business owners 

are reporting significantly lower sales and STR operators are reporting lower occupancy rates. I believe that overall the STR ordinance will create a net loss for the county and require unrestricted funds to be used to close the gap in lower sales (including local option) taxes. However, the $10M in higher revenues from 23 should be used for infrastructure to include high speed internet proliferation, the development of housing, and increased pay for first responders among other things. 

As Commissioner, what will you do differently about the transparency of how tax dollars are allocated? 

I was the first and only candidate to advocate for the concept of voluntary open books to include timely quarterly financial statements, hiring actions to include independent contractors, and all county awards (contracts) of over $2,500. This should NOT require an open records request, but rather should be posted to a public web site, shared with the media, and provided in a conspicuous manner. Additionally, I would use Referendums where appropriate to gauge public sentiment. The combination would enable accountability which is sorely lacking in the current opaque environment. I would also advocate for publishing agendas earlier and more overtly as well as establishing a longer vetting period for ordinance modifications, i.e. publish first readings earlier. I believe the current limitation of 10 minutes for and 10 minutes against is archaic and defies the notion of representative government. This is not indicative of a government by, of and for THE PEOPLE.

What is your opinion on future Commercial growth in noncommercial areas, such as the land around the lakes and predominantly residential and farm roadways? 

The preservation of our natural environment is paramount to any economic development plan and one of the reasons that I have urged for an immediate creation of a comprehensive land use plan for the county. This should be considered a high sense of urgency, because our current zoning has left gaping holes for unwanted development that could be exploited by indifferent commercial investors with deep pockets and clever legal representation. We must consider the natural attributes of Rabun to include our forests, lakes and mountains in the context of a SWOT analysis, and balance any growth/development with ensuring that we don’t lose what is most extraordinary. The lakes and much of our agricultural lands should be protected. Other areas should generally be used for commercial development in my opinion. 

Do you support term limits for our County Commissioners? 

I believe I am the first to have suggested it, but absolutely and if there is any debate on the matter it should be put to a vote and let the citizens of Rabun County decide. Also, we ought to consider that many stakeholders currently have little or no voice in how the county is governed and operated given the status quo. I believe we should discuss a mechanism whereby individuals that live here part or half time aren’t disenfranchised from local government, particularly when they contribute to the economy and pay property taxes. While they may never be able to vote in local elections, they ought not be left on the outside looking in.