2022 — A year in review: ‘Georgia’s most progressive county’

HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — Affectionately called Georgia’s most progressive county, Houston County has seen quite the growth spurt in recent years. With a growing population and continuing expansions in infrastructure and industry, Houston County has watched as new areas have been developed, and previously developed areas have been rebuilt.

Home to three municipalities and a number of unincorporated areas, what used to be a sleep rural community in the early 40s has rapidly become a bustling metropolitan area that continues to expand, gaining new resources, partners and projects.

Bringing this Year in Review segment to a close, The Journal spoke with newly elected Chairman Dan Perdue of the Houston County Commissioners to talk about some of the county highlights in the recent year, and what ongoing projects look like headed into 2023.

“We put a lot of projects on the table, and moved on a lot of them, closed some of them, in 2022, the most significant, the most costly, being the state courthouse addition in Perry,” Perdue said. “The other thing I think about when I reflect on 2022, is the wrapping up of the careers of Tommy Stalnaker and Jay Walker, and really, also, Tal Talton coming on the commission, Gail Robinson becoming the last senior member in terms of years of service on the commission.

“When you look at just two years ago, we had a commission full of people that had decades of experience here on the commission or a combination of on the commission and employment with Houston County,” Perdue said. “In just two years, we’ve gone to just one of those people remaining; it’s a big transition.”

Perdue, however, said the values of the commission have not changed.

“The main thing that our commission is known for, is [that] the five people who sit on that body don’t think about what’s best for themselves or their pet projects — they think about what is best for the county,” Perdue said. “While we’ve had a tremendous amount of turnover there on the commission, every one of the people on the commission still holds that to be true. “

Other highlights of 2022, Perdue remarked, were found in the final ribbon cutting of the Lake Joy Expansion Project, and the new Bonaire fire station, police precinct and ambulance bay.

When it comes to things the county hopes to do better in the new year, Perdue had just one response: customer service.

While Perdue doesn’t believe the county failed in customer service in 2022, he does believe it’s an aspect they can always improve upon. Perdue said he also hopes that supply chain issues and inflation, which are external and out of the county’s control, are resolved in the coming year, so that Houston County can make even better progress on projects.

With several projects either ongoing or upcoming as Houston County enters the New Year, Perdue was able to provide some detail on what they may look like.

A New Commission

Four of the five members of the current commission have been in office for less than one term. Mark Byrd would be the longest continually active member of the board, while Perdue had to step down from his former position to run for chairman. Tal Talton and Shane Gottwals are newly elected, and have served for less than a year. Robinson is the only remaining commissioner with a large collective of experience, and as such, has become the dean of the commission.

In 2023, Perdue said he hopes that with this fresh board of commissioners, they can continue the work of their predecessors, continuing to work in unity, expanding on the strengths of the board and make necessary tweaks to resolve any issues they find.

Salary Compression

In recent years, county commissions have made adjustments to relieve the compressed salaries of county employees, providing raises to county employees where they could.

Perdue said that these changes, on a large scale, have relieved most, if not all, of the county’s salary compression. However, that does not mean that the county is done challenging inflation by reclassifying positions, making cost of living adjustments and providing raises where possible. Perdue said the county would also be working to add new positions in county offices where possible.

Flock Cameras

An ongoing project for the county, led by District Attorney William Kendall, the county is working to have Flock cameras installed all over Houston County.

Working alongside the three municipalities, the cameras will be strategically placed so they can help image and track license plates on vehicles. The cameras will be used in the event of violent crimes or missing persons who must be tracked.

Using ARPA funds, Perdue said, these cameras will be a force multiplier, and will be another tool used by local law enforcement.

Infrastructure and Facility Projects

The year 2022 was Tommy Stalnaker’s final year as commissioner chairman, and a year he often referred to as a ‘sprint,’ bringing many projects to a close, starting others and maintaining progress on even more.

The county saw the beginning of a new public safety complex, a litany of road expansions, a new well and water purification station, and the consolidation of two of their major courts in the Houston County Courthouse Expansion project. In 2023, Perdue hopes to make water line expansions and improvements, build remote well facilities, and even more road projects, like Elberta Road, Thompson Mill Road, and a Talton Road widening as the frontrunners.

Supporting Robins Air Force Base

In 2022, Houston County made a big move in supporting the continuation of Robins Air Force Base by supporting Project SOAP, buying land near the base to build a solar farm, both providing the base with a sustainable form of energy, and fighting against encroachment. The project was a leap in terms of resiliency for the Air Force Base.

In 2023, Perdue said that Houston County will always support Robins Air Force Base, and if a need arises, they can be relied upon.

Homelessness

As a growing metropolitan area in Georgia, a growing number of people in Houston County are affected by homelessness, or are on the verge.

Last year was a significant time in the fight against homelessness with the creation of the Greater Houston Coalition, a group of local governments, nonprofits, businesses and individuals coming to fight against the effects and root cause of homelessness. Houston County is one of the contributing parties in that coalition.

As Warner Robins works to purchase a building to develop a local shelter and put together programs to assist those in need, Perdue said the county commends their work in addressing the issue, and the county will “plug in” where they can to help.

The county has previously done work with United Way, a nonprofit that, in part, fights homelessness to help address homelessness.

“I want to continue a good legacy of leadership that we have had in Houston County,” Perdue said, closing. “I want to continue Chairman Stalnaker’s, Chairman Sanders,’ Chairman Stafford’s and the former commissioners, their legacy of good fiscal conservative leadership and management of Houston County.

“I want to continue to support Robins Air Force Base and anything they need. I want them to know they can reach out to us, and we’re going to be a good partner to them. And I want to continue to have good relationships with our sister cities within Houston County, and make sure that we’re working together for the good of all our citizens.”

As 2023 continues, The Journal will focus on all these projects and more. Stay tuned.

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