The Butts County Commissioners Office, located at 625 West Third Street, Jackson Georgia 30233 is the seat of local governance for unincorporated Butts County Georgia. The purpose of this website is to provide information to the public in an easily accessible format.

The form of government specified in the County Charter is known as Commission-Manager form of government, which provides for an elected body of Commissioners, one from each of five geographic districts, who are elected in staggered cycles for four-year terms and a County Manager who is appointed by the full body of the Commissioners to oversee the day to day management of the County. Although each County Commissioner is elected as a representative from their respective districts, they represent the interests of the entire county and all of its citizens. In Butts County we refer to the County Manager as a County Administrator.

The main duties of the Board of Commissioners is to pass local laws, known as ordinances, that regulate a variety of things that promote the health, safety and welfare of the citizens covered by them; to pass a balanced budget each year that funds its own operations as well as to allocate funds to the four Constitutional Officers, other elected officials, the courts and a variety of programs put in place by the State but funded locally; to ensure that necessary services are funded and provided; to set the millage rate for the County government and many other secondary duties.

The Board of Commissioners has direct responsibility, through the County Administrator, for about 46% of the employees of the County but funds 100% of all employee costs. The remaining 54% is under the direct responsibility of Constitutional Officers/Elected Officials and those working for other Boards or Agencies. The Constitutional Officers for Butts County are the Sheriff, Tax Commissioner, Clerk of Court and the Probate Judge. Other elected officials include the Superior Court judges, Magistrate Judge, District Attorney and the Coroner. Each of these individuals operate with complete autonomy and answer directly to the citizens. The Boards who employee staff are the Board of Elections, Board of Assessors and the Library Board.

The Board of Commissioners sets the County millage rate each year to fund a portion of the County budget. They also receive the millage rate that is set by the Board of Education and an assessment by the State which is submitted to the Georgia Department of Revenue each year.

The Board receives, deliberates and passes local ordinances each year and ammends many others to reflect the changing times. Both require that a public hearing be held and these are normally held during the regular Commission meetings. They also pass several resolutions and proclamations throughout the year. Generally, with some exceptions, the Board can pass any local law and ordinance they feel is needed for the County so long as it does not violate the laws of the State or Federal government or the Constitutional rights of any individual. These are researched thoroughly by legal staff before ever being brought to a hearing.

The Board of Commissioners provide many services that citizens expect through the revenues that are raised annually. These include Fire and Ambulance protection; E-911 dispatch services; Zoning and Planning; Inspections; Code Enforcement; Animal Control; Public Library; Parks and Recreation; Public Works; Waste Management Collection Centers; and agencies that service all of these such as Building Maintenance and Vehicle Maintenance. The budget also funds state mandated services such as Law Enforcement and Detention; Superior, Probate, Magistrate and Juvenile courts; Tax Assessment and Tax Collection services; Elections management; District Attorney (shared with other counties) and some smaller funding for local agencies under the State of Georgia.

The Board of Commissioners meets the second Monday of each month at the Administration Facility. A workshop is often held at 5:00PM, with the regular monthly meeting held at 6:00PM, followed by an executive session (if needed). Agendas for meetings are approved on Thursday morning before a Commission meeting, by no later than noon; after that only the Board can add items to the agenda at the meeting itself. Our tenets and principles of sound government are as follows:

Butts County, Georgia

– 1825 –

Our Tenets of County Government

A government is only as strong as the people who serve it, as it in turn strives to serve the people. A government cannot be perfect because it is made up of imperfect beings who, though fully cognizant of their imperfections, still aspire to be the best they can be, to give all that they can give and to do all that they can do.

Recognizing this, we believe and commit to the following tenets:

• That our Citizens are stakeholders in the governance of ButtsCounty; therefore, we must always remain mindful that to govern effectively, we must always take to heart the needs of those we endeavor to serve.

• That our Elected Officials will always be mindful of the Will of the Electorate and that they are charged to govern wisely, judiciously and impartially, adhering to the highest standards of accountability to the Office for which they were elected.

• That every employee, from the least clerk to the highest manager must hold themselves to the utmost standards of service, honesty, integrity and moral character in the performance of their duties so that the public trust is never misplaced.

• That we will strive to achieve the greatest value for every dollar spent, using the tenet that the exercise of sound, prudent fiscal judgment will provide for the maximum yield of return and be of the greatest benefit to the majority of the people.

• That the putting of service above ones self defines the value of the individual while elevating the collective whole.

• That through the exercise of fairness in our business dealings with those we encounter day to day, we can ensure a level playing field and the continuance of a state of equality, so that when we are judged by our peers, we can be found without fault.

• That we will render our services to those we serve without malice nor prejudice, holding firmly to the belief that all human beings are equally Created and shall be equally served.

• That we have a moral obligation to deliver justice to those who have been wronged, render aid to those who have been injured, intercede for those who cannot act on their own, and give a unified voice to the individual citizen who alone cannot succeed and who collectively cannot fail.

Authored by J. Michael Brewer, 2007