Just shy of 40 people gathered Tuesday evening at the Ruby Fulbright Aquatic Center in Clarkesville as Habersham County Commission Vice-Chairman Bruce Harkness and County Manager Alicia Vaughn delivered the State of the County Address.
Almost every seat in the room was full as they delivered the presentation, highlighting current county SPLOST projects like the new animal shelter, Habersham Emergency Services Central Station, courthouse improvements and 911 radio tower system, the county’s current finances and employment.
“I think we had had a large audience,” Harkness said. “I think it’s going to be good to get out the message to the people.”
Harkness and Vaughn were both pleased with the turnout. Their goal for the event was to inform the public of the county’s current position in its operations, as well as take questions from the community with the county commissioners present.
Harkness says that the current commission and county officials’ steps to make the county more transparent with residents are paying off, bringing forward community engagement.
“I think in the past, the problem was the community wasn’t engaged,” Harkness said. “Now, we’re really starting to engage the community and involve the community, and I think it’s very important, and that’s one reason why I was elected. Number one, people used to not know what the heck was going on, and number two, things were just being done that nobody had any input [in], and I feel like we have to have input.”
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Vaughn echoed those thoughts, mentioning County Public Information Officer Carolyn Gibson’s work and the impact public information has in involving the Habersham community. She says that those communications are essential to keeping the community in the loop and giving them information and resources to connect with their local government— something that, in her opinion, is at the root of making an impact.
“Honestly, it’s just difficult sometimes to get people to take an interest in local government,” Vaughn said. “What I would like to tell those people, if I could get to them, is that if you want to make an impact, doing it at the local government level is the best way to do it. Because this group that I work with, the commissioners, they will listen, and you will be heard if you come to these things.”
Vaughn says she wants local government to be as accessible to the public as possible.
“I know a lot of people get frustrated, and they’re like ‘it doesn’t matter,’ . . . but you can make a difference,” she says. “You have to take an interest in your local government and you have to come out.”
Four of the five county commissioners were present at the meeting to take citizen questions and hear their concerns, such as a growing senior center, public safety needs and pay for county employees. The commissioners and Vaughn were able to provide insight on some of those issues, as well as assure citizens that their concerns would be looked into.
“There’s always room for improvement,” Vaughn said. “I get encouraged when we do these, I feel like it’s baby steps [towards improvement].”
