After a four-year term, Habersham County Commissioner Bruce Palmer will leave office on Dec. 31. But his involvement in local government is by no means over.
Palmer was defeated in the May primary after Kelly Woodall and Eric Holbrooks secured a majority of votes over the District 1 commissioner.
Woodall claimed victory in that race, ran unopposed last November and was sworn in as the next District 1 commissioner earlier this month.
Background, public safety
Palmer, a life-long Habersham County native, worked in public safety as a firefighter for more than 25 years. He started his career at the Toccoa Fire Department before he went on to join Hall County’s Fire Department in 1989.
During his career as a professional firefighter, Palmer also volunteered in Habersham County in 1983 – experience that he said had long lended him insight into staffing needs at fire stations across the county.
Palmer, 56, retired from Hall County’s Fire Department in 2014, and since he was elected in 2021, he said he’s always strived to fight for more personnel in public safety departments countywide.
In the last two years, Palmer said he’s pushed for increased staffing in the sheriff’s office (an additional four patrol officers, four detention officers, two investigators and seven school resource officers).
Also, as an ongoing issue in county fire departments, particularly in the less populated areas, stations once only had one person on shift at a time. Now, according to Palmer, nearly all of those stations have at least two people on shift. With credit to other commissioners who also approved these changes, he said this was a priority for him from the start.
Still, Palmer believes there is work to be done on that front in the years ahead.
“Hopefully the commission will work to put paid people in (all) those stations,” Palmer said. “It’ll take 18 people because they work three shifts…that not only will help people’s insurance but it will also make our county safer.”
Palmer added: “Just showing up (on a call) with one person on a fire engine, there’s not a whole lot you can do, and what you can do is not safe to do.”
Accomplishments
Among Palmer’s accomplishments in office, he remarked, is a series of new access points on GA 365. Palmer said he was able to secure $3 million in funding for that project at a Georgia Regional Commission conference in St. Simons.
“It was a savings to the taxpayers, being able to get those access points to the citizens at no cost was a huge plus,” Palmer said.
As a commissioner known to be active in attending conferences and classes throughout the state, Palmer fears Habersham won’t have a seat at the table if elected officials don’t follow suit.
“I hope the rest of the board understands that there’s so much more to being a commissioner than just what happens in Habersham County,” Palmer said. “…if you weren’t involved in those meetings, then you don’t have a voice. That’s why I felt like it was so important to have representation at those meetings and conferences. It really makes a big difference as far as being informed.”
Other achievements Palmer pointed to include:
- His work in securing 10-year tax abatement for the development of the new Fairfield Inn hotel in Cornelia.
- The implementation of two free community events at the Ruby Fulbright Aquatic Center. Swim Safety Day, which educates the public on water safety and drowning prevention.
- The second: a holiday event where Palmer takes on the role of Santa Claus for families.
Beyond policy achievements, Palmer mentioned a highlight of his time as Santa when, a few years ago, he was asked to be included in a portrait alongside a family of five generations.
“That was pretty different and pretty neat to be in the picture with five generations,” he said. “It was very cool. Five generations is something you don’t see a whole lot.”
What’s next
Palmer said he’ll remain involved in local government even after his term expires. He’ll continue to serve on the Chestatee-Chattahoochee RC&D Council. He said he’s also looking for ways to continue serving on the Georgia Mountain Regional Commission by appointment – either through Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns or as a private sector representative.
“I’m going to continue to be active in the county and attend commission meetings,” Palmer said. “I’m going to try to stay up with issues facing the county, and I’ll probably be pretty vocal about those issues moving forward.”
While he wasn’t reelected, Palmer said he feels he always acted in the best interest of Habersham County’s citizens. And he said “it’s a possibility” that he could run for commission again in the future.
Despite what the future could hold, Palmer said he’s grateful for his time on Habersham County’s Board of Commissioners.
“I really enjoyed serving the citizens of the county,” he said. “It’s been an honor, and I thank them for electing me to start with.”
