ACCG Deputy Legislative Director Todd Edwards presented Georgia State Senator Steve Gooch with a 2021 Legislative Service Award this week for his work on HB 449, the call before you dig law, and HB 160, which would have set a dangerous precedent by expanding the Municipal Option Sales Tax beyond Atlanta. ACCG appreciates Sen. Gooch's understanding of the impact legislation has on Georgia's counties.

Governor Brian Kemp announced almost $408 million in awards for broadband projects funded through the state's American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. The Governor, members of the Broadband Infrastructure Committee, and state leaders identifed 49 projects that represent an investment of more than $738 million in Georgia when matching funds are considered. To read more, click here.

ACCG County Consulting team members Bill Twomey and Mary Beth Brownlee traveled to Dougherty County (pictured) and Upson County this week to help facilite the countys' annual planning retreats. The County Consulting team provides a wide range of technical assistance to Georgia's counties.

After serving as the county's interim manager for more than six months, Alicia Vaughn has been named Habersham County Manager. "I feel somebody just told me I'm going to Disney World," said Vaughn. "I am so happy and excited and feel very blessed." Vaughn came to Habersham County from Catoosa County in July 2021.

The Catoosa County Fire Department and its vendor, Kirila Fire Training Facilities, recently completed the construction of a four-story training tower. The tower includes a standpipe, with indoor rooms, balconies and stairwells on each floor that can be used to simulate a variety of fire, rescue, and ventilation operations. It is located at the county's fire station #10 and was paid for with SPLOST funds approved by the Board of Commissioners.

Name: Jennifer Dorminey Herzog 

County and Title: Partner and Shareholder at Hall Booth Smith, P.C.; Berrien County Attorney

Position on the ACCG Board: County Attorney Representative

Year First Appointed to the ACCG Board: 2020

About Jennifer: Jennifer, her husband and their two beautifully active and very noisy daughters, Bess and Mari, live on a farm in the outskirts of Tift County just a couple of miles from where she grew up. She and her husband were married in the little white chapel at Georgia Museum of Agriculture (GMA) and Historic Village (formerly known as the Agrirama). She grew up going to the GMA with her grandparents and now enjoys taking her daughters to ride the steam train on Saturday mornings. Jennifer is a native of Tifton, Georgia, and returned to her hometown to practice law in HBS’ Tifton office. Her focus is in the area of government liability and she serves as County Attorney for Berrien County and Assistant County Attorney for Coffee, Tift, and Ware counties. She also represents several other counties in various litigation matters. Jennifer is trained in general mediation, domestic mediation, arbitration and serves as a registered mediator with an active mediation practice in South Georgia. According to Jennifer, South Georgia summers are no joke but the sunsets over the cotton fields make the gnats and humidity worth the sweat!