Walker County Community Update - December 2022

From: Walker County Government
December 15, 2022

A Message from Chairman Shannon Whitfield

My fellow citizens,

We are nearly two years into our new form of government and the Walker County Board of Commissioners continues to work tirelessly for the betterment of our community. We are ahead of schedule on our 12-year plan to eliminate county debt, so our children and grandchildren can live in a prospering community. The advancements shared in this progress report are directly tied to the hard work of our county employees and the sacrifices you and your neighbors made in recent years as we embraced leaner government operations.

The Debt:
In January 2017, we all learned we had inherited over $74.2-million in debt. I am excited to share with you that by remaining disciplined, county government has reduced our total liabilities to $24,016,001! That’s a nearly 68% reduction in debt over the past five-and a half years.

Lowest Millage Rate Since 2013:
The Board of Commissioners rolled back the millage rate to 6.8283 mills in the unincorporated area, which represents a 17.86% reduction over 2021, when the rate was 8.313 mills. In addition, the rate of 9.9213 mills in the incorporated areas represents a 17.06% decrease compared to 11.963 mills last year. The millage rate for county maintenance and operation is now at its lowest level since 2013.

Our Transportation Infrastructure:
The voter approved TSPLOST ended September 30, 2022, dropping the sales tax charged on many goods and services in the county by one-percent. Over the course of TSPLOST, we have been able to resurface about 120 miles of county roads. But, there are 674 miles of roads in the county, so we still have 554 miles in need of attention. Without TSPLOST, we do not have a dedicated funding source to maintain our existing infrastructure by resurfacing 30 to 40 miles of roads each year. That is why we will be asking voters to restore the TSPLOST by holding a special referendum in 2023.

Grants:
We successfully landed nearly $7-million in grants this year to help tackle some important projects. The largest award will improve broadband access in unserved and underserved communities. We’re collaborating with Georgia Windstream, LLC to leverage their existing infrastructure, engineering experience and construction management to deploy a Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP) solution to 3,339 homes and businesses in rural areas. The project involves extending 323 miles of fiber throughout the Armuchee Valley, Center Post and Kensington communities, among other locations.

We also received a $500,000 grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency to perform brownfield assessments and develop cleanup plans on up to 30 sites, including the Crystal Springs Print Works Mill in Chickamauga and the former Peerless Woolen Mills in Rossville.

In addition, our employee safety committee has been tasked with investing nearly $113,000 in grants and distributions in equipment to minimize workplace hazards. Thermal imaging cameras were purchased for the Fire Department and Sheriff’s Office, reflective vests and jackets for employees who work outside, as well as electrolyte loaded hydration products for employees who work in hot and humid environments.

Tire Amnesty Day Will Return:
Walker County started offering tire amnesty day events in 2017, but they were paused in 2020 due to COVID. We are thrilled to restore this service and are planning a day in 2023 to discard your old tires at the landfill for free. Look for an announcement soon at walkercountyga.gov.

Iworq Service Request:
I know many of you have utilized our iWorQ service request app to report issues with codes, roads or animals. Unfortunately, the vendor we used for that service no longer supports the app. However, a web-based version has been upgraded and is available to report issues through your phone, tablet or computer. Visit walkercountyga.gov/citizenportal to get started on your device. A key feature includes the ability to upload a picture with your service request, so our team members can see the issue you are reporting.  

Walker 180:
Would you invest three minutes of your time, once a month, to hear about some of the latest developments in Walker County? A little over a year ago, we launched a short form video segment called “Walker 180” on Youtube that does just that. The series features news and information, along with interviews and trivia on occasion. Subscribe to our Youtube channel at youtube.com/walkercountyga to be notified when we post new videos, like “Walker 180.” All of our board meetings are also archived on our Youtube channel.

Again, I am encouraged by the progress we have made in recent years as we work to eliminate the debt and improve county services. I thank you for the opportunity to serve.

166 Home Subdivision Planned in northern Walker County

A 166 home development in northern Walker County recently received approval from the Board of Commissioners. The Happy Valley Farms subdivision will be located near the new Morning Pointe assisted living facility off Happy Valley Road.

RP Homes, based out of Chattanooga, plans to construct 114 single family homes and 52 townhouses on a 61 acre site. The subdivision will feature sidewalks, a clubhouse and pool, as well as 26 acres of open community space.

Single family homes will range in size from 1,350 to 2,550 square feet and be priced in the $320,000 to $370,000 range. Townhouses will be roughly 1,250 to 1,500 square feet and priced at $280,000 to $290,000, depending on market conditions.

“This is a PUD. The great thing about a PUD is it's basically a bond between the developer and the community which says this is what we will build,” said Mike Price with MAP Engineer. “We are held to this development guideline, this standard, this plan.”

Site engineering calls for a 50-foot buffer between the development and the adjacent Mission Glen subdivision. There will also be a second entrance to the neighborhood off Turner Ridge Road to improve access for first responders.

Site work is expected to begin in the spring, with construction on the first homes anticipated in late 2023 or early 2024. Developers say it will take roughly five years to build out the neighborhood.

Happy Valley Farms is just one of several new developments near Ridgeland High and Rossville Middle Schools, prompting questions about planning for schools and traffic. In the coming years, over 900 new housing units are planned to be constructed in this area of the county.

Robert Blakemore, District 1 Commissioner, recently met with school officials and said they are open to all the development. “They said they could take 400 more students at Ridgeland, which would bump them from 3A to 4A. The main thing they wanted to see was road improvements and a sidewalk from Highway 2 to Rossville Middle School.”

Chairman Shannon Whitfield said the county has been working with EXP Engineering to solve the current traffic problems and manage the future growth. “There was a traffic problem there around school time before anything changed. Back when there were horses on this land, there was a traffic problem.”

Ryan Higgins with EXP Engineering recommends the county install a series of roundabouts and sidewalks between Highway 2 and Rossville Middle School. “It’s going to help with traffic flow through spacing, it’s going to slow down traffic, it’s going to help with safety and collisions.”

In addition, GDOT has been exploring potential improvements to the Highway 2 intersection at Happy Valley Road. SPLOST, TSPLOST, American Rescue Plan Act funds and grants could help pay for the road improvements.

Fiscal 2021 Audit Presented to the Board of Commissioners

The annual audit of governmental and business-type activities of Walker County was received by the Walker County Board of Commissioner during their meeting on Thursday, December 8, 2022. The audit covers October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021. The 140 page document, prepared by Rushton LLC, is now available for community review on the county's website.

To view previous audits, visit our Budgets and Financials page.

Walker County Animal Shelter to Participate in Prison Dog Program

The Walker County Animal Shelter and Walker State Prison will join forces in early 2023 to launch a new prison dog program. The program is designed to provide inmates with the opportunity to give back to the community by fostering and caring for homeless shelter dogs. In addition, inmates will learn a new skill set used to provide basic obedience training for the dogs. 

Over the course of the seven-week program, inmates will be selected as handlers/trainers for the dogs. There will be two inmates assigned to each dog. The dogs will live in the dorm with their handlers and receive around the clock interaction. The Walker County Animal Shelter will be responsible for choosing which dogs participate in the program and those dogs will arrive at the prison fully vetted and ready to begin their training.

A trainer will visit the prison once a week to teach the inmates the different skills they need in order to train the dogs while in their care. 

After the seven-week program, the dogs will be available for adoption. Adopters will be screened and pre-approved by Walker County Animal Shelter with a goal of having each dog pre-adopted upon graduation from the program.

Tennessee American Water Awards $1,000 to Walker County Fire Rescue

Tennessee American Water has awarded, through its Firefighting Support Grant program, over $15,000 to 16 fire departments in the region, including Walker, Catoosa and Dade Counties in Georgia and Hamilton, Marion, and Sequatchie Counties in Tennessee. The grants provide supplemental funding to fire and emergency organizations supporting Tennessee American Water’s service areas.

Tennessee American Water’s Firefighting Support Grant Program covers a variety of fire department expenses associated with personal protective gear, communications equipment, firefighting tools, training, and fire prevention education.

The $1,000 grant received by Walker County Fire Rescue will be invested in hose straps to speed up the deployment of fire hoses when responded to an incident where access and terrain may cause issues for apparatus access.

“We know how important water is in protecting homes and businesses. We also understand resources for our local first responders can run short. We offer the firefighter grant program as a way to support first responders in a meaningful way.” said Grant Evitts, Tennessee American Water President. “The departments will utilize these funds to help keep our customers and communities safe in emergency situations.”

The Rossville Fire Department also received a Tennessee American Water Firefighting Support Grant to purchase pagers to alert firefighters of calls.

Walker County African American Museum Set to Open December 17

The Walker County African American Museum and Cultural Center will host its grand opening at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 17 at the Wardlaw Building, 309 N. Main St. in LaFayette.

Visitors can experience exhibits telling the story of African Americans in Walker County. The museum features photographs, historical artifacts and digital touchscreens. 

Walker County Government offices will be closed for the holidays on the following dates:

- Friday, December 23
- Monday, December 26
- Monday, January 2

The Walker County Landfill will be open Friday, December 23 and closed on Saturday, December 24 and Monday, December 26. Also, the landfill will be open Saturday, December 31 and closed on Monday, January 2.

The annual recycling day at the landfill is Thursday, December 29.

The following items will be accepted:

Penned mail & greeting cards, paper egg cartons, paperboard boxes, #1-7 plastic bottles & jugs, plastic lids & caps (do not flatten), file folders, blueprints, plastic bags, cans (do not crush), magazines, brochures, catalogs, white or pastel office paper, clean balled aluminum foil (2” or larger), pie pans, newspapers & inserts (no bags), phone books, loose metal jar lids & steel bottle caps, corrugated cardboard & paper bags, paper milk/juice cartons (no foil pouches, do not flatten), paperback books and shredded paper. Please note: glass is NOT allowed.

Natural / organic Christmas Trees will also be accepted for free December 27 – 31, provided they do not contain any lights or decorations.

Free Recycling Day is only available to Walker County residents. If you have questions, call the landfill at 706-375-8910 or visit walkercountyga.gov/residents/landfill.

Select a Georgia town to find
the Best Things-To-Do and Places To Go around you
Appling County
Bacon County
Baker County
Ben Hill County
Bibb County
Bleckley County
Candler County
Chattahoochee County
Crisp County
Dawson County
Dougherty County
Echols County
Forsyth County
Glascock County
Hancock County
Heard County
Jeff Davis County
Jenkins County
Johnson County
Jones County
Lincoln County
Long County
Lumpkin County
Marion County
Miller County
Paulding County
Pulaski County
Putnam County
Quitman County
Rockdale County
Schley County
Taliaferro County
Toombs County
Treutlen County
Webster County
Wheeler County