Pickens County 2024 Annual Report

2 24 ANNUAL REPORT

PICKENS COUNTY CITIZENS BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

COUNTY ATTORNEY COUNTY CLERK

JOSH TIPPENS POST 1

KRIS STANCIL CHAIRMAN

JOSH TATUM POST 2

APPOINTED BOARDS & AUTHORITIES Airport Authority Beer & Wine Board Board of Elections Board of Health Board of Tax Assessors Development Authority Library Board Planning Commission Recreation Board Water & Sewer Authority

DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION

DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SAFETY

OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS Clerk of Superior Court Coroner Magistrate Judge Probate Judge Sheriff Tax Commissioner

313 54 35 118

FULL-TIME

Building & Grounds Communications Finance Grants & Economic Development Human Resources Parks & Recreation Planning & Development Public Works Recycling & Waste Water Department

Animal Services County Marshal Emergency Management Fire & Rescue 911

EMPLOYEES

PART-TIME

EMPLOYEES

SEASONAL

EMPLOYEES

TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES

Josh Tatum

Josh Tippens

Commission Post 1 (West)

Commission Post 2 (East)

Josh Tippens is a nearlifelong resident of Pickens County. A graduate of Pickens High School and later Appalachian Technical College. Josh was sworn in as the District 1 Commissioner in July of 2022.

Josh Tatum is a lifelong Pickens County resident.

He graduated from Pickens High School in 1998 and from the University of Georgia in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture.

Josh was elected in 2022 to serve as District 2

*County districts, East and West, are divided based on population.

FINANCE $35,964,513 EXPENDITURES

$35,964,513 REVENUE Property Taxes:

Other Taxes:

$15,074,166

$13,638,972

REVENUES

EXPENDITURES

Taxes: $28,713,138

General Government: $6,212,474

Licenses & Permits: $651,650

Judicial: $4,595,567

Intergovernmental: $1,574,180

Public Safety: $18,180,417

Charges for Services: $4,490,500

Public Works: $4,298,817

Fines & Forfeitures: $270,400

Health & Welfare: $282,060

Interest Income: $10,100

Culture & Recreation: $1,539,032

Other Revenue: $254,500

Housing & Development: $855,146

CONTINUED

GFOA’s Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting

No Use of TAN (FOR TWO YEARS)

PROPRIETARY FUNDS

AWARDS & CERTIFICATIONS

FINANCE

AIRPORT Revenue: $1,289,971 Expenditures: $1,289,971 JUDICIAL GRANTS Revenue: $4,519,071 Expenditures: $4,519,071

WATER Revenue: $3,336,113 Expenditures: $3,336,113

TAX REVENUE

2023 TOTAL TAX REVENUE

$25,349,552.90

2023

MILLAGE RATES

Misc.

5.1%

Motor Vehicle 12.1%

COUNTY:

7.39

REVENUE SOURCES LOST 24.2%

SCHOOL:

12.4

Daniel Reeves

Real Property

TOTAL:

19.79

58.6%

TAX COMMISSIONER

PUBLIC SAFETY

Driver 468

Facility 864

R U

IN G

HO

INCREASE FROM 2022

Miscellaneous 9.1%

T

Fires 6.9%

AL

IN

Medical & Fire Alarms 3.6%

10%

Officer 180 Haz Mat 324

TO

CALL BREAKDOWN

107%

INCREASE FROM 2013

NON-EMERGENCY CALLS

S

52,725

21,420

EMERGENCY CALLS

FIR E T

A R

Company 7812

Motor-Vehicle Accidents 7.5%

5,728 TOTAL INCIDENTS

3,150 AMBULANCE TRANSPORTS

9:11 AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME Medical 72.8%

22%

FASTER RESPONSE TIME FROM 2022

FIRE MARSHAL MARBLE FESTIVAL

FIRE INSPECTIONS

275

PLAN REVIEWS

38

PRE-FIRE PLANS

234

FIRE INVESTIGATIONS

FIRE SAFETY EDUCATION

1,000

1,436

3,011 CONTACTS REACHED (EDUCATIONAL)

41 FIRE SAFETY DAY @ HOME DEPOT 500

COMMERCIAL EDUCATION 75

MARSHAL

ANIMALS RECEIEVED

30

408

CITATIONS

32

ANIMALS ADOPTED

WARNINGS

2

1 Felony, 1 Misdemeanor

WARRANTS

451

486

TOTAL CASES

93

REUNITED WITH OWNER

ANIMAL SHELTER

RECYCLING

Mixed Paper 17.6%

Metal - 330,000 lbs Plastic - 142,154 lbs Aluminum - 15,300 lbs Cardboard - 1,022,072 lbs Mixed Paper - 322,528 lbs 52.17% INCREASE IN RECYCLING FROM 2022 EQUIVALENT TO 53.8 LBS PER PICKENS COUNTY RESIDENT

1,832,054 LBS Metal 18%

Aluminum 0.8% Plastic 7.8%

RECYCLED

Cardboard 55.8%

PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT 6% DECREASE FROM 2022

292 AVERAGE HOME SIZE PERMITTED

226

2,441 HEATED SF 1,725 UNHEATED SF 4,166 TOTAL SF 49

HOUSES

MOBILE HOMES

231

29

MISC. PERMITS

COMM.

NEW BUSINESSES

49% INCREASE FROM 2022

CERTIFICATION AND TRAINING UPDATES: 3 Employees have GSWCC Level 1B Certification (Red Card)

2 Employees with Planning & Zoning Training from University of Georgia

Building Inspector with IRC and IBC Certifications

In-House Commercial Plan Reviewer

WATER DEPARTMENT PROJECTS COMPLETED IN 2023 2,800,000 GAL

149

METER SALES IN 2023

2,085,000 GAL

Installed 18,000 feet of 8” water main on Mullinax Rd, Gibson Trl, and Hill City Rd to create a two way feed to the Jerusalem Community.

Installed 5,000 feet of water main on West Price Creek Rd. Replaced 5,000 of 4” water main with 6” water main on Childers Ln. Purchased and installed new booster pump for the Ludville area to replace a 20 year old pump.

900,000 GAL

3,665 ACTIVE CUSTOMERS

UPCOMING PROJECTS Upgrade Meter reading software

DAILY SALES

DAILY CAPACITY

STORAGE CAPACITY

Upgrade SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) for all water tanks and pump stations.

PARKS & RECREATION

8.9%

REGISTRATION INCREASE

T-BALL 269

BOYS

229

CO-ED 100 BOYS

NEW SWIMMING POOL & PICKLEBALL COURT PROJECT PLANNING IS UNDERWAY

GIRLS

158

BASEBALL 656 TOTAL

GIRLS

189 BOYS

176

GIRLS

22

146

BASKETBALL 435 TOTAL

FOOTBALL 198 TOTAL

ROAD DEPARTMENT 14 MILES RE-SURFACED 7.5 MILES CHIP SEALED 97 CULVERTS INSTALLED

PICKENS COUNTY MAINTAINS

401 MILES

OF ROADS

UP FROM 74 IN 2022

120 ROADS AFFECTED BY DOWN TREES AND FLOODING DUE TO JULY 2023 TORNADO EVENTS

Our crews worked solely on clean-up & repairs for 3 months, with one crew continuing to work on cleaning up tree debris for an additional 3 months.

DEMOGRAPHICS MEDIAN AGE

46.3

37.6

IN GEORGIA

233 MILES

2

IN PICKENS

MEDIAN AGE

PICKENS COUNTY

POPULATION

35,959

MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME IN PICKENS

$77,433 MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME IN GEORGIA

$65,030

INDUSTRY MIX TOP EMPLOYERS

Pickens County School District

Other 13.7%

Retail 13.8%

625

Piedmont Mountainside Hospital

550

Pickens County

313

Royston LLC

250

QSR Inc

160

Chattahoochee Technical College

100

Home Depot

100

Ingles

100

Huber

92

City of Jasper

82

Professional Services 13.5%

Government 12.8%

Construction 10.6%

Health Care 12.1%

Manufacturing Accommodation & Food Service 11.9% 11.5%

10,182

JOBS IN PICKENS COUNTY

PICKENS COUNTY MISSION STATEMENT

To provide a transparent local government focused on consistently protecting the soul of our community, while working towards smart economic growth and the greatest quality of life for all who choose to make Pickens County their home or destination.