ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—JaNice VanNess, chair of the Rockdale Board of Commissioners (BOC), has issued an announcement confirming that the three-member BOC has requested Gov. Brian Kemp to veto a invoice that will broaden the BOC from 3 to five members and alter the type of authorities in Rockdale.
The assertion comes within the wake of public outcry that VanNess, veteran Commissioner Doreen Williams, and newly-elected Commissioner Tuwanya Smith acted with out informing the neighborhood in requesting the governor to veto the growth identified as Senate Invoice 238.
VanNess defended the board’s motion, saying her administration needed to have extra time to review the invoice’s monetary influence on the county and to carry extra neighborhood conferences regarding the invoice.
VanNess stated she and the opposite two commissioners weren’t obligated to hunt neighborhood enter on a matter that her administration thought of pressing.
On Widespread Floor Information obtained the chairwoman’s assertion on Thursday, Could 1, following a 90-minute assembly the place a number of points have been mentioned with VanNess, Melissa Mims, director of public relations; Sue Sanders, Chief Working Officer; and Jennifer Rutledge, who serves as director of presidency affairs and county clerk.
VanNess and her high administration leaders stated through the assembly with On Widespread Floor Information that she and Commissioners Williams and Smith didn’t violate the state’s Sunshine Regulation by independently authorizing a workers director to ship the letter to the governor bearing their signatures. A duplicate of that letter, obtained by Corliss Turner, founder of a neighborhood watchdog group referred to as Voices for Rockdale, was just lately posted on social media this week condemning the BOC.
“No native authorities ought to intrude with a legislative invoice. To cease cease this invoice is to disclaim the residents the chance to vote. It’s disruptive and disrespectful to the Rockdale neighborhood,” Turner advised On Widespread Floor Information.
In the meantime, state lawmakers representing Rockdale have acknowledged they’ve labored a number of years—on the calls for of the neighborhood—to deal with increasing the Rockdale BOC and hiring knowledgeable county supervisor to supervise the day-to-day operation and Rockdale’s working funds totaling greater than $100 million as Rockdale’s development has exploded to an estimated inhabitants now at 97,610, in keeping with the U.S. Census. A number of neighborhood conferences have been held over time because the Rockdale state legislators hashed out varied variations of a invoice that will tackle ample illustration on the BOC together with wage prices for 2 extra board members and hiring a county supervisor by restructuring present positions and salaries.
The governor started signing payments on Could 1 that can influence Georgia residents. On the time of publication of this information story, it was not identified if Rockdale’s growth invoice has been signed by the governor or vetoed.
Senate Invoice 238 would broaden the Rockdale BOC from 3 to five members. The BOC would select a chair from amongst themselves to guide the BOC conferences after which conduct a seek for knowledgeable county supervisor to supervise Rockdale’s day-to-day operations.
If the governor indicators the invoice, Rockdale voters would resolve in November 2025 by referendum whether or not to undertake the invoice.
Following is the assertion issued on Thursday, Could 1, by JaNice VanNess, Chair of the Rockdale County Board of Commissioners:
“Because the governing authority entrusted with representing the pursuits of our constituents, we have been compelled to specific our opposition to Senate Invoice 238 launched on the 2025 common session of the Basic Meeting.
We respectfully urged the Governor to veto Senate Invoice 238. We consider that such a choice would uphold the ideas of transparency, accountability, and accountable governance that our constituents rightfully anticipate and deserve.
Senate Invoice 238 proposes important adjustments to the type of authorities in Rockdale County with out the required feasibility research to justify such modifications. Moreover, it has been superior with out enter from the Board of Commissioners and lacks important public outreach and schooling efforts to tell our neighborhood about its advantages or implications.
Of equal concern is the absence of a fiscal influence evaluation detailing how this invoice would financially influence on our residents, together with potential will increase in salaries and administrative bills. As stewards of public sources, our major focus stays on assuaging monetary pressures quite than imposing extra prices on taxpayers.
Laws of this magnitude calls for considerate consideration, inclusive dialogue, and strong communication from its inception to mitigate potential chaos and confusion inside our neighborhood.”
The Rockdale BOC’s letter to Gov. Brian Kemp follows under:
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