Charles Hill Is Seeking District 2 Re-Election

Commissioner Charles Hill has announced his intention to seek re-election to the Jasper County Board of Commissioners, District 2, for the fifth consecutive term.

He and his wife, Sarah, have been residents of Jasper County all of their lives and he is the proud father of three children: Yolanda, Latessa, and Charles Jr., who were raised in Jasper County as well.

The couple emphasized the importance of higher education and sent Yolanda and Latessa to Clark Atlanta University, Troy University, Georgia State University, and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga respectively. Charles Jr., is currently matriculating at Georgia State University.

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Mr. Hill has been employed with Fiber Vision, Inc., formerly Hercules, Inc., of Covington, for over 42 years.

As a certified commissioner with the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) since 1997, his political roadmap has included various posts and assignments such as: member of the Revenue & Finance Committee, Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials (GABEO), Caucus Nominations Committee, and General County government.

Commissioner Hill sits on the Board of the TSPLOST Regional Development Commission, the Four County Development Authority with the Development of Stanton Springs. Commissioner Hill was also featured in the September 2008 issue of Georgia Trend Magazine.

Mr. Hill achieved the highest level of certification in 2005 with the Certified Commissioners Advanced Program with the Carl Vinson Institute of the University of Georgia; a voluntary initiative that Commissioner Hill is the only current commissioner to accomplish.

He is also a member of Jasper County’s chapter of the NAACP, the Emancipation Club, and a member and deacon of Greenwood Baptist Church.

Commissioner Hill is excited about his upcoming term. “I have sat on the Jasper County Board of Commissioners for the past 16 years. We have made significant gains but let us continue to focus on the future of Jasper County by considering the impact of growth, zoning, taxes, and infrastructure.”

He cited several areas of importance:

• Growth and zoning: Reviewing zoning to see how we can promote smart growth, not the unchecked sprawl we see in other counties today. It is our responsibility as County Commissioners to make sure we have a diverse mix of land utilization.

“If re-elected I will work with all of the respective governmental agencies, constitutional offices, and citizens to ensure that we work together to continue our tradition of being a great place to work and live!”

• Taxes: Maintaining a level of taxes that is reasonable for our citizens to pay but also sufficient to support our county program and initiatives is necessary for our revenue streams, he said.

The four major components of revenue are industrial, commercial, retail, and homeowners. Unfortunately, the homeowner pays a disproportionate amount when the other components are missing. Commissioner Hill feels that “we rely too much on the homeowner to provide revenue for goods and services.”

• Infrastructure: Finding good sources of water and creating solid ways of transporting water for the next 50 years with the Water Authorities and the cities of Monticello and Shady Dale are key for building a strong infrastructure.

The county commission meets the first Monday of each month at 9 a.m. at the Courthouse.