About Dawson County news. (Dawsonville, Georgia) 2015-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 12, 2022)
Another week, % another shutout as ^ * * . Tigers push past fv 31 1 U Pickens, sports, ib I l>* Housing crisis in Dawson County impacts people of all ages, inside, 6b DawsonCountyNews WEDNESDAY I OCTOBER 12, 2022 DaWSOflNeWS ^COITI DAWSONVILLE, GEORGIA $1.00 County budget centers on personnel costs Julia Fechter Dawson County News Chairman Billy Thurmond presents Dawson County's pro posed 2023 budgets to the Board of Commissioners on Oct. 6. Majority of increase will go toward 5% COLA By Julia Fechter jfechter@dawsonnews.com Employees will be at the fore front of proposed fiscal increases if Dawson County’s 2023 bud gets are passed later this year. During his Oct. 6 presentation, Board of Commissioners Chairman Billy Thurmond said six part-time firefighter EMT and paramedic positions-three each-would be changed to full time roles, a “cost-neutral” endeavor, if the 2023 budgets pass. Thurmond elaborated that he’s “not really proposing new posi tions at this time” based on the 27 vacancies in full-time posi tions that the county currently has. “It’s imperative that we work to continue to fill those,” he said. The chairman acknowledged that some departments may con tinue to be in need of more help next year, so after the first quar ter, he and the board should “see where we stand” in terms of each office’s needs. “Then we can go back, look and see what positions are high priority that we need to fill,” he added. Overall personnel costs, including salary and benefits, are expected to be $28,931,238 in 2023, a 9.8% increase from 2022. Last year, the board approved $3-per-hour raises for DCSO and $2 for other first responders and public works employees. The majority of the budget increase for staff will go toward the 5% COLA increases that the board approved in September and a $1 million contingency for starting the move to a merit- based system pay, Thurmond said. See Budget 14A ‘This is my passion, this is my love’ folk A<4 Photos by Erica Jones Dawson County News Tracey Burnette, owner and operator of Around Back at Rocky's Place art gallery, stands in front of some of the art in the original building on her business's 20th anniversary. Around Back at Rocky’s Place celebrates 20 years in Dawson By Erica Jones ejones@dawsonnews.com This weekend, local folk art gallery Around Back at Rocky’s Place celebrated 20 years in Dawson County, complete with a special anniversary ribbon cutting with the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce. Tracey Burnette, owner and operator of the gallery, said that opening an art gal lery came out of a dream she had several years ago. “Rocky was my five- pound Pekingese; he had a traumatic experience and he passed away,” Burnette said. “I had a dream one night, and in my dream I was going to open a gallery and it was going to be a folk art gallery, and it was around back of the house and it’s at Rocky’s Place. Here we are 20 years later; this is my passion, this is my love.” Art has always been close to her heart, she said, and it has been “her thing” all the way back to child hood. See Rocky 18A Dawson County Chamber of Commerce members, friends and family help cut the ribbon in a special 20-year anni versary ribbon cutting ceremony for Around Back at Rocky's Place. Downtown development head named By Erica Jones ejones@dawsonnews.com This week, Amanda Edmondson official ly started her new position on the City of Dawsonville’s staff as the city’s new Director of Downtown Development, Tourism and Preservation. In her new role, Edmondson will work to enhance the downtown community and to steer the development in a way that makes the downtown area even better for existing residents and businesses. “As we make changes we want to enhance the community and support our existing population and not just focus on growth and trying to bring in people but increasing quality of life for the people who already live and work here,” Edmondson said. “I think when you focus on that, any necessary growth that you See Edmondson 13A Departures of Fire, EMS leaders cause public alarm By Julia Fechter jfechter@dawsonnews.com Multiple command staff for Dawson County Fire and Emergency Services have left or will leave their leadership roles in the near future, according to news that broke over the weekend. The realization concerned numerous area residents, many of whom commented on See Departures 110A 0 9 0 9 9 4 ® Events I Cl pi P Classifieds XX XljXvLv Dear Abby Deaths Volume 8, Number 36 t ] © 2022, Dawson County News ° Dawsonville, Georgia Opinion Sports 3B 10B 5B 2A 11B 11A 1B 4A Couple shares hope with others changed by ALS. 9A Uncle Shucks’ L haunted corn trail opens for Oct. scares We Are a Digital Impression Practice. Proud Owners of an iTero Element " Scanner. | element invisalign "We all try and go above and beyond and give that five start treatment, so it's rewarding to know that what we do matters." Q)amonville (^Distinctive ^Dentistry B. MANZUR, D.M.D. 754 HWY. 53 WEST, DAWSONVILLE, GA 706-265-2505
