Gilmer County

Board of Commissioners

FOCUS

Areas of Oversight

The Board of Commissioners is responsible for the management of the following departments:

The Board also serves as oversight to the county owned facilities:

Click here for the Board of Commissioners Calendar of Meetings. Each meeting is duly posted in the legal organ and at the Courthouse prior to the meeting.

Rules of Decorum are observed at each meeting and comments from the public are invited prior to a vote on each agenda action item.

Citizens wishing to speak are asked to state their name and exhibit good behavior when addressing the board.

Charlie Paris - Chairman

Charlie Paris was re-elected for a third 4-year term commencing on January 1, 2023.

He was initially elected to the Chairman position on January 1, 2015 and then re-elected for a second time for the term of January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2022.

Karleen Ferguson - Post 1

Karleen Ferguson was elected to the Post 1 Commissioner position for a term beginning January 1, 2025 and ending December 31, 2028.

She is a previous Post 2 Commissioner having served January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2022.

John Marshall - Post 2

John Marshall was elected to the Post 2 Commissioner position for the term beginning January 1, 2023 and ending December 31, 2026.

Responsibilities

The Gilmer County Board of Commissioners consists of a three person government body that is made up of two Post Commissioners and a Chairman. All three seats are elected county-at-large (not by district or zone). The Commissioner positions are essentially the local legislative branch, Post Commissioners work as part-time officials whose voting powers include county policy, spending and taxation rates. The Chairman position is a full-time official who serves as the county manager or county administrator. The Chairman presides over the Board of Commissioners meetings and has full voting rights and obligations. As the Chief Executive of the county government, the Chairman is responsible for the day to day operations of various county departments and employment decisions that are not otherwise reserved for the Board as a whole or otherwise the responsibility of other elected officials, such as Sheriff, Tax Commissioner, Clerk of Court or Judicial offices.

The Mission of Gilmer County Government

To cooperatively support and maintain a community which is safe and healthy, convenient and pleasant in which to live, with educational, recreational, cultural and economic opportunities for all.

Vision Statement

To provide responsive and innovative services, guided by integrity, professionalism, and compassion to the citizens of Gilmer County that enhance equality of life, and a sense of community.

Guiding Principles

Respect. We have respect for our community, our clients, each other, and ourselves.

Teamwork. We accomplish our work through teamwork throughout the County.

Customer-Oriented Service. We provide excellent customer-oriented, culturally competent service both internally and externally.

Honesty and Integrity. We practice honesty and integrity at all levels in the County.

Personal Accountability. We are personally accountable at all levels of the County.

Community Engagement. We will continuously seek input from the community on priorities, goals and objectives.