Hart County Administrative Offices

Jon Caime
County Administrator
Email address: pwdirector_at_hartcom.net

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Hart County Administrative Offices

From Jon Caime, County Administrator

February 2, 2011

Each New Year brings a fresh hope that this upcoming year will be better than the year past.  While Hart County continues to face some of the toughest challenges in recent history, 2011 has promise to be a prosperous year.  The Hart County Board of Commissioners (BOC) has a full plate of issues to work on in 2011.

Economic development persists as one of our top priorities with a sustained focus on investing in workforce development, infrastructure, and a great business climate in order to draw in new economic investment. Our Industrial family continues to grow with new employment opportunities for Hart County residents including RITZ which began operations of their new manufacturing facility in 2010.   In addition, an existing employer, Tenneco Automotive, initiated their new investment bringing 180 new jobs to Hart County. 

Every tourist dollar spent in Hart County generates a penny to directly offset property taxes, a penny to build new schools, and a penny for fire department, recreation, economic development, new water lines, and for road construction.  The Hart County Board of Commissioners continues to support tourism.  This vital source of revenue keeps Hart County’s property taxes as one of the lowest in the State of Georgia.  The new Lake Hartwell Mega Ramp (which was constructed with no property tax money) opened last year to draw in large fishing tournaments to Hart County and the City of Hartwell. 

One hundred percent of the funding for purchasing materials for maintaining our roads infrastructure comes from sales taxes.  With a decline in the economy, the amount of funding available for roads has declined which has created a unique opportunity for the Hart County BOC to refocus implementation of their long range road maintenance plan to more neglected maintenance tasks.  Although everyone would like to see new paved roads, the lack of funds will not provide enough money for paving roads in 2011.  However the less glamorous but equally important maintenance tasks of making our roads safer by clearing shoulders, drainage ditches, and replacing pipes and bridges will take place in earnest in 2011.

Due to the decline in the economy the Hart County BOC has placed all new capital projects such as the proposed construction of a new 10,000 square foot building to relieve overcrowding at the courthouse on hold. These investments will be a long term solution allowing the county to expand to meet the future needs of the county as the county continues to grow but must take place when we can afford to pay for them.  Unlike most governments, Hart County government has essentially no debt.  This financial position has allowed Hart County to weather the economic storm without an increase in taxes.

The Hart County Board of Commissioners lowered the tax millage rate for eight years in a row and maintains the lowest County tax rate in Georgia (out of 159 counties).  This lower millage rate is 28% less than the millage rate five years ago and is a critical sales tool to continue to entice businesses to locate to Hart County. 

Maintaining quality government services, increasing the efficiency of providing these services, and reducing the cost of these services to the taxpayers is our continued focus. 

800 Chandler St.
Hartwell, GA 30643
Phone: 706-376-2024
Fax: 706-376-9477

Hart County Organizational Chart