Our road system in Gilmer County is in desperate need of work in most parts of our county. We manage to resurface the first part of Big Creek road last year with the use of bond money and we will now do the rest of Big Creek up to the forks with a contract provided by the state DOT. We will also get an additional two plus miles in Whitestone under this contract.The new program now being worked on which is a result of House Bill 277 may if approved provide us with funds which could allow us to do major work on our roads in the next few years. We now have in our system 299 miles of paved roads and 185 miles of gravel roads. A large number of our paved roads needs to be resurfaced and our gravel roads all need to have a surface put on them to cut down on our cost of continuously having to maintain them.

We have not taken any new roads into the county system for some time now and we are continuing this policy because of the tight budget problems we are facing. As time goes by and our money problems get better, and they will, we will once again begin to take in those roads which meet county specs and have proper right of way. We have in my memory span come a long way with the road system in our county because of the hard work of a large number of people but we have a long way to go before they compare with our neighbors. Making our roads safer and more travelable in all types of weather is one of my main concerns and I look forward to the time when it will be possible to work hard full time to improve all our roads.

We are once again starting the process of amending our budget to reduce our spending to match our income which continues to fall. I do not know where this will lead but we are working hard to maintain your service level on less and less. Working through these hard times I believe will make us stronger and wiser the results of which will be a better, leaner, more responsive government for the people of Gilmer County.

If you will pray for corporation, wisdom and the will for the people in our county government to do what is right all things will continue to get better for everyone.

You can reach me at 706-635-4361 or [email protected]

Commissioner JC Sanford