CLARKESVILLE, Ga. – Habersham County leaders outlined major infrastructure projects, financial trends and 2026 priorities Wednesday morning during the annual State of the County address, telling residents the county is growing steadily while continuing to invest in public safety, facilities, and long-term capital needs.
County Manager Tim Sims and Commission Vice-Chair Bruce Harkness delivered the presentation during a breakfast event at North Georgia Technical College. The event was sponsored by Partnership Habersham, the county’s public-private economic development organization.
Harkness opened the program with a focus on community identity, saying the quality of Habersham’s people, not its landscape, defines the county’s success .
“You people here are the heart and should have our county,” he said. “Everywhere I go people tell me Habersham has good, genuine people. That’s what makes this place so special.”
Sims, who became county manager win April after serving as the county’s chief financial officer, walked attendees through a series of accomplishments from the past year. That includes the groundbreaking of the county’s new animal control facility, a project supported by SPLOST revenue and in-house roadwork that officials said saved the county “a ton of money.”
Sims also highlighted the transfer of the former courthouse property to Clarkesville, a long-sought partnership he said aligned the building’s future with the community that surrounds it.
“We always felt like it belonged to Clarkesville.” Sims said.
Financial outlook and SPLOST
Sims reported the county ended FY 2025with a small surplus, brining in slightly more revenue than budgeted while keeping expenditures in check. He noted the county rains heavily dependent on residential property taxes, though officials hope to shit that balance with more commercial and industrial recruitment.
He also reviewed the impact of SPLOST funding, which votes approved the next SPLOST cycle earlier this year, with officials projected more than $100 million in revenue starting in 2027. The county also pointed to additional collections stemming from online sales tax law changes, which have helped support rising construction costs.
“That SPLOST really means everything to us, especially in the smaller communities,” Harkness said.
The county’s new radio communications system, one of the major SPLOST-funded projects is nearly deployment. Construction of nine towers is underway and expected to provide about 93% countywide coverage once complete. Both Sims and Harkness agreed the current system has hindered emergency responders for years, particularly in northern Habersham.
The county also has invested in upgrades to the Aquatic Center, courthouse security, recreation fields and the transit system, along with ongoing water and sewer improvements across multiple departments.
City officials share updates
Municipal leaders from across Habersham each delivered brief updates at the close of the program.
Outgoing Baldwin mayor Stephanie Almagno announced that the city swore in its new city manager Tiera Morrison at their council meeting Tuesday night. “She’s excited to be here, and I think you’ll find her very amenable,” Almagno said, also acknowledging Mayor-elect Doug Faust. She thanked residents for supporting Saturday’s countywide Christmas parade, which included Tallulah Falls for the first time.
Clarkesville Mayor-elect Franklin Brown said the city continues to see strong commercial activity, with 224 businesses generating more than $200 million in annual sales. Brown, a longtime councilman, said he is looking forward to new residential growth and several active development projects including a Waffle House slated to begin construction in January and a redevelopment of the former Whitfield Funeral Home site.
Clarkesville is also pursuing a feasibility study for a boutique hotel on the former courthouse property, a project Brown said could include a rooftop dining and mountain views. “Out goal is something unique, and something that draws people to Clarkesville,” he said.
Mount Airy Councilman Patrick Ledford thank residents for their decades long support of SPLOST, noting the town renovated historic town hall stands as an example of that investment. The town will have a new mayor and councilman next year and Ledford said financial stewardship will remain a priority.
“We raised out milage rate very marginally this year; the first increase in more than 30 years,” he said. “We’re proud of our conservative budgeting, and we work closely with our residents and businesses to keep Mount Airy a great place to live, work, and play.”
Looking ahead
Sims said the county will continue to focus on infrastructure, public safety, and facility needs in 2026, including completing the radio system buildout, advancing SPLOST-funded projects and maintaining stable financial operations.
Harkness closed with a reminder that the county’s identity remains rooted in its residents.
“We love everybody that lives here,” Harkness said. “I’m proud to be on of your commissioners.”
