Issues

Roads

Irwin County has approximately 285 miles of unpaved and 195 of paved roads.  With the never ending fight against mother nature on unpaved roads and the increasing cost to resurface paved roads, the condition of our roads will always be a major concern.  The creation of TSPLOST has played a major roll in assisting the county on resurfacing projects such as Crystal Lake Road, Vickers Road, Meadowlark Road, Osierfield Road, and will soon assist in the resurfacing of Chiefton Circle at the schools, Hickory Road.  These were all major projects that could not have been done without the assistance of TSPLOST. 

The county is currently taking bids to resurface Alapaha River Road, portions of Whitewater Road, and improvements to Eisenhower Rd.  If passed, the next round of TSPLOST is set to resurface Pinetta Road, Wray Road, portions of County Line Road, and Holt Road at a total cost of over $7,000,000.  As Chairman, Scott will continue to strategically invest every dollar possible into our roads.  The county has also worked to improve drainage with a major investment in pipe replacement and ditching and will continue to do so.

Recreation

Scott has worked with the city and school system to improve recreation facilities and will continue to do so.    He feels recreation could be improved in ways that would better serve our entire community no matter what age group.  He would like to see the county and city work together to better utilize resources such as the Neighborhood Center and Community House to host events and activities for all ages.

Taxes

Scott has, and will continue, to utilize grant funding to reduce the tax burden on Irwin Co. residents.  Aggressively pursuing grants has accounted for over $1,800,000 in savings over the last 3 years.  That equates to an over 16% decrease in the tax burden on local residents.  

Fire Department

We currently have 9 volunteer fire stations in Irwin County.  While fire service may not seem like a worthy investment, it plays a major roll in your insurance rates.  When Scott took office he found that of the 9 engines we owned, only two would crank.  The other 7 were beyond reasonable repair.  Scott has made it a priority to rebuild our fire service and lower insurance rates.  Utilizing grant funding, used equipment, and donations from larger departments, the county has purchased and outfitted 7 engines and 4 tankers.  This has all been done for less than the price of one new fire engine.  The county is currently offering training for volunteers and could use your help.  If you'd like to volunteer, Contact Chief Joe Thompson at 229-468-9594.