Board of Commissioners
1 Broad Street, Suite 106
Ellijay, GA 30540
Telephone: 706-635-4361
The Gilmer County Board of Commissioners is a 3 person government body that is made up of 2 Post Commissioners and a Chairman. All 3 seats are elected county at-large (not by district or zone). The Post Commissioners are essentially the local legislative branch. Post Commissioners are part-time officials who cast votes regarding county policies, spending, and taxation rates. The Chairman is a full time elected official who serves as a county manager or county administrator. The Chairman presides over Board of Commissioners meetings and has full voting rights and obligations. As the Chief Executive of the county government, the Chairman is responsible for management of all daily operations and employment decisions that are not otherwise reserved to Board vote or other elected officials. For the 2009-2010 term, the Chairman is Mark Chastain, Post 1 is held by Will Beattie, and Post 2 is held by JC Sanford.
Regular meetings are held each 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month in the Jury Assembly Room of the Gilmer County Courthouse. Rules of Decorum are observed for each meeting, and comments from citizens are allowed prior to each vote before the Board as well as prior to the end of each meeting. Citizens wishing to speak do not have to "pre register" with anyone, but must state their name and exhibit good behavior when addressing the Board.
The Board of Commissioners is responsible for and manages the following departments: Road Department, Fire-Rescue Department, Parks & Recreation, Solid Waste, Planning & Zoning, Community Development, and the Animal Shelter. The Board also serves in a liaison or oversight capacity to Economic Development (through the Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce), Whitepath Golf Course, and the Gilmer County Airport. Other elected and appointed officials make up the rest of county government.
- Mark Chastain
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Mark Chastain was first elected as Post 2 Commissioner for the 2005-2008 term. Prior to that, he served as Gilmer County Surveyor for the 2001-2004 term. In 2008, he was elected Commission Chairman for the 2009-2010 term. He was also appointed in 2003 and reappointed in 2006 to the Georgia Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, where he now serves as Vice-Chairman. Mark has a degree in Civil Engineering Technology from Southern Polytechnic State University and has owned his own land surveying firm since 1995 (Chastain & Associates, P.C.). Other offices currently held include Board Member of the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission, the Gilmer County Board of Health, and Trustee of the Georgia Museum of Surveying and Mapping. Mark has been a certified Firefighter in Georgia since 1989 and remains active in fire and emergency calls with the Gilmer County Fire-Rescue Department.
If you wish to contact Mark Chastain, please call 706-635-4361 or email.
- Post 1 Commissioner Will Beattie
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Will was elected in 2008 for the 2009-2012 term as Post 1 Commissioner. He is a graduate of The Citadel: The Military College of South Carolina with a degree in Business Adminisration. His previous career experience includes Quality Assurance and Business Analysis for a computer software company, work in public relations with the Cable News Network (CNN), and as a State Law Enforcement Agent for the South Carolina Dept. of PPPS. Upon moving to Ellijay, Will has served his community in various capacities such as the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, as a Director on the board of the Appalachian Children's Center, Director on the Board of North Georgia Mountain Hospice, and a Director on the board of the Dedicated Ellijay Merchants and Associates. Will is a current member of Rotary International. He served five years as a Search and Rescue Technician with the Gilmer County Emergency Management Agency. He is a graduate of Leadership Gilmer II, the Georgia Academy for Economic Development, and will represent Gilmer County as one of the 60 individuals selected throughout the state for the Leadership Georgia Class of 2010. Will is currently employed with ETC as the Director of Public Relations.
If you wish to contact Will Beattie, please call 706-669-2898 or email.
- Post 2 Commissioner JC Sanford
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JC was elected in 2008 for the 2009-2010 term as Post 2 Commissioner. JC is a lifelong resident of Gilmer County. He currently operates Jay's, Inc., a grading and construction company based in Ellijay. His career includes petroleum sales, grading, and poultry farming. Prior to his election, JC was a long serving officer in the Gilmer County Republican Party.