Raises for county staff, fare-free nights and weekends for Athens Transit, a property tax rate reduction and expanded public safety initiatives were all on the table as commissioners discussed a budget proposal put forward by Mayor Kelly Girtz last Thursday. The optimism of the ACC government comes in stark contrast […]
Local News & Analysis
52 posts
The mayor and commission have agreed to pay Adam Bishop, a right-wing evangelical preacher, $25,000 to settle a lawsuit against the Athens-Clarke County Police Department. Bishop was shouting anti-LGBTQ rhetoric through a megaphone at attendees of the 2019 Athens Pride Festival when two ACCPD officers escorted him outside the festival […]
The EMS Oversight Committee has held closed door meetings in violation of the Georgia Open Meetings Act since its inception. That’s based on ACC Attorney Judd Drake’s legal opinion, which he delivered to the committee in December. After hearing Drake’s opinion, the EMS Oversight committee stopped meeting altogether, even virtually, […]
Athens Transit will receive a federal grant of more than $9 million to fund operations and capital expenses for the coming year. This aid is part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security — or CARES — Act passed by Congress in March. Of the $9 million, Athens Transit […]
Knowa Johnson, co-founder of the Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement and candidate for commission in District 10, was booted from the Golden Pantry on Atlanta Highway for alleged disorderly conduct on Wednesday, April 22. But is that what actually happened? Transcript Knowa Johnson, co-founder of the Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement and candidate for […]
Despite Governor Brian Kemp’s recent order allowing some “non-essential” businesses to re-open, the mayor and commission voted on Tuesday to extend the local emergency declaration here in Athens. This extension allows ACC Manager Blaine Williams to keep some emergency powers until June 2, but it cannot contradict the statewide order. […]
The ACC Board of Elections did not have the authority to hire a second attorney to help defend their use of paper ballots during early voting last month. That’s according to ACC Attorney Judd Drake, who originally counseled board members against the switch to paper ballots, saying it would be […]
Tuesday night, Athens-Clarke County Commissioners expected a difficult set of choices in store for them going into budget talks this year. Might they be forced to raise taxes or cut services as the COVID-19 recession continues? According to initial estimates, maybe not. ACC Manager Blaine Williams’s first draft of the […]