Every year, APN reviews the top 5 best and worst news stories we covered that year. Since our focus is on the local government, that’s the focus of the lists below as well.

Without further ado, here are the top 5 worst and best things that happened this year in local politics, in the opinion of APN’s editor:

Top 5 Worst

#5 — Blaine Williams resigned

Blaine Williams stepped down as ACC Manager in July after eight years in his role as the top executive of the ACC government.

Williams served admirably during his tenure, guiding the ACC government through some very challenging years. Compared to his predecessor, Williams showed a willingness to innovate and make significant changes to the way the ACC government operates. He launched the ACC Sustainability Office and helped put Athens on the path towards 100% renewable energy. He pursued partnerships to feed the hungry during the COVID-19 pandemic, even when he was criticized by some commissioners for doing so. He put Athens on a sustainable fiscal path, securing a AAA bond rating and a class 1 Insurance Services Office fire rating, which less than 1% of US towns have achieved.

Williams also opened the doors of the ACC government, using new technologies to provide transparency and seek meaningful input from the public.

Williams’ departure leaves a void at the top of the local government which will not be easily filled. ACC Assistant Manager Niki Jones stepped up to replace Williams on a temporary basis but has recently also announced his resignation.

It remains to be seen who the ACC Commission will select to lead the government through what may be another challenging and tumultuous year ahead. Whoever it ends up being, Williams will be greatly missed.

#4 — UGA suspended peaceful protesters

This spring, protests against the genocide in Gaza rocked college campuses across the country and Athens was no exception. UGA administration met these peaceful protesters with repression, arresting and suspending them, causing some to miss their graduations.

They did this despite hundreds of UGA faculty signing a letter of support for these students, urging that their suspensions be overturned.

Instead, their suspensions were upheld and the suspensions of their student organizations were extended.

This is not justice. This is shameful.

That’s about all I have to say on this topic for now. I’ve already elaborated on my opinions in a video which you can watch below:

#3 — Safety became controversial

Summary: The ACC Commission had a chance this year to improve safety on North Avenue dramatically with a large grant from the federal government. They declined the opportunity, instead opting to change the corridor as little as possible. Over the long term, this decision will cause injuries, property damage and unnecessary deaths.

Public health and safety is perhaps the most important function of local government. After all, we spend the bulk of our local tax dollars every year on it. It’s one issue that cuts across party and ideological lines, because who wants a dangerous environment for our family, friends and neighbors?

Even so, we all know that our streets are at least somewhat dangerous. From the proliferation of guns and gun violence, to the opioid crisis, to the widespread overconsumption of alcohol that happens every weekend in this city, safety threats are real and ever-present.

One danger to our health and safety is so integral to our society that it often doesn’t get the scrutiny it deserves, despite being one of the deadliest killers we face on our streets today.

That’s the personal automobile.

After a century of misguided city design encouraged by car manufacturers, making our streets safer nationwide is a monumental task that would cost untold billions of dollars. Things aren’t going to change overnight. It’s an unfortunate reality for the families of those killed every year in crashes (21 people died in Athens in 2023), but it’s a fact we have to accept.

We simply don’t have the resources to make a meaningful dent in this problem at the local level. That’s something I can accept as well.

What I can’t accept is not taking action to protect the health and safety of Athenians when we have the money to do so.

But that’s exactly what happened in November with the commission vote on a $25 million grant concept for North Avenue.

The commission rejected both a road diet and a roundabout on this dangerous road, which would have been paid for by the federal government, due to the complaints of a few people who live there. Nevermind the enhanced safety these improvements would bring, which means saving lives. Nevermind the fact that many living in the area wanted these improvements. Nevermind that this grant is likely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity we may never get again.

Instead of explaining the value of these improvements – which are free of charge – to her constituents, Commissioner Ovita Thornton went out of her way to fight against traffic safety by inflaming tensions and stoking division. She called the grant a “deal with the devil” multiple times in public and mobilized the opposition that eventually doomed the project.

When the next person dies on this road, responsibility for the tragedy will rest squarely on Thornton’s shoulders.

Almost as disturbing is that so many commissioners went along with her scheme to get an outside engineer – who is likely not qualified to design roadways – to redesign the project, pretending that this is somehow equivalent to the staff-approved design and worthy of support. It was neither of those things.

Due to meddling by the commission and a tight timeline that was always out of our control, it’s possible that Athens will lose the $25 million grant entirely. Hopefully, this devastating outcome will encourage the commission to rededicate themselves to their duty of securing safety for all Athenians.

#2 — The demonization of immigrants

Summary: It’s not just the president-elect who has been demonizing immigrants and spreading alarmist falsehoods that have the potential to tear communities apart. After the tragic murder of one UGA student this year, xenophobia has became an increasing problem locally as well.

We’ve all seen how immigrants have been demonized in the national media, most of all by the Trump campaign. Similarly, the Democratic party’s position on immigration has grown increasingly authoritarian, if less so, in recent years.

What’s been especially disheartening is that Athens has been at the center of so much of the national discussion on this issue for a reason that, in my opinion, is not justified. Commentators have often used the tragedy of the murder of one UGA student as an excuse to spread hatred and bigotry.

Dear APN readers, I know I don’t have to tell you that the real story of the Laken Riley tragedy is about misogyny, not immigration. Undocumented immigrants in particular are an extremely law-abiding group, as the data show, if for no other reason than the fear they have about interacting with law enforcement.

Yet, three candidates for commission this year told the conservative group Athens Classic that they would vote to repeal a 2019 resolution in support of the immigrant community in Athens, essentially saying that they want Athens to be less welcoming. One of these candidates ended up winning her election.

Some sitting commissioners have also expressed hesitancy about welcoming immigrants and refugees into Athens. Even though Commissioner Ovita Thornton voted in favor of the 2019 resolution at the time, saying that the local government “needs to lead” on this issue, she now says the resolution was a “bad experience” for her. She even used that resolution, among others, as an excuse to vote against another “social justice” resolution in support of the LGBTQ+ community this year.

Worse, Commissioner Dexter Fisher repeated and amplified some alarmist right-wing rhetoric about refugee resettlement in Athens this year. He implied that refugees may be dangerous and that they would take housing away from the rest of us.

There is no danger posed by refugees and saying so is irresponsible in the current political climate.

I also take issue with Fisher’s comment about housing. Does he feel that some of us are more deserving of housing than others? Last I checked, this was a free country. People (including refugees!) are free to move to Athens and purchase or rent a home if they wish. It’s simply not any of Fisher’s business, but he felt strongly enough about it to bring it up at an unrelated work session, derailing that meeting.

Yes, housing is a big concern in Athens. Does that mean we should shut our doors to those most in need of assistance, even if such a thing were legally possible? Why draw the line at a handful of refugees when thousands of UGA students are admitted every single year?

The solution to our housing problem isn’t keeping anyone out, it’s building more housing, something which Fisher has not always supported.

We must reject false right-wing narratives and embrace the truth about immigrant communities, including people from many different parts of the world, who have given so much to our city and to our nation.

#1 — The rise of the far-right

Summary: The far-right has been more active in and around Athens this year than any other year in recent memory. Those who oppose right-wing extremism must stay vigilant in 2025.

With the election of Donald Trump, it’s clear that the far-right is on the rise in this country. Extremism is even growing as a threat locally. I’ll give a few examples which are fairly small by themselves, but together are a very big deal, enough to be the worst thing that happened locally this year of the stories I’ve covered, in my opinion.

Beyond the rise of anti-immigrant rhetoric discussed above, we’ve seen a few incidents locally that I fear are a harbinger of things to come. The first happened in April when far-right winger and former armed robber Camden Pace, cosplaying as a Jewish Rabbi, tore a protest sign out of the hands of someone next to him at city hall while yelling obscenities about Mayor Kelly Girtz. When police tried to escort him out of the commission chamber, he resisted forcefully, resulting in a scuffle which ended only when he was tased by police.

Another story this year was about Planned Parenthood and other groups passing out Plan B contraception on campus. They report consistent harassment from anti-abortion students who mistakenly believe these pills can cause abortions. One student group with far-right members is even attempting to get UGA to ban Plan B from campus entirely.

The last incident happened in October when UGA staff member George Haynie III hosted the 2024 Aryan Fest on his property in Lexington for the Aryan Freedom Network, a neo-Nazi organization. After a short investigation in which Haynie admitted his role in the festival (although he denied being a part of the group), he was allowed to return to work on December 18.

That means we live in a community where the largest employer has neo-Nazis working openly for them, where those passing out contraception are harassed and where far-right agitators are violently disrupting government meetings.

Once Trump takes office next year, I expect these kinds of events – as well as actual hate crimes – to increase in frequency and to grow more intense.

But I’m not overly worried. Our community is strong and we’ll fight these threats together. But we should be prepared to face them.

When it comes to right-wing violence, things will get worse before they get better.

Top 5 Best

#5 — Jackson County rock quarry stopped

If anyone tells you the people have no power or that you can’t fight city hall, they either have an agenda or they don’t know what they’re talking about.

When Vulcan Materials asked to build a rock quarry in Jackson County, nearby residents and others who would be affected rose up to stop it. After a long pressure campaign ending with a huge turnout to a pair of government meetings in October and November, the Jackson County Commission denied the Vulcan rock quarry project in a 5-1 vote.

It wasn’t even close.

That’s a good thing for Athens because the project could have polluted the Oconee river upstream of us, threatening our water quality.

#4 — Short-term rental regulation

Another good thing that happened this year was that the commission finally got serious about regulating AirBnBs and other short-term rentals.

Short-term rentals are now prohibited in single-family neighborhoods unless operated by someone who lives there most of the time. That’s huge news for Athens. It may reduce noise complaints, ease parking issues and could potentially help lower rents here if the regulation stands up in court.

The bad news is that there’s a two-year window for existing short-term rentals to get into compliance before they would have to close. Worse, the two-year sunset clause is legally dubious and might be overturned in court, meaning that the AirBnB next to you might not go away until the owner decides to sell.

That tempers my enthusiasm for these regulations. But overall, this is great news. It would be further down this list if it weren’t for the legal issues.

#3 — Transparency agreement with National EMS

I’ve been covering problems with our ambulance service in Athens and Oconee from the very beginning of APN back in 2019, thanks to the influence of tireless public safety advocates Sam Rafal and Bob Gadd.

While there are still problems with billing and cost (an ambulance ride to the hospital should not cost an arm and a leg), I’m hopeful that the issues we’ve been having in Athens with EMS oversight and ambulance response times may be coming to an end.

This year, the ACC government came to an agreement with Piedmont-Athens Regional Hospital to continue providing a yearly subsidy for ambulance service in exchange for quarterly reports and actual data on response times and other metrics. Oconee County came to a similar agreement with Saint Mary’s Hospital.

It doesn’t sound like much, but this is an enormous improvement and a huge step forward for the oversight of National EMS, our for-profit ambulance service. If there are large underlying problems with National EMS as some believe, now we’re in a position to find out after many years of being completely in the dark. Once we know, then we can do something about it.

The way I see it, National EMS and the hospitals they serve have gone out of their way to avoid giving us their real performance data over the years. But hopefully not anymore. We’ll have to see if they live up to their side of the bargain, but their recent change of tone seems very promising.

#2 — Firefighters’ union signs collective bargaining agreement

When the ACC government finally recognized the Professional Firefighters of Athens-Clarke County in 2023 after months of resistance, naysayers like Girtz and Williams said the agreement would be difficult to reach. They said it would be time-consuming, expensive and worst of all, they said it would erode the morale of the police department and other public safety agencies if firefighters got perks they didn’t.

Exactly one year to the day after the union earned their recognition, ACC firefighters signed their first ever collective bargaining agreement with Athens-Clarke County. Was it really all that difficult? I’m sure the negotiations weren’t a walk in the park, but they came to an agreement in a reasonable time without having to resort to arbitration, which would have been an additional cost.

Even better, the benefits provided by the firefighters were extended across public safety agencies, meaning the union won’t hurt morale. If anything, I’d wager that the firefighter’s union is well liked by Athens police and that their collective action has improved the morale of other public safety agencies, not the reverse.

#1 — Funding for the affordable housing plan

Affordable housing has been one of the most pressing issues facing Athens for several years now. There hasn’t even been much reason to hope that the problem would ever get better.

There still isn’t much hope I can offer.

But in this year’s budget, the ACC Commission showed that they were finally getting serious about addressing the issue. They fully funded their affordable housing investment strategy, passed last year, which was in danger of becoming yet another plan collecting dust on the shelf. They put a total of $5 million towards housing in 2024 without making a big deal about it.

I admit, that kind of surprised me. In a good way!

(Why did they let Commissioner Jesse Houle write the budget this year? I’m still trying to figure that one out.)

Assuming commissioners continue to invest a minimum of $5 million towards housing every year as the investment strategy calls for, this is a big deal! It’s enough to triple the creation of affordable housing in Athens, according to the authors of the report. That’s huge.

But don’t break out the confetti just yet. First, the commission has to follow through and continue to carry out this strategy year after year. Second, we should be honest with ourselves about how bad things are. Even if the local government was doing everything they could about it (which they aren’t), rents probably won’t come down anytime soon.

What’s more likely is that a significant effort by the local government (which this is) will reap slow and steady dividends over a long period of time. We’ll look back in ten or 20 years and realize that rents haven’t gone up by as much as they might have otherwise.

It might not be cause to celebrate, but still, I’m glad for that. I think it’s the best thing that happened all year.

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4 thoughts on “APN’s Top 5 Best (and Worst) of 2024”

4 comments

Cindy Galt
December 31, 2024, 2:54 pm

I am sick and tired of those of us who care about what happens in our city, state, and country being called “far-right extremists”. If you call “demonizing immigrants (ILLEGALS” ) and spreading alarmist falsehoods, could tear communities apart then you need to look up the meaning of the word false. Think about Russia, Russia, Russia, the Steele Dossier, and spygate, just to name a few. These are FALSEHOODS being spread by the liberal, Trump haters. How many were false? It is time to get rid of the crooked FBI, CIA, Justice department, and especially Merrrick Garland. You do know, that if he had not suppressed the information (misinformation) about Hunter’s laptop, Biden would not have been elected. He is going to go down in history as the worst president we have ever had. Everything he has done since becoming President is to “get Trump”, and the country can be damned. How many of the immigrants have you invited to come live with you? You can stay vigilant in 2025 if you want to, but it should be about keping our country safe. You mentioned how students protesting about the genocide in Gaza rocking college campuses across the country and that Athens was no exception. Too bad some of these student peaceful protesters had to miss their graduation; they should have thought about that before their “peaceful protests”). Why not protest about what happebnd in Israel that started all these protests in the first place..I am glad UGA’s president had a backbone and kept the suspensions in place, unlike most of the liberal college presidents who gave into the demands of their “peaceful” protesters. I wonder if any of these protesters even care about the brutal raping, and murdering, of innocent women and children in Israel that started all of this. Children and adults were even kidnapped, and most of them, including a small baby, are still there. Under President Trump prices weere down, we did not have to buy gas from places like Venezuela, who is sending us all their criminals, who you so lovenly referred to as immigrants, our borders were safer, and there were no wars.. I hope that whoever has to follow Biden around with the little black briefcase holding the codes that could instigate a war, keeps it as far away from him as possible. January 20th can’t come soon enough. Biden can then nap, and smell womens’ hair for as long as he wants to. It’s time to DRILL BABY DRILL!!!

L. Swallom
December 31, 2024, 11:12 pm

Thank God I moved out of Athens/Clarke county years ago. It’s finally been subsumed by the total b/s that was beginning to erode the fabric of what was once a really beautiful place to live. Just keep up your leftist agenda and the total collapse of the economy and quality of life will soon be a thing of the past

Cedric Davis
March 27, 2026, 1:42 am

Labeling an abstention as “undemocratic” misses the point of representative government. Commissioner Thornton was elected to represent the specific interests of District 9, not to act as a rubber stamp for every proposal that reaches the floor. When a commissioner abstains, they are often sending a powerful message: that the proposal in question hasn’t earned their support, or that the process moving it forward was flawed. Expecting a representative to vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on a budget they feel is incomplete or rushed would be a disservice to the voters who put her in office.
It is also important to respect the human element of governance. Suggesting that Commissioner Thornton’s personal circumstances during the budget cycle were a “charade” is dismissive and unfair. A budget is the most significant document a city produces; if a representative feels that the deliberations were polarized or that she could not in good conscience support the specific path being taken, an abstention is a cautious and responsible act. It ensures that a “slim majority” doesn’t force through policy without true consensus or thorough engagement from all districts.
The ACC charter’s rules on ties and voting thresholds exist to encourage broad agreement, not to make it easy for one faction to dominate another. By standing her ground, Commissioner Thornton is protecting the voice of North Athens and ensuring that the concerns of her constituents aren’t sidelined by political maneuvers from other corners of the hall. We should value leaders who are willing to use every tool available to them to ensure that the policy passed in Athens is truly ready for the entire community, not just a vocal few!

- Chris Dowd Post author
  March 27, 2026, 12:09 pm
  
  Yes, commissioners are absolutely expected to vote yes or no on every topic that comes before them except in very rare cases. Thornton did not give any reason why she could not vote on the budget that year. She didn’t have to vote yes — if she felt the budget was incomplete or flawed in some way, she could have voted no. But she didn’t even say that she did feel that way. The abstention in this case was extremely inappropriate.