Morris Becomes MoCo Commission Chairman
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Montgomery County Commissioner Ginger Byrd Morris was selected by her fellow commissioners to become the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners Chairman. Morris was nominated for the position by Commissioner Jimmy “Pedro” Sharpe; the nomination was seconded by District Commissioner Amie Vassey, and the motion passed unanimously. Previously, District Commissioner Leland Adams served as the Commission Chairman.
Commissioner Clarence Thomas was reelected as the Commission’s Vice Chairman on a unanimous vote, and County Attorney Ron Daniels was reappointed to provide legal counsel to the County.
Commissioner Vassey opposed the approval of agenda at the beginning of the meeting, as later shared that she felt that there had not been enough applicants to make a decision on appointments to the Boards of Tax Assessors and Elections, and that enough information had not been shared about the proposed IT contracts to make a decision on whether or not to enter the contracts.
During the business portion of the meeting, Justin Fountain was appointed to the Board of Tax Assessors on a 4-1 vote, which was only opposed by Commissioner Vassey, who opted to appoint Ricky Warnock to the position. Warnock was appointed to the Board of Elections on a unanimous vote.
Commissioner Leland Adams agreed to continue to serve as the Heart of Georgia ex officio member; the fellow commissioners approved this agreement.
A new IT contract, which will boost the cybersecurity and technology service within the County, was approved on a 4-1 vote, with Vassey opposing the decision. This new contract can be cancelled at any time, but provides technology support to the county at any time within 4 hours, as professionals can assist in remote and onsite services. These professionals are skilled in the programs utilized by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and Montgomery County Courthouse offices, and will be able to make sure that these programs remain up and running. County Manager Heather Scott stated that this new IT contract was highly beneficial to the County, as the County’s cybersecurity was very outdated and would now be state-of-the-art. Commissioner Vassey questioned if the County had gotten in trouble with the state regarding the condition of their cybersecurity, and stated that she did not feel that the Commissioners had enough information on the financial impacts of the contract on the county budget to make a decision.
Several citizens addressed Commissioners about their concerns with dirt road conditions and transparency. “The worst thing you can do is not do anything when dealing with issues,” Citizen Martha Shiplett emphasized.
The next work session of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 6, while the next meeting is slated for 5:30 p.m. on Monday, February 10. All meetings and work sessions are open to the public and held at 251 S. Richardson Street in Mount Vernon.
