CRAIG: Community success based on the leaders elected

Published 9:30 am Monday, May 13, 2024

Recently my term as president of the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) was complete. I represented Georgia and Baldwin County at multiple events in Washington, D.C., meetings of the National Association of County Officers (NACo). I also attended meetings in dozens of counties across our state. To accomplish those meetings, I drove through at least 100 Georgia counties. (To those most inquiring citizens, Baldwin did not provide resources for any of my duties and travels as president of ACCG.)

I visited with multiple county commissioners, county officers, and county staffs from across our great country and Georgia. In visiting with them I realized that we all have many of the same issues and problems, but the scale of problems and issues is the main difference. In sitting with one California commissioner, we were talking about homelessness. He stated his county/community response was in the billions. Again scale is the difference in dealing with similar problems. 

Of the counties across the U.S and Georgia, I noted some significant differences as to “who” gets elected at the county level. I listened to or spoke with numerous county commissioners that were doctors, lawyers, bankers and more that had great foundations in education and/or experience and obviously took great pride as county servant leaders. I found some very successful counties that at one time were not so different than Baldwin. Qualified servant elected leaders make the difference.  Partnership and support with state elected leaders and state departments is essential.

Baldwin and Milledgeville have great potential based on who we already are. The future of our community will continue to be decided by the elected leaders you select. I encourage you to choose carefully. Choose the leaders that have the most potential to move all of Baldwin and Milledgeville forward with other successful counties and cities.  Choose the leaders that are not one issue candidates. Choose those that will grow all of Baldwin and Milledgeville not just the issues they desire to limit.  

Communities that do not change with the times will never flourish!

Henry R. Craig

Baldwin County Commissioner