Elected officials meet to discuss partnership opportunities
Published 7:00 am Monday, June 23, 2025
- Baldwin County Board of Education member John Jackson makes a point during Monday’s roundtable with colleagues and other elected officials from the city and county related to partnering opportunities among all three governmental entities. Sitting beside him in the photo is Milledgeville City Council Alderwoman Dr. Collinda Lee and Baldwin County Commission Vice Chairman Kendrick Butts. (Billy W. Hobbs/The Union-Recorder)
For years, local government officials from three different entities have discussed the possibility of getting together to discuss various partnering opportunities.
It never happened before Monday night when the majority of members of the Baldwin County Board of Education, Baldwin County Board of Commissioners and Milledgeville City Council attended a lengthy meeting to discuss such an idea at Central Georgia Technical College in Milledgeville.
Baldwin County Board of Education Chairman Wes Cummings served as moderator of the first-ever such event.
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Each of the three governmental entities established quorums and then agreed to enter into the joint meeting with each other.
Cummings represented the school board, while Commission Chairman Andrew Strickland did it for the county commission. Mayor Pro Tem Denese Shinholster, meanwhile, did it on behalf of Mayor Mary Parham-Copelan, who was not able to attend the joint meeting.
Each governmental body appointed a spokesperson to talk about successes of late before they dived deeper into how they might work together for a common goal to better serve students in the public school system, as well as the overall needs in the community.
City Manager Hank Griffeth discussed recent successes and future projects on behalf of council, while County Manager Carlos Tobar did the same on behalf of commissioners. Baldwin County Schools Superintendent Dr. Noris Price did the same for the school district.
“This idea has been on our minds and hearts for years and years,” Cummings said. “It was accepted and we are here and what a blessing it is.”
Each of the officials who attended the special joint meeting introduced themselves and talked a little about themselves.
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Baldwin County Commissioner Emily C. Davis said she too had over the years tried to get all three governmental bodies together for a joint meeting.
“And finally it has happened,” Davis said.
The group talked about seven agenda items during the nearly 2 ½ hour meeting. Those items included establishing a local swimming program; school resource officers; creating a Baldwin High School firefighter pathway; GED programs; mentoring; literacy initiatives; and vape shops.
