Chattooga County Commissioner Blake Elsberry is holding a second meeting on the adoption of  legislation.  As sole commissioner, he acts as both the legislative and executive branch of local government; meaning he alone proposes legislation and then can enact it.  However, the public meetings are required by Georgia law.

The commissioner has renamed and made some changes to the controversial land use ordinance that he implemented in 2022.  This week, the commissioner stated that he was in favor of the people voting on any land use ordinance, but circumstances dictated that he enact the new ordinance without a vote from the public.  In addition to the newly named “Subdivision Ordinance”, the commissioner will also be having a second reading of an ordinance to enact a county hotel/motel tax.

The commissioner would be joining the City of Summerville and the Town of Trion in enacting the tax.  The idea is that the extra money would be paid by tourist coming to stay in the county and used to promote tourism in Chattooga County who stay in a hotel or motel or bed and breakfast.  Critics say that the tax would hit hard for some of the lowest income people in the county who use local motels as permanent or semi-permanent housing and workers who are coming to Chattooga County.  They contend that most tourist in Chattooga County choose to stay outside the county instead of local hotels or motels.

The commissioner also drew fire last week when he refused to answer any questions at the meeting for the first reading of the ordinances.

The meeting is at 9 this morning at the Commissioner’s Office on Commerce Street in Summerville.