After seven years of service to Hall County, Chairman Richard Higgins announced last week his bid for reelection in 2024.
The Hall County Board of Commissioners is comprised of five members, each representing a portion of Hall County with the final member standing as the Chairman of the Board. In Hall, Kathy Cooper represents District 1, Billy Powell for D2, Gregg Poole for D3 and Jeff Stowe for D4.
Chairman Higgins presides over the commissioners, orchestrating various tasks like leading public commission meetings and directing county employees alongside Hall County Administrator Zach Propes.
Higgins also has the chance to represent the county’s interests on other boards.
“I think in the last seven years, we've come a long way, and we've made a lot of progress,” Higgins said. “Now, we have a growing county and we’ve made a lot of strides, but we still have a lot left to do … the biggest thing I can say, as far as me being on the commission, is getting everybody to work together as a group.”
In an interview, Higgins recounted a conversation with a friend of his, where he was labeled as a politician. Higgins has a different way of viewing his role for the county.
“I'm not a politician. I'm a public servant,” he said.
Higgins also previously sat on the Hall County School Board for 12 years, presiding as Chairman of that governing body for 11 years of that time. He believes that experience provided a great opportunity to further his goal of serving the community and built a solid bridge into his tenure as a Commission Chairman.
Higgins has deep roots in Hall County, as his mother worked in the school system for over 35 years and he’s been a citizen of Hall his entire life.
Moving forward, Higgins hopes to continue a trend of growth in the county, as the population in Hall climbs. Several touchpoints for him include continuing to build and improve roads, address landfill issues, remedy a “busting at the seams” county court system, as Higgins put it, and promote more green spaces within the county limits.
Additionally, the county is currently adjusting its Comprehensive Plan and development codes, which Higgins says will further the long-term benefits seen in the county.
“We're probably going to end up taking over some of the parks from the Corps of Engineers, several of those that they're backing away from,” Higgins said. “We're planning for a senior center down in South Hall … we reopened Butler Park recently, and that was an underserved area, and we’ve reopened Tadmore Park.”
Higgins’ name is slated to be on the ballot next May in the 2024 Primary, along with a shot on the General Election ballot next November.
