Just before the action, commissioner Edwin Nix said he had received a petition from White County resident Teresa Stansel. He said the 14-signature petition called on him to refrain from voting on the plan.
The petition, among other things, claimed Nix was not mindful of his oath of office, did not perform the duties of the office responsibly and is not impartial.
Nix asked county attorney Bill House if he had had a chance to look at the document and if he saw any merit in it that he (Nix) should not participate in the vote.
"I see absolutely no reason for you to have to recuse yourself," House said.
Nix then took issue with the statements in the petition.
"I want the citizens of White County to know I take the oath of office very seriously, and that I emphatically deny all these false accusations and will not allow these accusations to deter me in any way, or affect any decision that I make as commissioner of this county. I will continue to do my job with dignity, with honesty and respect to the office I hold and the citizens of White County that I serve as long as I'm commissioner of this county."
Following his statement, the board voted unanimously for each aspect of the plan.
Following the vote, commission chairman Travis Turner said officials have asked the White County Historical Society to help come up with historical overlay areas in the county.
Turner said the county is home to some very important historical areas, like the campgrounds and the Sautee-Nachoochee area.
"We don't want them degraded. We want to protect them for future generations," Turner said.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2015/3/286991