The Hall County Commission narrowly voted to add a possible survey into the pros and cons of local government mergers to the ballot for the November elections at their meeting Thursday evening.
The referendum would ask Hall County voters to decide whether or not the county should pursue an "independent study" into what options would be available for a governmental merger involving the county commission and what the impact would be.
The motion to approve the referendum was made by Vice Chairman Scott Gibbs and passed by a 3-2 vote. District 2 Commissioner Billy Powell and District 4 Commissioner Jeff Stowe voted against the study.
District 1 Commissioner Kathy Cooper said the referendum is not meant to look into a specific merger scenario, but rather is meant to inform the people of the county about what mergers would mean.
"I don't think we're going to try to pinpoint anything," Cooper said. "I think this is inviting a third party professional to come in and say this is your government, this is everybody else's government, how can we make this a better thing."
Stowe said he feels now is the wrong time to be looking into possible mergers.
"I'm for consolidation as an individual," Stowe said. "Right now, as a commissioner, I'm against it because we have a great working relationship with our municipalities."
Stowe said it was those improving relationships with the cities of the county that led him to vote against the referendum.
"Four years ago I would have voted for that resolution, but today that we're in a good working relationship...that's why I was opposed to it."
Cooper stressed that a merger was not imminent and that any decisions will ultimately lie with the voters.
"If a merging is a good thing then we would have to go back on the ballot to do that."
http://accesswdun.com/article/2016/8/433642/hall-county-comission-adds-government-merger-study-to-november-ballot