Habersham Considered Rejoining County Group Amid Questions on Federal Aid

Habersham County commissioners considered rejoining the National Association of Counties during their March 15, 2021 work session, after County Manager Phil Sutton raised concerns about getting timely federal guidance while the county was outside the organization. Sutton told commissioners that NACo had estimated the county’s potential 2021 Reconciliation Act funding at $8,869,414.

The membership question was more than an affiliation decision. With federal assistance potentially approaching $8.87 million, county officials were weighing whether participation in the national county association could give Habersham more direct access to information about federal funding and the rules for using it. The discussion concerned guidance and communication; it did not establish that the county received, spent or secured money through NACo.

The issue reached commissioners after the executive director of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia asked the county to consider returning to NACo, according to Sutton’s remarks. That request was tied to the emerging federal funding picture and the county manager’s concern that a nonmember might not receive federal-level information as quickly. Commissioners then took up the proposal in work session on March 15 rather than in a documented final action.

Sutton presented the case for considering membership as an information-access issue, relaying the state association executive’s request and NACo’s funding estimate. The record shows that the Habersham County Commission heard the discussion. It does not record individual commissioners’ positions, any public opposition or support, or a response from NACo, so the reasons commissioners may have favored or resisted rejoining remain unknown.

What is established is that commissioners discussed a possible return to NACo at the March 15 work session. What remains unestablished is whether they voted, approved membership, declined it, set a membership cost or later obtained additional guidance on the estimated federal amount. The $8,869,414 figure was part of the discussion of potential funding, not a documented award or expenditure.

The next public step is to look for the commission’s regular-meeting agenda, minutes or action record following the March 15 work session, where the membership question could have moved from discussion to a decision. Until such an action is documented, residents cannot tell from this record whether Habersham rejoined NACo or whether the deliberation changed the county’s access to federal funding guidance.