For the past 154 years, elections have been the responsibility of the Ordinary of each county, now the Probate Judge.

The Miller County Board of Commissioners requested State Legislator Gerald Greene to introduce legislation to take this responsibility away from the office of Probate Judge, an office elected by every elector of the county and put it in the hands of five commissioners, elected in districts. The county commissioners will appoint one member of the new Miller County Election Board.

The House Bill 1044 was passed through the House of Representatives with 99 percent of the Miller County voters not knowing what was done even with the vague notice that was put in this newspaper by the commissioners. The Miller County Probate Office was not notified or consulted by the county commissioners or Representative Greene.

A few excerpts from HB1044 for Miller County Board of Elections are:

To create a board of elections for Miller County and provide for its powers and duties; to provide for the composition of the board and the selection, qualification, and terms of its members; to provide for resignation, succession, and removal of members and for filling vacancies; to provide for oaths and privileges; to relieve certain officers of certain powers and duties and provide for the transfer of certain items to the newly created board; to provide for meetings and procedures; to provide powers and duties of such board; to provide for board employees and their compensation; to provide for expenditures of public funds for certain purposes; to provide for compensation of the members of the board and elections supervisor; to provide for offices and equipment; to provide for the board’s performance of certain functions and duties for certain municipalities; to provide for the meaning of certain terms; to provide for effective dates; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

SECTION 1.

Pursuant to subsection (a) of Code Section 21-2-40 of the O.C.G.A., there is created the Miller County Board of Elections. The board shall have the powers and duties of the election superintendent relating to the conduct of primaries and elections.

SECTION 2.

(a) The board shall be composed of five members, each of whom shall be an elector and resident of Miller County. The members shall be appointed by the governing authority of Miller County. One member shall be appointed from each county commissioner district and one member shall be appointed at large. The governing authority shall appoint one of the members to serve as chairperson of the board.

(b) The first appointed members of the board shall be appointed for initial terms of office beginning January 1, 2011, and ending December 31, 2011, and until their successors are appointed and qualified. After the initial terms of office, successors to such members whose terms are to expire shall be appointed to take office on the first day of January immediately following the expiration of such initial terms of office and shall serve for terms of one year each and until their successors are duly appointed and qualified.

All Miller County Commissioners approved and requested this legislation.

To see the entire bill go to the internet and place in Google search-

10 LC 21 0574

House Bill 1044

By: Representative Greene of the 149th

If you cannot find the bill, the computers at the Miller County Liberal or the public library are available.

Write or call Representative Gerald Greene at:404-656-0314 or email geraldgreen@house ga.gov or write Rt. 3, Box 316, Cuthbert, GA 39840

The bill will go to the Georgia Senate. Write or call Senator John Bullock at 404-655-0040 or email johnbulloch@senate.ga.gov or write at 110 State Capitol, Atlanta, GA 30334. and write and call your county commissioner.

If this bill is approved, your county commssioner will be naming the election officers and paying them who will hold the next election in Miller County.