The most notable feature of our community is the land upon which it rests. Located at the heart of the Chattahoochee National Forest, Gilmer County is nestled among rugged mountain peaks with names like Springer, Rich, Cold, Big Bald, Aaron, Stover, and Columbia Top. Tumbling down the slopes of these and other peaks are a myriad of cold, clear mountain streams. These streams join forces with others and ultimately flow into the Ellijay and Cartecay Rivers, which in turn form the Coosawatee River, which contributes its flow to Carter’s Lake, the deepest in Georgia. Its 3,200 acres and 62 miles of shoreline provide and outdoor playground for all sorts of water sports as well as hiking and mountain biking along its shores. The mountain ridges are interspersed with rich, green valleys which have been the home to mountain valley farmsteads as far back as 1832, when the county was first formed out of what was then Cherokee County.

This combination of wild and pastoral settings have made our community a popular destination for all sorts of folks. For decades, Gilmer Apple Houses have been a favorite of thousands of visitors from around the Southeast and beyond. This was officially recognized a few years back when Gilmer was named the Apple Capital of Georgia. More recently other agri-tourism businesses have begun to flourish. Gilmer has just had its second vineyard come online ready for business. Additionally, natural farm-to-table businesses such as Mountain Valley Farms, Bear Creek Cattle Company, and Holden Creek Farms have been added to the Agri-tourism mix to make Gilmer County a “must-visit” community for those seeking to source a more wholesome, local, natural food source for their families. The burgeoning Agri-Tourism sector is under girded by more traditional farms producing poultry, livestock, timber, and apples. In addition to these highly productive farms, we are also home to a commercial poultry processing plant that has been in operation since the 1960’s. Agriculture has been and continues to be the backbone of our local economy.

For the outdoor enthusiast, Gilmer County is second to none. Our hunters have thousands of acres of public and private lands upon which to try their luck. Fishermen and women can wet a line in tiny mountain streams, swift rivers, or Carter’s Lake. Boaters can test their skills on steep technical streams like Clear Creek, Mountaintown Creek, or the Cartecay River, or more mellow streams such as the Coosawatee. Motorboats have 3,200 acres of water that is seldom crowded like some of the other reservoirs in North Georgia. Mountain Bikers have a solid selection of trails from which to choose with more on the drawing board. In addition to being the Apple Capital of Georgia, Gilmer also has the honor of being the Mountain Biking Capital of Georgia. For hikers, our community is a paradise indeed. In addition to multiple short day hiking opportunities, the intrepid hiker also has the option to walk from Georgia through 14 states and 2,200 miles to Maine on the Appalachian Trail, which begins in Gilmer County. Another popular trail for the long distance hiker is the Benton MacKaye Trail, which also begins in Gilmer County and extends almost 300 miles to Davenport Gap, east of Ashville, NC. Other popular outdoor activities are golfing at Whitepath Golf Course or geocaching at numerous sites around the county.

In spite of all these marvelous attributes, our community is not experiencing the prosperity that one might expect. While we have several employers in the area in the manufacturing, health services, retail, real estate, and other sectors, it remains a stark reality that about 20% of our citizens live at or below the poverty level. Another indicator of our local economic health is that many, if not most of our youth end up having to leave the community to find employment that enables them to get a good start in life. On top of the employment challenges, we have a debt load of some 55 million dollars related to the courthouse, library, fire stations, and other projects. This astounding figure amounts to about 1,900 dollars for every man, woman, and child in the county. This debt is a reality that cannot be ignored. We basically have three options to deal with it 1) we could continue to increase the tax burden on our citizens, 2) we could default on the debt, or 3) we can promote business investment in our community and “grow into” the debt. I do not consider options 1 or 2 to be viable alternatives, so that leaves us with option 3, growing our local economy to make the debt load easier to manage. As Post 2 Commissioner, I would like to focus primarily on this issue through an intentional economic development plan that came out of the Catalyst Group’s work.

Please continue reading about my “Vision for Gilmer County” and the “Catalyst Group” on their respective tabs on the home page of this web site. Thanks for taking the time to read about my ideas. I truly believe our best days are ahead if we will adopt a shared vision for our community and then do what it takes to make that vision a reality.