District 4 Commissioner Ernie Filice served his last meeting on the Greene County Board of Commissioners on Dec. 10, as Mark Blanton prepares to take Filice’s seat in January after winning the Republican primary runoff against Steve Broadbent.
Filice has served as a county commissioner since October 2016.
During the meeting, Chairman Gary Usry invited the public to comment on Filice’s impact on the county.
Several spoke about Filice’s efforts to help citizens, including his personal delivery of information to homeowners’ associations and his sharing of his perspective at Greene County Chamber of Commerce board meetings.
“For the last seven plus years, Ernie may have missed one, maybe two meetings over that whole period of time,” Terry Lawler, former president and current board member of the Chamber of Commerce, said about Felice’s attendance at meetings. “Folks got to hear firsthand about what was going on. We appreciate that from the board’s standpoint.”
Another Chamber board member, Rabun Neal, praised Filice for caring about the entire county rather than just his district.
“I wouldn’t say I appreciate what you’ve done for Reynolds. I don’t appreciate what you’ve done for the lake area. I’d say I appreciate what you’ve done for the entire county,” Neal said. “I think that’s one thing the county is going for as a whole; we’re all together ... I think you’ve [served the county as a whole] and not been solely focused on one thing.
“I appreciate you being there and supporting the things that are right for this county,” continued Neal.
Other county leaders also commended Filice’s service.
“I just want to thank you for your support of the building and zoning office, your leadership, your commitment to the county, the way you dealt with citizens,” Chuck Wooley, director of building, zoning, and project management, said to Filice. “I’ve worked in many municipalities, and you’re truly an idol to admire as a commissioner.”
“I just wanted to say what an honor it has been to serve with him,” District 2 Commissioner Jeffery Smith added. “Ernie has been on the other side many times, arguing against what I think, and we’ve gone back and forth, but I think that’s how a commission should work. I always appreciated his opinions and thoughts.”
Usry acknowledged Filice as why he serves on the board, recalling how Filice asked him to run for office about 10 years ago.
“We started pretty much together; we ran our campaigns together,” Usry shared. “We had a lot of fun, a lot of good times, a lot of laughs.
“You have served this county well,” he told Filice. “I 100% agree with what Rabun said. You didn’t care about your district; you cared about this county, and I think it’s important for every commissioner to serve the county. It’s been an honor and a pleasure to serve with you … I love you. It takes a special person to serve, and you’ve given over eight years of your life to this county, and I appreciate it very much.”
Filice thanked the speakers for their remarks.
“I consider you all friends,” he told his fellow commissioners. “I never thought I’d get as close to a group of people as I did with this board … we did many good things, and I’m proud of that. I’m particularly proud of the fact that we changed the fire department and emergency services. I think that was a big chunk to chew. I think this county has come a long way, but I think this county has a long way to go yet, and we have to be vigilant about that, and I know you guys will.”
Filice also thanked county manager Byron Lombard for his work: “I have said in meetings many times when I’ve introduced [Byron] that not only has he been the longest-serving county manager in the state of Georgia, but he’s also the best.”
In other business Dec. 10, the BOC:
• Tabled a resolution authorizing the indigent care agreement with Good Samaritan Hospital. The commissioners plan to discuss the services and documentation of funding at its next meeting.
• Reappointed McGill and Eric Smith to the Airport Advisory Committee for a two-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2025, and ending Dec. 31, 2026.
• Reappointed Keith Martin to the Board of Tax Assessors for a three-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2025, and ending Dec. 31, 2027.
• Approved a preliminary plat for the seventh section of The Homesteads, which will create five lots from 25.92 acres within Reynolds Lake Oconee.
• Approved a preliminary plat for the third section of Jumping Rock, which will create 15 lots from 14.95 acres within Reynolds Lake Oconee.
• ATSPLOST expenditure of $47,690 to accommodate the addition of two private box hangars at the county airport. Engineering services are needed to complete the required notices and design the elevation to tie the hangars to the existing apron properly. The two hangars represent the last two spaces available for private hangars until the west apron expansion project is designed and constructed.
• Approved and amended the ARPA contract for funding senior center programs, extending the deadline for spending the allocated funds. The state extended the deadline to Sept. 30, 2025, prompting the new contract.