GLORIA GAINES: County must ‘create new road map’

Counties are creatures of the state with duties that are enshrined in the Georgia Constitution. While much of what we do is prescribed by law, modern county governments go far beyond collecting and distributing taxes, providing a safe environment and building roads and bridges. Counties must now seriously and aggressively compete for economic development, address social service needs, appropriately deploy and employ technologies, and create recreational and other lifestyle opportunities.

For decades, our beloved Dougherty County has been a beacon, a haven, for those in need across the region. The reason is that many of the state and nonprofit social services are located here. That is to be applauded. While that in-migration pattern is understood, we have at the same time, witnessed an out-migration of those who are well-educated and -trained. Our challenge, given this migration pattern, is how do we keep and attract trained talent. In addition, how do we keep many of those who hold some of the better paying jobs and own many of the businesses in Dougherty County? Is it possible for those who succeed to live alongside those who are in need or is economic separation inevitable and irreversible?

I submit that it is possible to slow and indeed stop our seeming slide toward a mini-Chicago or Detroit. We can do so by becoming an aspirational modern county government. Many may scoff at a person my age talking about modernity. However, because my profession is city planning, I have always had an eye on tomorrow and the days and years after. But, more importantly, I have always felt a responsibility to have a vision of tomorrow, but understand that you must plan, plot and push to get there. That is the challenge facing our county.

What is our vision for tomorrow and how do we get there? Each year we have a retreat and plan our goals for the upcoming year; however, those goals must fit into an overall vision and framework that ultimately guides us to that modern county.

I recall very clearly how in the ’70s a very visionary planning director, college president, chamber of commerce and strong mayor re-invented downtown Atlanta. Thus, Atlanta as we see it today. I also recall being set aside from my normal duties at MARTA to help create and implement a strategic plan for that $6 billion organization. We realized that we must prepare internally for change, for improvement and for modernization. MARTA today is finally in an expansion mode.

Here are a few aspirational undertakings that certainly should be thoroughly vetted and considered by the county as part of an overall strategic vision and plan:

Citizen Services

We must be a citizen-focused organization. We must ask our citizens what their needs are, what their aspirations and hopes are. No organization can be its best if there is no direct intelligence collected that informs decision-makers. Market or citizen opinion research is essential. Once the information is gathered, we must act on it. We must address their concerns, aspirations and needs.

Business Management and Economic Development

How we spend citizens’ money and toward what goal must always be frontal. Maybe our county administrator should be considered the CEO and held accountable for maximizing investments made by our citizens. While the county shares responsibility for economic development with the city and the chamber, a clear measure of what success or lack thereof should be included in a strategic plan for the county. These matrices should be incremental and stepped. Continued county support should be based on achieving such measures.

Continuous Improvement

Much to my chagrin, there are those in the county who feel that we should continue running the county as we have for the last three decades. In other words, the county has always been run well, and we should continue what we have always done, just follow the map, keep the car in the road. I cannot accept that. We must create a new map; we must keep up with change. How can we change our image and indeed change the way we operate and employ new management ideas and technologies to create efficiencies?

Employee Development

Well-prepared employees whose work is valued by the board are our only hope for implementing change and modernizing our county. They must understand their mission, must appreciate the fact that they work for our citizens and feel free and compelled to give their best. Their best must be measured, appreciated and encouraged by the board and by our citizens.

Finally, these ideas are very high level and general. The primary point is that we as a county government must take decided steps toward stemming the slow slide towards despair. I have seen change in my life. I saw the breakup of the USSR, the end of Jim Crow, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of apartheid, the dawn of the internet and mankind walk on the moon. We can do it. When God created man, he gave us dominion. Let’s use it for good.

Gloria Gaines is the vice chairwoman of the Dougherty County Commission. She represents District 5 on the board.

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