Hall Co. commissioners, chair look for answers at Atlanta conference

ATLANTA - Among the 400 attendees at this week's Capitol Connection Conference are three commissioners and the commission chairman from Hall County.

Taking a break from Monday's training sessions, Commission Chairman Dick Mecum said by phone the Association County Commissioners of Georgia coordinates the two-day event, and he's hoping to get some clarification on the impact that certain new laws will have on Hall County.

Mecum said he is concerned specifically about what the new Motor Vehicle Law, which becomes effective March 1, will mean to the county's coffers.

"There are still a lot of questions that are unanswered," said Mecum. "We trying to dig into those a little bit more, a little bit deeper just to find out what kind of impact financially that's going to have."

Mecum said he is concerned, too, about changes to the state's criminal justice code. Those changes, he thinks, may have an impact on Hall County's budget.

"Are we going to find that we'll have more inmates in our county jails not going to the state? Is this going to overburden our county jails as a result?," asked Mecum.

He said such a move would be a burden to the tax base.

Commissioners Scott Gibbs, Craig Lutz and Jeff Stowe are attending the conference, as well.

Mecum said the group of county officials will also hear from House Speaker David Ralston, Lt. Governor Casey Cagle and Governor Nathan Deal as they wrap up their training sessions Tuesday.