September 2025 Community Life - Canton Cherokee County Millage Rates Stay Flat The millage rates controlled by the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners will remain at the 2024 millage rate levels, with one being slightly reduced.Following three public hearings, the Board of Commissioners approved a maintenance and operations millage rate of 5.153, a fire millage rate of 2.888, and a parks bond millage rate of 0.260 at its August 5 meeting. District 4 Commissioner Corey Ragsdale made the motion, which was seconded by District 3 Commissioner Benny Carter.A millage rate is used to calculate property taxes on both residential and commercial property, which is governed by Title 48 in Georgia state law. Cherokee County has the third-lowest millage rate in metro Atlanta and does not have a sales tax, such as HOST or LOST, to help reduce property taxes. Cherokee, Cobb, and Gwinnett are the only three counties without such a sales tax. County leadership has attempted to implement a HOST for the last two legislative sessions, but the required legislation was not successful under the Gold Dome in Atlanta.Cherokee County also has the lowest expenditure per capita, second-lowest taxes per capita, and the second-lowest debt per capita in the 11-county metro region.The vote also included adopting the Cherokee County School District millage rate that the Board of Education approved in the spring. The Board of Commissioners is required by law to adopt the rates set by the Board of Education for distribution to the Tax Commissioner’s Office. _____________________________________________Leadership Cherokee Nominees Sought for Class of 2026 The Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce is currently accepting nominations for the Leadership Cherokee Class of 2026. Coordinated each year by the Chamber, Leadership Cherokee boasts more than 730 graduates since the program’s inception in 1987. “Monthly programs for the Leadership Cherokee Class of 2026 will focus on a variety of topics such as education, justice, infrastructure, public safety, healthcare, government, tourism, social services, and economic development,” announced 2026 Leadership Cherokee Chair and Ball Ground Chief of Police Jamie Gianfala.Nominations for the prestigious Leadership Cherokee program will be accepted through October 1. Based upon the number of applications submitted, the Chamber will determine the number of candidates to be interviewed. The class will be chosen in November, with the program running from January to September 2026.For more information regarding Leadership Cherokee or to receive a nomination form, please call 770-345-0400 or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. _____________________________________________The Cherokee County Communications Division has once again been honored nationally for its work in informing the community. A short video highlighting preparations for Hurricane Helene earned Best in Category in the Audiovisual – Short Video (under 60 seconds) category, and an article highlighting the 2024 Senior Services’ Senior Prom earned the Excellence designation in the Writing – Featured Article/Editorial (250-500 words) category during the National Association of County Information Officers 2025 Awards of Excellence.NACIO announced the winners during the National Association of Counties annual conference (NACo). NACIO is the professional communicators organization within NACo. Its Awards of Excellence program honors the innovative, creative, and outstanding work of county government communicators and state county associations’ communications departments throughout the nation. These awards mark the Communications Division’s eighth and ninth NACIO Awards in three years.____________________________________Canton Ranked 20th Safest Suburb in AmericaCanton ranked among the top 5% (20th) of the safest suburbs in the United States, according to a study done by SmartAsset, with data compiled from the FBI and County Health Rankings & Roadmaps.The organization looked at “360 places within a 15-to-45-minute drive from the 100 largest U.S. cities with at least 5,000 residents” that were then “compared across five safety metrics, including reported crime, lethal car accidents, drug overdose deaths, and excessive drinking.”With a population of a little over 34,000, Canton came in with stats of violent crime per capita: 0.0069, property crime per capita: 0.0141, number of traffic deaths per 100,000 people: 8.3363, number of drug overdose deaths per 100,000 people: 20.4587, and percentage of adults reporting excessive drinking: 18.43%.Learn more about the study at SmartAsset.com/data-studies/americas-safest-suburbs-2025.___________________________________________Local University Player Drafted by the Philadelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies drafted Reinhardt University Baseball’s Robert Phelps during the 19th round of the Major League Baseball draft. The RU shortstop helped his team become Appalachian Athletic Conference regular-season champions. He hit 11 home runs, had a batting average of .350, and earned 47 RBIs._____________________________________________City of Canton Announces Qualifying Results for Three Council SeatsTerms for seats in Wards 1, 2, and 3 for the Canton City Council will expire on December 31, 2025, thereby requiring a Municipal General Election. Qualifying for these seats was held August 18-20.Terms and Qualifications for Office The members of the City Council shall serve for terms of four years and until their respective successors are elected and qualified. No person shall be eligible to serve as mayor or councilmember unless that person shall be a United States citizen 21 years of age or older, who has been a resident of the city for 12 months prior to the date of the election of the mayor and councilmembers and must have been a bona fide resident of the ward which they represent for a period of six months previous to the election to which they are a candidate; each shall continue to reside therein during that member’s period of service and to be registered and qualified to vote in municipal elections of this city. _____________________________________________Qualifying Results for the City of Canton’s 2025 General Municipal ElectionCouncil Ward 1: Darrell Rice Council Ward 2: Bryan Roach (incumbent) Pennie Clopton Council Ward 3: Dwayne Waterman (incumbent) Todd SmithThe election will be held on November 4, 2025, at Cherokee County election precincts that serve the residents of the city of Canton to fill these positions._____________________________________________Cherokee County School District AnnouncementsSuperintendent Appointed to Statewide RolesCherokee County Superintendent of Schools Mary Elizabeth Davis was recently appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp and sworn in to serve on the Board of Trustees of the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia (TRS). TRS has more than 500,000 members and administers retirement benefits for employees of Georgia’s public schools, many employees of the University System of Georgia, and certain other designated employees in educational-related roles. Superintendent Davis was also selected by Gov. Kemp to serve as chair of his superintendent advisory committee, which is made up of superintendents from across the state. Gov. Kemp regularly meets with these leaders to hear their perspectives on public education, legislative matters, and how Georgia can continue to improve student achievement.Free Home ES Earns National Recognition for PE ProgramsFor the second consecutive year, Free Home ES has earned national recognition for physical education programs. The school is one of only 1,120 schools nationwide to be named to the America’s Healthiest Schools list. Published by Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a national children’s health organization, the list celebrates schools that support the health of students, staff, and families. Schools can be recognized in one or more of nine health-related categories, and Free Home ES was honored in four: Physical Education, Health, Staff Well-Being, and School Wellness Policy. School Nurse, PTA Units Earn Statewide HonorsTeasley MS School Nurse Angie Milko is the Georgia PTA Outstanding Nurse Award middle school winner. Milko joined CCSD as a full-time school nurse in 2022 after serving as a substitute nurse for two years.School PTA units were recognized with various awards, with four earning the state’s top honor of Outstanding Local Unit, which celebrates success in all areas: Mill Creek MS, R.M. Moore ES STEM Academy, River Ridge HS, and Teasley MS.Ball Ground ES STEM Academy earned the state-level Hearst Family–School Partnership Award for excellence in effective communications. Eight CCSD schools earned state-level Model PTA awards: Bascomb ES, Johnston ES, Knox ES STEM Academy, Little River ES, Mill Creek MS, R.M. Moore ES STEM Academy, River Ridge HS, and Teasley MS. Eleven CCSD schools earned state-level Best Idea awards: ACTIVE Academies, Arnold Mill ES, Ball Ground ES STEM Academy, Bascomb ES, Johnston ES, Liberty ES, Little River ES, Mill Creek MS, R.M. Moore ES STEM Academy, River Ridge HS, and Teasley MS.Cherokee HS Student Wins National Career Skills AwardSenior Bailey German earned a gold medal at the 2025 Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) National Leadership Conference recently held in Orlando. More than 4,300 students competed in over 30 events connected to family and consumer sciences careers. German earned her gold medal in the job interview skills event, showcasing her proficiency in portfolio preparation, job application, and interview communication. Principal Elected To Lead State Association For the next year, Clark Creek ES STEM Academy Principal Joey Moss will serve in the volunteer role as president of the Georgia Association of Elementary School Principals. The association, which is made up of more than 700 members, provides school leaders with professional development focused on research-based practices that advance student learning as well as networking opportunities to learn from their colleagues statewide.Mill Creek MS Teacher Wins Statewide Educator AwardAnn-Margaret Somers is the middle school winner of the Georgia PTA Birney Butler Outstanding Educator award, which recognizes professional excellence and exemplary contributions to instructing students. An eighth-grade science teacher, Somers’ numerous recognitions include being named the Georgia Science Teachers Association 2022-23 Teacher of the Year for Middle Schools and a 2022 Georgia STEM Scholar by Georgia Youth Science and Technology Centers — an award presented to only about two dozen teachers statewide annually. Somers, who joined CCSD in 2015, was one of only 26 teachers nationwide honored in 2020 as a Teacher Fellow by the Northrop Grumman Foundation and National Science Teaching Association.
to your business!