October 2026 Community Life - Canton Cherokee County Elections Voter InformationAdvance Voting Locations Ball Ground Public Library435 Old Canton Road, Ball Ground The Buzz Ahrens Recreation Center*7345 Cumming Highway, Canton Cherokee County Elections & Voter Registration Office193 Lamar Haley Parkway, Canton Hickory Flat Public Library2740 East Cherokee Drive, Canton Oak Grove Fire Station Community Room100 Ridge Mill Court, Acworth Rose Creek Public Library4476 Towne Lake Parkway, Woodstock South Cherokee Annex/Recreation Center*7545 Main Street, Woodstock *Voting and Drop Box Locations Advance Voting Dates and TimesOctober 13-16 and October 19-238:30am-5:00pmOctober 26-308:30am-7:00pmSaturday Voting: October 17 and October 248:30am-5:00pmSunday Voting: October 25, 1:00-5:00pmCherokee County Elections & Voter Registration OfficeGENERAL ELECTION - NOVEMBER 3 Voters must go to their assigned polling location on Election Day. All polling locations are open 7:00am-7:00pm.For more information, visit CherokeeGaVotes.com.____________________________________________County Manager Geoff Morton Announces RetirementCherokee County Manager Geoff Morton will retire at the end of 2026 following 25 years of service to the county. The Board of Commissioners and Human Resources will be deciding next steps for the role soon. Morton took the reins of Cherokee County government operations in 2021, succeeding longtime County Manager Jerry Cooper.“I am proud to call myself a Cherokee County resident, and I am honored to have been able to lead this county with a fantastic Executive Leadership Team and with the Board of Commissioners’ support,” Morton said. “We have accomplished so much together over the years. People realize what a great place Cherokee County is to call home, and I believe that is why we’ve seen such a strong population influx. At the direction of the Board, we have tried to maintain growth while preserving the county’s character at a financial value to our taxpayers.”Morton said the accomplishments he’s most proud of include many of the infrastructure and roadway improvements he helped deliver as county engineer. Some of those projects include converting Eagle Drive and Sixes Road into four lanes, the construction of Northside Cherokee Boulevard, and the construction of the county’s first roundabout at East Cherokee Drive and Gaddis Road. He is also proud to have been part of helping strengthen city and county relationships and delivering Cherokee County’s first-ever T-SPLOST program.The county manager serves as a key advisor to the Board of Commissioners and manages at the corporate level in the execution of the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners’ strategic plan. Additionally, the county manager provides guidance and assistance to the senior leadership team in the execution of department and division business plans and programs.____________________________________________History Cherokee Announces 2026 Historic Preservation Award WinnersHistory Cherokee honored outstanding preservation projects, community partners, and dedicated volunteers during its recent annual Historic Preservation Awards Gala. The Historic Preservation Awards recognize the individuals, businesses, organizations, and communities whose work helps preserve and protect the historic places and stories that make Cherokee County unique.The 2026 Historic Preservation Award Recipients Include:• 94 North Street in Canton• The Ball Ground House in Ball Ground• Burger Bus in Ball Ground• Cagle Farm in Holly Springs• Dial-Ramsay House in Woodstock• Hendrix House in Ball Ground• Howard-Banks House in Canton• Latimer-Sholly House in Woodstock History Cherokee also honored the City of Canton as a Preservation Partner. The recognition celebrated the city's receipt of the Preservation Service Award from the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, recognizing its commitment to historic preservation.Additionally, History Cherokee recognized the dedicated volunteers who help further the organization's mission of preserving and sharing Cherokee County's history. Judy Bishop was named History Cherokee's Volunteer of the Year and James “Skip” Spears received the Judson W. Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his longstanding commitment and service.For more information about History Cherokee and its programs, visit HistoryCherokee.org.____________________________________________Interchange Named for Late Rep. Mandi BallingerMembers of the Cherokee County Delegation presented a Georgia House of Representatives Resolution naming the intersection at I-575 and Riverstone Parkway the “Rep. Mandi L. Ballinger Memorial Interchange” at a recent Cherokee County Board of Commissioners meeting.Rep. Ballinger served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2012 to 2025, and was a champion for legislation combating child abuse, strengthening protections for domestic violence survivors, and reforming the juvenile system. She died at the age of 50 in October 2025.____________________________________________Aquatic Center To Be Renamed in Honor of Chairman Harry JohnstonAt a recent Cherokee County Board of Commissioners meeting, District 1 Commissioner Will Cagle proposed the Cherokee County Aquatic Center be named for Chairman Harry Johnston in honor of his 20-plus years of service to Cherokee County. The item, which was added to the agenda, was a surprise for Chairman Johnston, and he shared his appreciation to the Board for selecting him as the aquatic center’s namesake. Chairman Johnston was representing District 1 on the Board of Commissioners when the parks bond was passed by voters, and he was part of the leadership who helped bring the recreational facility to fruition. ____________________________________________New Inclusive Playground at Cherokee Veterans ParkA new inclusive playground at Cherokee Veterans Park removes barriers for all children to play. It features ground-level play elements on a unitary safety surfacing system made from recycled tire-derived materials. The inclusive playground is coupled with the existing playground, allowing children of all abilities to play together.“This playground was designed so children of different physical and developmental abilities can play together. It means fewer kids sitting on the sidelines, and more kids simply getting to be kids,” said District 1 Commissioner Will Cagle. “A big thank you goes to Cherokee Recreation and Parks Director Jay Worley and his staff for their hard work in making this project a reality and helping make our parks more accessible for everyone.”This is Cherokee County’s second inclusive playground. The first in the county is at Patriots Park and is located next to the county’s adaptive sports field.“My daughter is primarily based out of a wheelchair,” said E.J. Francis. “For a playground like this, for her to access it is huge. It’s fantastic. We came from about 30 minutes away just to experience this because, in our area, we just don’t have very many. If it means taking a 30-minute trip on the weekends to experience something like this, it’s worth it. My daughter is already having a blast and having a great time.”The playground features a wheelchair accessible merry-go-round recommended by the Meyer Family. “Something we’d like to do is name that the Meyer-Go-Round,” said Parks Division Director Stephen Shrout. The merry-go-round is flush mounted, allowing easy access for children in wheelchairs.The playground also features sensory elements including musical instruments and a Quiet Grove, which helps diminish the sights and sounds of a playground that can be overwhelming to some children. It has translucent bamboo panels, leaf patterns in the room, and a natural wood-like bench, giving a child the opportunity to rest with a parent or caregiver and refocus before returning to the playground. A Together Glider allows all children to play together rocking back and forth. A ramp and smooth surface allow easy wheelchair access.____________________________________________Woodstock Recognized as Top 10 Best Place to Visit for FallThe city of Woodstock is a winner in USA TODAY’s 2026 Reader’s Choice Award for Best Place to Visit for Fall! These nominations were carefully curated by a panel of subject-matter experts and USA TODAY “10 BEST” editors before being voted on by the public. Over the course of four weeks, the public voted from this curated selection of 20 U.S. cities to narrow the list down to the 10 best places. This was the first year that Woodstock was named a contender, and the city is honored to have placed so high in the final results:1. Mackinac Island, Michigan2. Allegany County, Maryland3. Woodstock, Georgia4. Gatlinburg, Tennessee5. Lafayette, Louisiana6. Rochester, New York7. Saratoga County, New York8. Burlington, Vermont9. Yakima Valley, Washington10. Sleepy Hollow, New YorkFor a complete look at USA TODAY’s TOP 10 Reader’s Choice Award results, visit 10Best.USAToday.com/awards/best-place-to-visit-for-fall.____________________________________________Development Agreement Approved for Woodstock's New 5-Year Comprehensive Transportation PlanCity of Woodstock Mayor Michael Caldwell and the City Council have approved a professional services agreement with Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., to develop the City’s new Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP). The approval marks a major milestone in shaping Woodstock’s transportation future over the next five years.The CTP will serve as the City’s primary transportation planning document, guiding infrastructure investments, corridor improvements, multimodal enhancements, and future funding decisions. Development of the plan comes at a pivotal time, as Woodstock prepares to leverage newly available T-SPLOST revenues approved by Cherokee County voters in 2025 and initiated in April 2026.Public engagement will be central throughout the planning process. The City will incorporate feedback through stakeholder meetings, focus groups, surveys, community intercepts, and a public meeting, ensuring community priorities shape the plan’s recommendations.The plan will also integrate nonvehicle mobility options by identifying sidewalk gaps, prioritizing sidewalk infill, assessing bicycle and trail connectivity, and evaluating golf cart travel demand to support safer and more accessible multimodal routes. Additional components will address congestion along major corridors, identify targeted traffic relief projects, and evaluate signal timing at key intersections to maximize travel efficiency for residents. More information is available online at WoodstockGa.gov/transportation.____________________________________________Mayor Caldwell Joins America the Entrepreneurial Mayor Michael Caldwell has joined America the Entrepreneurial as a Founding Mayor. America the Entrepreneurial is the national campaign to renew America’s entrepreneurial promise in the 250th anniversary year of the United States, the world’s greatest startup.America the Entrepreneurial calls for a revival of the spirit that built our nation and the promise that anyone should be able to shape a better future. Reviving the spirit is crucial because new and young businesses create virtually all net job growth in America. Every 1% increase in entrepreneurial activity in a state correlates with a 2% decline in poverty.America the Entrepreneurial is an initiative of Right to Start, the national nonprofit organization advancing entrepreneurship as a civic priority, and More Perfect, an American alliance dedicated to revitalizing democracy.The campaign will expand to engage individuals, organizations, and government leaders and their jurisdictions nationwide in the months ahead. Three playbooks designed to engage and activate those three audiences in support of entrepreneurship can be viewed at AmericaTheEntrepreneurial.org. ____________________________________________Woodstock Millage Rate — Full Rollback Adopted The Woodstock City Council voted unanimously to approve the 2026 Maintenance and Operations (M&O) property tax millage rate and the Parks Bond debt service millage rate, adopting a full rollback for the upcoming fiscal year. The approved 2026 M&O millage rate is 5.13 mills, a slight increase from last year’s 5.065 mills due to this year’s rollback calculation. Despite the change, the rollback rate will generate the same revenue from existing properties while accounting for net new construction growth.Woodstock Chief Financial Officer Ron Shelby presented the detailed 2026 real property digest and millage rate calculations to Council. Shelby reported that Woodstock saw $105 million in net new construction, equal to 3.062% growth in the Tax Digest. Exemption growth totaled $35 million, reducing that figure by 1.038%, resulting in a net new construction value growth of 2.024%.The FY 27 budget anticipated 2.5% digest growth; however, only 2.024% was realized. Under the rollback rate, the City expects to generate approximately $162,817 in additional revenue, representing new construction only. Shelby noted that this amount will decline as property tax appeals are resolved.The Council also approved the 2026 Parks Bond debt service millage rate at 0.52 mills, increased from 0.50 mills in FY 26, to ensure full repayment of earlier general fund advances related to bond issuance timing. The Parks Bond, approved by voters in November 2023, funded $26.9 million in park and trail projects.Combined, the total FY 27 City of Woodstock millage rate is 5.65 mills, rising slightly from 5.565 mills in the previous year. More about the City of Woodstock’s FY 27 Budget can be found at WoodstockGa.gov/finance.____________________________________________Cherokee County School District AnnouncementsEtowah HS Teacher Earns Regional Award Congratulations to TSgt. (Ret.) Ciarra Malto, Etowah HS Career Pathway teacher for Air Force JROTC - Government and Public Administration, on being named the southeast U.S. region's CTAE (career, technical, and agricultural) New Teacher of the Year! This is the latest in a series of amazing accolades she's earned in the past year, which also include Etowah HS Teacher of the Year and AFJROTC Instructor of the Year.Cherokee HS FFA Wins National Award The Cherokee HS chapter of the FFA agricultural education program has been named a 2026 3 Star Chapter, the highest honor awarded by the National FFA Organization. Less than 10% of chapters nationwide achieve this honor, which recognizes demonstrated success in growing leaders, building communities, and strengthening the local agriculture industry. The chapter student officers who earned this honor are Della-Grace Rivers, KayLynn Carpenter, Emma Hyde, Elizabeth Carter, Jesse Pruitt, and Lindsay Rubio-Garcia. Career Pathway agriculture teacher Dr. Lindsey Garner serves as the chapter sponsor. The chapter will be recognized at the 99th National FFA Convention & Expo in October. Five CCSD High Schools Named Among Top in State, NationFive CCSD high schools are among the Top 100 in Georgia, and all traditional high schools are ranked in the top one-third in the U.S., according to U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings of the nation’s best high schools.• Sequoyah High School (GA #66)• River Ridge High School (GA #68)• Creekview High School (GA #75)• Woodstock High School (GA #84)• Etowah High School (GA #86)• Cherokee High School (GA #235)There are 522 public high schools in Georgia and 27,000 nationwide. The rankings consider student achievement on state-required assessments, graduation rate, college readiness measures, participation and performance by underserved student groups on national exams including Advanced Placement (AP), curriculum breadth, and overall student outcomes.CCSD Fine Arts Event Calendar for This Season Now OnlinePerforming arts program students are taking the stage, and fine arts program students’ works are filling galleries for a new season. To highlight all creative students, the CCSD Fine Arts Events Calendar is posted online at CherokeeK12.net. Times and dates are subject to change, and the calendar is regularly updated.
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