Highlights of State of the County Addresses Cherokee County School District Superintendent Dr. Brian Hightower, Cherokee County Commission Chairman Harry Johnston, and Cherokee Office of Economic Development President Misti Martin delivered State of the County speeches in January. Hightower shared metrics illustrating the strength of the District, which serves more than 42,000 students. The graduation rate increased 17 points to 92.3%, with 97% of students being college ready. Students outperform 90% of other Georgia students. Hightower also pointed out the strong financials of the District, highlighting the reduced use of bonds and a reduced millage rate.Johnston’s address focused on the natural gifts in the community, as well as its great manmade resources, infrastructure, and plans for the future. His focus is to keep making Cherokee County the best place to live by gradually reducing the growth rate over the next 30 years and catching up on transportation infrastructure while continuing to be fiscally responsible.Martin spoke about Cherokee By Choice (CBC) 2.0, a continuation of the endeavor that has businesses choosing to relocate to Cherokee County. The initial program brought in more than $467 million and 2,175 jobs. A survey completed in preparation for the launch of CBC 2.0 indicated a focus needs to be made on advanced manufacturing, corporate/regional headquarters, and entrepreneurship/innovation. All three State of the County presentations can be viewed at CherokeeGa.com.
to your business!