Montgomery County Experiences a Year of Leadership Change
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Montgomery County has several new leaders and new ideas entering the community in 2024, as many of the longtime leaders retired in 2024.
Leadership changes first began in January, when former Montgomery County Schools Superintendent Stan Rentz announced that he would be retiring from his role at the end of the school year. Board of Education members began the search for a new superintendent before eventually selecting Ronda Hightower to fill the role. Hightower began working with the school over the summer and has implemented a mission of believing in students and staff members at all levels of administration.
In March, Sheriff Doug Maybin and Probate Judge Rubie Nell Sanders chose not to qualify for reelection, stating that they would be retiring from their roles. Maybin had served the county as the Sheriff since 2015, while Judge Sanders has ruled in the Probate Court since 2000 and served as the deputy probate clerk to the late former Probate Judge Gary Braddy from 19802000.
Sheriff Maybin is being succeeded by his son, Ben Maybin, who was the sole qualifier for the position. Ben has 24 years of law enforcement experience, spending his most recent years working for the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. Judge Rubie Nell Sanders is being succeeded by her deputy probate clerk, Stacie Sharpe Randolph, who was the only candidate to seek the position. Randolph has worked in the Probate Court as a clerk for almost four years, and previously served the county as an election official.
District 1 Commissioner Chad Kenney also decided to retire from his position, as Jimmy “Pedro” Sharpe and Angel Gilreath both threw their names in the hat to succeed him. Sharpe ultimately came out victorious, winning the election by 92 votes.
Longtime Tax Commissioner Loretta Lane faced off with retired Georgia State Trooper Renia Wooten-Perry for the position, with Perry ultimately taking the victory on a 2,043-to-1,844-vote win.
Commissioner Tim Williamson went headto- head with newcomers Amie Vassey and Stephanie Love-Ivy for the District 2 seat on the Board of Commissioners. Vassey defeated Williamson in the Republican primary election in may on a 140-86 vote, and then defeated Ivy in the General Election in November on a 622-128 vote.
District 3 Board of Education Representative Fernando Rodriguez-Pacheco was defeated by 5 votes in his quest for reelection, as Allen Williamson will now take the seat.
Longtime County Manager Brandon Braddy resigned from his position in May, and the county went without a manager until July 26, when Heather Scott was approved for the position.
The County grieved the loss of Judge Gary Braddy in September, as officials paid their respects to the community leader outside the courthouse during a ceremonial driveby. Braddy served 9 terms in the Probate Court – a total of 36 years – and was practicing as the Municipal Court Judge of Mount Vernon at the time of his death. Other Events Ballot Measure Ruling Also, during 2024, Judge Rubie Nell Sanders ruled on the historic Citizens’ Initiative Petition for a Ballot Measure in January, as she determined the Election Supervisor was unable to call the election. The petition was filed by members of the Informed Citizens Coalition, which is led by a small core group of citizens – Amie Vassey, Angel Hicks-Gilreath, Greg Palmer, KC Seabury, Brian Colson, Linda Page, and others. The group had united with hundreds of citizens throughout the county to work to allow the Floating Homestead Exemption Act, a property value ‘freeze’ to protect citizens from high property tax rates, voted on in a referendum.
According to Judge Sanders, she had been researching the law regarding this petition, which is unprecedented in Montgomery County, since the document was officially filed in the Probate Court on November 6. On Friday, January 5 – the last day of the 60-day ruling period on the petition – Judge Sanders shared that she had determined the petitioned election could not be formally called, as she cited Article XI, Paragraph 1, Sub Paragraph B, 2, which directly addresses the regulations of petitions for ballot measures. “It is my position that the Constitutional language is clear [in this section], [which] reads, ‘Amendments to or repeals of such local acts are ordinances,’” she explained. “In this case, there is not a Homestead Exemption Resolution or Act to be amended or repealed. Furthermore, by the language of the proposed act, the Superintendent of Montgomery County cannot call an election until the bill has been passed by the State Legislature and signed by the Governor.” Post Office Renaming
The Montgomery County Post Office was renamed in November to honor Second Lieutenant Patrick Palmer Calhoun, a Mount Vernon native who served in the military as a Rotary Wing Aviation Unit Commander and was shot down under enemy fire in South Vietnam in the Spring of 1965. The building will soon don this new name as it pays tribute to the fallen soldier.
The new year is sure to bring more change to the county, especially as so many new officials take office.
SECOND LIEUTENANT PATRICK PALMER CALHOUN – The U.S. Post Office in Mount Vernon has been renamed to honor Second Lieutenant Patrick Palmer Calhoun, a Mount Vernon native who served in the military as a Rotary Wing Aviation Unit Commander and was shot down under enemy fire in South Vietnam in the Spring of 1965.
