When County Commissions Overstep, Georgia Courts Have Stepped In — Will Voters? In March 2025, the Toombs County Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 to close another section of public Raymond Rollison Road and part of Ohoopee Station Road. This was the second major closure in the same area after a similar action in 2022. The request came from a single large landowner who had acquired property on both sides of the road. Commissioner Darriel Nobles — the commissioner whose district includes the affected road — had tabled the issue in February so the Commission could look into it more carefully. In the final vote, Nobles voted “No.” Yet the other commissioners overruled him. During that meeting, Chairman David Sikes openly stated the majority’s reasoning: they were “going with the landowners.” That is not how county government is supposed to work. TheHandbookforGeorgia County Commissioners requires officials to act in the public interest and “exercise their discretion and judgment free from the taint of selfinterest, bias, and undisclosed conflicts of interest.” Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 32-7-1) and the Georgia Supreme Court (McIntosh County v. Fisher, 1978) both say a public road may only be abandoned when it serves the broader public interest — not solely for the benefit of a private landowner. Recent cases show what happens when county commissions ignore this principle: In McIntosh County, the Georgia Supreme Court sided with Sapelo Island residents and allowed a citizen referendum to repeal a county zoning ordinance that favored private development. In Camden County, voters overwhelmingly rejected a county-backed spaceport project in a referendum; the Georgia Supreme Court upheld the voters’ decision. The four leaders most directly involved in the Toombs County road closures were: Blake Tillery – County Attorney at the time (now running for Lieutenant Governor) David Sikes – Chairman who said they were “going with the landowners” (now running for State Senate District 19) Tommy Rollins – Vice-Chairman who made the motion to close the road and owner of TAR Land & Timber, Inc. (now running unopposed for Toombs County Commission Chairman) Buck Moon – Commissioner who voted in favor of the closure Toombs County has now closed multiple public roads using the same process. With the May 19 primary just days away, voters have the same power the citizens of McIntosh and Camden Counties used. If the commissioner for the affected district voted to protect the public interest, why did the other commissioners override him? Protect Toombs County Roads facebook.com/ ProtectToombsCountyRoads (Now over 102,600 views and growing) Your vote on May 19 matters. Ask every candidate: Will you follow the law and protect our public roads? Respectfully submitted by concerned citizens of Toombs County Paid for by concerned residents of Toombs County When County Commissions Overstep, Georgia Courts Have Stepped In — Will Voters? In March 2025, the Toombs County Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 to close another section of public Raymond Rollison Road and part of Ohoopee Station Road. This was the second major closure in the same area after a similar action in 2022. The request came from a single large landowner who had acquired property on both sides of the road. Commissioner Darriel Nobles — the commissioner whose district includes the affected road — had tabled the issue in February so the Commission could look into it more carefully. In the final vote, Nobles voted “No.” Yet the other commissioners overruled him. During that meeting, Chairman David Sikes openly stated the majority’s reasoning: they were “going with the landowners.” That is not how county government is supposed to work. TheHandbookforGeorgia County Commissioners requires officials to act in the public interest and “exercise their discretion and judgment free from the taint of selfinterest, bias, and undisclosed conflicts of interest.” Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 32-7-1) and the Georgia Supreme Court (McIntosh County v. Fisher, 1978) both say a public road may only be abandoned when it serves the broader public interest — not solely for the benefit of a private landowner. Recent cases show what happens when county commissions ignore this principle: In McIntosh County, the Georgia Supreme Court sided with Sapelo Island residents and allowed a citizen referendum to repeal a county zoning ordinance that favored private development. In Camden County, voters overwhelmingly rejected a county-backed spaceport project in a referendum; the Georgia Supreme Court upheld the voters’ decision. The four leaders most directly involved in the Toombs County road closures were: Blake Tillery – County Attorney at the time (now running for Lieutenant Governor) David Sikes – Chairman who said they were “going with the landowners” (now running for State Senate District 19) Tommy Rollins – Vice-Chairman who made the motion to close the road and owner of TAR Land & Timber, Inc. (now running unopposed for Toombs County Commission Chairman) Buck Moon – Commissioner who voted in favor of the closure Toombs County has now closed multiple public roads using the same process. With the May 19 primary just days away, voters have the same power the citizens of McIntosh and Camden Counties used. If the commissioner for the affected district voted to protect the public interest, why did the other commissioners override him? Protect Toombs County Roads facebook.com/ ProtectToombsCountyRoads (Now over 102,600 views and growing) Your vote on May 19 matters. Ask every candidate: Will you follow the law and protect our public roads? Respectfully submitted by concerned citizens of Toombs County Paid for by concerned residents of Toombs County
SUGGESTING ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS – Citizen Matthew Beggarly spoke to Montgomery County Commissioners about additional restrictions that could be added to the land use ordinance draft to help further deter data center developers from building within the County.Photo by Makaylee Randolph
APPEARING BEFORE SERGEANT MAJORS – To earn the Camp Leadership Award, JROTC Thunderbolt Regimen Colonel Jasmine Nichols had to appear before five U.S. Army Command Sergeant Majors, and discuss with them topics centered around JROTC, leadership, and current events. L to R: Jasmine Nichols, JROTC Instructor Captain DeCarlos Ware.
A $4.5 MILLION INVESTMENT – Toombs County Schools are investing in the district’s Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) programs, as they have announced the construction of a new facility, which will house several classrooms and hands-on learning labs.
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