DECATUR COUNTY, GA (WTXL) — Incoming Decatur County District One Commissioner Yvena Merritt says she wants to open new lines of communication with the public and bring more transparency to how the county shares information with neighbors.
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That would mark a shift from how the county reaches neighbors now. The Decatur County commission has a Facebook page, but its last post was in 2018.
Merritt plans to share information about upcoming projects and developments through social media videos, explaining what's happening and what neighbors should know. She also wants meeting agendas posted further in advance, giving neighbors more time to look over the items and come prepared.
"People want to know what's going on and when it's happening, they may not be as active as me, but they would like to know be prepared for things," Merritt said.
To make sure that information is accurate and appropriate to release, Merritt says she'll work with the county attorney to understand what can legally be shared with the public.
Those new ways to communicate would build on the county's existing process for public input. Decatur County asks neighbors who want to speak during public participation to submit a written request at least a week before a commission meeting — making advance notice important for those who want time to review what's coming up and prepare questions.
When county decisions affect your neighborhood, knowing what's being discussed and having a chance to ask questions matters. ABC 27's Vanessa Lawrence spoke with a longtime District One neighbor about what he wants from county leadership and asked Merritt how she plans to keep the community informed.
For Jim Meredith, being represented means more than having someone sit on the county commission. After more than 30 years in District One, he says he wants to know county leaders are keeping them informed about decisions that affect his community.
"We need people in the seat of the commissioners that'll be honest and care about Decatur County and do what's good for Decatur County," Meredith said.
Meredith says having that trust in leadership will give him the reassurance he needs knowing he has a say in the decisions impacting not only him, but future generations.
"It's important to me because mainly I have grandchildren, and they're going to live here," Meredith said.
Merritt says keeping neighbors informed will take communication and cooperation among the commissioners. She says she plans to work with the board to find ways to make county decisions easier for neighbors to follow.
The next county commission meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 10 at 9 a.m.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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