September 2026 Community Life - Canton Luke Thomas Burgess Honored With Memorial Roadway DedicationA section of Fate Conn Road has been dedicated as the Luke Thomas Burgess Memorial Roadway in honor of the 2025 Cherokee HS graduate who was tragically killed in a head-on collision on Fate Conn Road in August 2025.District 1 Commissioner Will Cagle presented the dedication resolution and road sign to Burgess’ family during a recent Board of Commissioners meeting. Burgess, an Eagle Scout who worked for N.J. Wilbanks Contractor, Inc., was remembered for his faith, kindness, and ability to bring joy to those around him.As part of the County’s continued commitment to roadway safety, staff are also fast-tracking improvements to the nearby intersection of Fate Conn Road and Ball Ground Highway to address safety concerns and help prevent future tragedies.——-------------------------------------------------Communications Division Earns National AccoladesThe National Association of County Information Officers announced the 2026 Awards of Excellence winners at the NACIO/3CMA Regional Conference on July 20. Cherokee County’s Communications team earned the following four awards in the mid-size county category for counties with a population of 50,000 to 500,000.Audiovisual – Medium Video (1-5 minute) “Julia’s Story” is a video that highlights the story of Julia, a pitbull mix picked up by Animal Control and nursed back to health thanks to the animal shelter staff and a partnership with E 9-1-1 staff. The video was produced by Multimedia Specialist Steve Nicholson and Communications Director Erika Neldner.Audiovisual – Video Series The Love Where You Live video series, produced monthly, gives residents an opportunity to share why they love living in Cherokee County. The series is produced by the full Communications team with Nicholson and Assistant Director Andrea Barker managing most of the process. Learn more or nominate a resident at CherokeeCountyGa.gov/lwyl.Electronic Communications: E-mail Newsletter The “Cherokee Messenger” is a free e-newsletter that is sent out the first week of every month to highlight county news, events, and upcoming meeting information. Residents can sign up for “Cherokee Messenger” at CherokeeCountyGa.gov/Communications/subscribe.php.Printed Publication The “T-SPLOST Educational Booklet” is an educational publication that features proposed T-SPLOST projects. When the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners and the county’s municipalities decided to add a Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax on the ballot for voters to consider, Neldner worked with the SPLOST/Roadway team to create the booklet.This is the fourth year in a row the Communications Team has earned NACIO Awards of Excellence. The team now has 13 awards from the national association. The NACIO Awards of Excellence recognizes work of county communications professionals across the country. Entries are reviewed and judged by peers. ——-------------------------------------------------FLEX Cherokee To Grow Student Entrepreneurs and Local LeadershipThe Cherokee Office of Economic Development (COED) in partnership with the Cherokee County School District (CCSD) is proud to announce its participation in the 2026–2027 Georgia FLEX (Foundational Leadership and Entrepreneurial Experience) program, a statewide initiative that empowers high school students to develop real-world entrepreneurial and leadership skills through hands-on learning and community engagement.COED and CCSD staff attended the 2026 FLEX Implementation Workshop. This hands-on workshop ensures each community begins the school year equipped with the tools and strategies needed for a strong and sustainable implementation.FLEX continues to inspire high school students, immersing them in real-world entrepreneurial experiences by helping them start real businesses and providing them with mentorship opportunities. Through FLEX, students learn to identify problems, develop innovative solutions, and pitch viable business ideas, all while building confidence, communication skills, and a deep understanding of their local economies.The program also benefits the wider community by nurturing a culture of collaboration through connecting youth with local business leaders. By supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs, Cherokee is investing in a stronger, more resilient local economy.The 2026-27 FLEX Cherokee program applications are open until September 18, 2026. For more information or to learn how you can support the local program, visit CherokeeGa.org/flex. ——-------------------------------------------------Cherokee County Commissioners Set Millage RateThe Cherokee County Board of Commissioners have set the 2026 millage rate, which will fund the county’s fiscal year 2027 budget. The Board approved a Maintenance and Operations (M&O) rate of 5.712 mills, a Fire District rate of 3.023 mills, and a Parks Bond rate of 0.264 mills.About 67% of eligible properties in Cherokee County benefit from a floating homestead exemption that freezes taxable home values for the County M&O Tax for as long as the home remains under the same ownership. For a median home valued at $525,000 with a standard $5,000 homestead exemption, the estimated county taxes are $1,177 for M&O, $635 for the Fire District, and $55 for the Parks Bond. With frozen taxable home values and declining County M&O Tax rates over the last 10 years, the dollar amount of homeowners’ County M&O Tax after this increase will be approximately the same as in 2015. Declining rates alone will hold the Park Bond Tax to the approximate level of 2015. Of the three taxes controlled by the Board of Commissioners, only the Fire District Tax will be higher for homeowners than 10 years ago.County management has already reduced the preliminary FY2027 General Fund budget request by $22 million. The approved millage rates leave an estimated $2.2 million funding gap when factoring in up to a 2% employee cost-of-living adjustment, and the Board has directed staff to identify additional savings before final budget adoption in early October.——-------------------------------------------------Canton City Council Approves Property Tax Cut for City ResidentsAt their first meeting in August, Canton City Council unanimously adopted a property tax cut by holding the tax rate steady at 5.25 mils. A revenue neutral rate is the property tax millage rate that keeps the City’s total tax revenue the same as the previous year, even if property values have gone up or down. By holding the millage rate steady while assessed values decreased, the City effectively lowered the tax bill for homeowners compared to the previous year. For the average home valued at $450,000, the tax bill would decrease by $4.68.The City also continues to provide generous homestead exemptions to its residents, including the senior and floating homestead exemptions. These exemptions translate to over $2.3 million in tax savings, reducing homeowner property tax bills by hundreds of dollars annually. Also, the City continues to make up the smallest portion of a Canton resident’s total tax bill: 62% goes to the school district, 20% goes to the County, and 18% is paid to the City of Canton.——-------------------------------------------------Woodstock Visitors Center Celebrates 25 YearsLast month, Visit Woodstock GA celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Woodstock Visitors Center, which has now welcomed guests to Woodstock for a quarter century.Long before it served travelers from near and far, the Woodstock Visitors Center was known as Dean's Store, opened by Dr. Will Dean and his son Linton Dean in 1906. The store quickly became a gathering place for the community, where neighbors shared stories, exchanged news, and experienced the everyday rhythm of smalltown life.Decades later, Linton Dean’s daughter, Alice Dean Felton, envisioned a new purpose for the beloved building: a place where Woodstock’s history could be preserved and shared with future generations. Her dream became reality when she partnered with the City of Woodstock in the creation of a Visitors Center in the historic structure. The center officially opened on August 22, 2001, with local historian Juanita Hughes serving as its first employee and official greeter.“It was the dream of the daughter of Linton Dean, Alice Dean Felton, to share with Woodstock's residents and others her father's 1906 store filled with artifacts from Woodstock's history, embraced by that long-lost atmosphere from another century. The idea of a visitors center seemed to check all the boxes,” Hughes shared.Over the past 25 years, the Woodstock Visitors Center has welcomed more than 250,000 visitors from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Attendance has grown dramatically, from 5.6K visitors in 2007, the first full year attendance was officially tracked, to 19K visitors in 2025 — a 235% increase that reflects Woodstock’s rise as one of Georgia’s most dynamic tourism destinations.The center’s impact has also been recognized across the state and region. In 2019, the Woodstock Visitors Center was named Georgia Regional Visitor Information Center of the Year and received the Jeffrey Tatum Visionary Award for its renovations. The project also earned the 2018 Al Burruss Award for Creative Expression from the Georgia Governor’s Tourism Conference and the 2018 Tourism Product Development of the Year Award from the Northwest Georgia Travel Association.Woodstock’s leadership in tourism was further highlighted when the city hosted the 2017 Georgia Regional Visitor Information Center Conference, welcoming tourism professionals from across the state.“From welcoming people visiting Woodstock for the first time, answering questions about the community from people looking to move to the area, to helping locals learn more about their hometown, the Woodstock Visitors Center has played a key role in putting Woodstock, Georgia, on the map as a major tourism destination,” said Kyle Bennett, tourism manager. For more information about the Visitors Center and tourism efforts within the city, please log on to: VisitWoodstockGA.com.——-------------------------------------------------Cherokee County School District AnnouncementsCreekview HS Earns National Career Education Award Creekview HS’s FFA agricultural education program was 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 Kallie Reynolds, Nolan Hendrix, Sarah Hill, Ava Lindner, Lucy Phillips, and Mary Kate Sutton. Agriculture Career Pathway teachers Dr. Elizabeth Miegel and Wyatt Wilkie serve as chapter advisors. The chapter will be recognized at the 99th National FFA Convention & Expo in October. Cherokee HS Teacher Selected for National FellowshipScience teacher Brandt Webster is the recipient of a year-long Xplorlab Educator Fellowship. Granted by UL Research Institutes, a nonprofit safety science organization, the fellowship program provides 36 top science teachers from across the country with professional learning experiences focused on science safety. As part of the fellowship, Webster will design and implement an innovative, inquiry-based learning experience for his physical science students, bringing authentic scientific investigation into the classroom. Cherokee HS Students Win National Career Skills AwardsThis summer, Cherokee HS senior Alaina Emmett and Class of 2026 graduate Bailey German earned gold medals at the 2026 Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) National Leadership Conference held in Washington, D.C. Emmett earned gold in the career investigation competition, and German earned gold in leadership and also was named a Top 10 national finalist. More than 4,300 students competed in 30-plus events connected to Family and Consumer Sciences careers. Carmen Andrews is their Career Pathway teacher and FCCLA sponsor at Cherokee HS.Student Performance Soars to New Heights This year’s Georgia Milestones Assessment results show an increase in 9 of 13 performance areas compared to 2025. Students not only continue to outperform state averages in all tested areas for an 11th consecutive year, but they also surged even further ahead with double-digit margins over state performance in 11 of 13 areas.Overall Summary of CCSD Data:• In mathematics, four out of seven categories showed improvement over 2025 (third, seventh, and eighth grades, and algebra).• In science, three out of four categories showed improvement over 2025 (eighth grade, physical science, and biology).• In social studies, two out of two categories showed improvement (eighth grade and U.S. history).Comparison to State Averages:• In mathematics, the percentage of CCSD students scoring as a Proficient Learner or better exceeds the state percentage by 11.5 for grade 3, 11.9 for grade 4, 14.3 for grade 5, 8.7 for grade 6, 14.2 for grade 7, 16.6 for grade 8, and 14.3 for algebra.• In science, the percentage of CCSD students scoring as a Proficient Learner or better exceeds the state percentage by 9.1 for grade 5, 12.6 for grade 8, 33.1 for grade 8 – high school physical science, and 16.4 for biology.• In social studies, the percentage of CCSD students scoring as a Proficient Learner or better exceeds the state percentage by 15.8 for grade 8, and 17.1 for U.S. history.Mill Creek MS Teachers Selected for National Fellowship, Mentorship Mill Creek MS eighth-grade science teacher Belynda Laing is the recipient of a year-long Xplorlab Educator Fellowship, one of only 36 honorees in the nation and one of two from CCSD. Mill Creek MS STEM teacher Samantha Daugherty, who earned a fellowship last year, was selected by the organization to serve as a mentor this year. UL Research Institutes, a nonprofit safety science organization, offers the fellowship program to provide the nation’s top science teachers with professional learning experiences focused on science safety. As part of the fellowship, teachers design and implement an innovative, inquiry-based learning experience for their students, bringing authentic scientific investigation into the classroom.
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