Washington County Government

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Sandersville is the county seat of Washington County, created in 1783 as Georgia's 10th county. One of Georgia's original 10  counties, it was the first in the nation to be named for President George Washington. Its first settlers were Revolutionary War veterans, who were given land grants for their service to the country.

Washington County is a political subdivision of the State of Georgia. It exists for civil and political purposes, and acts under powers given to it by the state. The county operates under the Commission-Administrator form of local government with the Washington County Board of Commissioners as the governing authority.

The chairman of the board is elected at large and the four commissioners are elected by district. They all serve four year terms. Each Commissioner is given a specific work assignment, and asked to serve as a liaison for the Board in the area assigned.

The Board appoints a county administrator who serves as the chief administrative officer to carry out the policies and handle day-to-day responsibilities. The board also appoints the county attorney.

The Commissioners set direction and formulate policies for the county government, develop and approve the budget, authorize expenditures, set tax rates, make key appointments to boards, committees, authorities, etc. and approve or disapprove specific actions, such as rezoning of private property.

The Board meets on the second Thursday of each month at 9 a.m. in a public forum to discuss, receive input on and vote on current open issues. The board has a pre-meeting at 11:30 a.m. on the Tuesday before the regular meeting to discuss items on the agenda.

The County's administrative staff and day-to-day operations are managed by the County Administrator who works closely with the Board of Commissioners to ensure that effective communication is maintained between the Board and the county's employees.