CLARKESVILLE, Ga. – The Clarkesville City Council concluded its final meeting of 2025 Monday with a tribute to Mayor Barrie Aycock, who presided over her final council meeting after nearly a decade of service.
Incoming mayor and current councilman Franklin Brown presented Aycock with a plaque recognizing her commitment to the city. Aycock reflected on her longstanding working relationship with Brown and his decision not the challenge her in past elections.
“Ten tears ago when I first ran, he could have run, but he had a business to take care of,” Aycock said. ‘Then four years ago he could have run again, and he asked me if I wanted to run again. I said yes, and Franklin said, ‘Well I won’t run against you.’ So I’ve always appreciated that.”
Brown offered his own lighthearted farewell: “I hope you live 125 years, and the last voice you hear is mine.”
Impact Fees
Earlier in the meeting, City Manager Keith Dickerson gave council members an update on the development of an impact-fee spending plan. Dickerson stated he has spoken to planning consultant Bill Ross of Bill Ross and Associates, who is preparing a draft outlining suggested fees and eligible projects allowed under state law.
Dickerson said one potential long-term use of impact-fee revenue is a future fire station, but stressed that the process requires strict compliance. “It’s a very complex, date-and-time-specific item,” Dickerson said.
Dickerson emphasized that no commitments have been made and no votes have been taken.
Board appointments
The council unanimously approved Darrin Johnston, Sean Nix, Liz Treadwell, and Lisa Nicholson to the Habersham County Library Board, and approved Rick Coulon and Gloria Camp for the Clarkesville Housing Authority Board. Both items were passed without discussion.
Other business
Members voted to update the city’s retirement benefits through the Georgia Municipal Employees Benefit System. The update adjusts employer contributions beginning in 2026 to keep the plant actuarially sound.
The council also approved the city’s 2026 meeting and holiday schedules, and voted to amend the city’s property tax due date. City Clerk Julie Poole said she hopes to mail residents their tax bills later this week.
