April 6th, 2022 – 1:45 PM
STAFF REPORTS – WBHF RADIO
The Floyd County Board of Commissioners (BOC) and the Floyd County Board of Elections and Registration (BOER) announced today that James Stephens has declined the position of Floyd County Elections Supervisor. Pete McDonald who has been currently serving as the interim Elections Supervisor, along with Steve Miller, will take over as the sole interim Elections Supervisor.
WBHF Radio in Cartersville reports that the Euharlee City Council met Tuesday night to say goodbye to Stephens by approving a resolution recognizing his service to the city after having held a reception in his honor.
However, when the council returned from a lengthy executive session, Mayor Craig Guyton revealed that Stephens sent a letter requesting to withdraw his resignation.
The letter read, “Mayor Guyton, I am writing to humbly request the city council to approve the withdrawal of my resignation, which is scheduled to be finalized on April 6, 2022. I have continued to work diligently during this notice period and realized that I can still be an asset to the city of Euharlee.”
The council moved to accept the withdrawal of Stephens’ resignation and immediately offered him a contract through 2025, which he accepted.
At the meeting, Stephens spoke about his decision.
“I am grateful. I am sorry for the rollercoaster,” he said. “I think the steps of a good man are ordered by the lord – and I don’t mean to sound overly religious, but I believe I am supposed to stay here and I am grateful y’all are permitting it.”
Stephens told WBHF he decided to stay earlier that day after having breakfast with elected officials. He said they discussed the vision for the future of Euharlee, and he realized he wasn’t done with the city.
“It just got on my heart that I wasn’t completed with my task here at Euharlee,” he said in a phone interview.
Meanwhile, McDonald previously served six years as the Chair of the BOER where he functioned as the superintendent of elections. He has lived and worked in Floyd County since 1977. During this time, McDonald was employed by Georgia Northwestern Technical College for twenty-nine years. His last six years were spent as president of the college. He retired in 2019. McDonald has also served as a past chair of the Rome-Floyd Chamber of Commerce and a vice-chair of the Rome-Floyd Development Authority.
The Elections and Voter Registration Office is completing the move to its new location at 18 East 12th Street, which is co-located with the Floyd County Health Department. The immediate focus of the office is to complete the redistricting process for the upcoming May 24th primary. Absentee ballots will be mailed out by mid-April. Ballots will be available prior to early voting beginning on May 2. The technical preparation of the election equipment (L&A testing) will be finalized by the end of April. Early voting will begin May 2 at the new Elections location at 18 East 12th Street and the Anthony Recreation Center located at 2901 Garden Lakes Boulevard NW.
The Floyd County Board of Elections & Registration will meet in a Special Called Session on Thursday, April 7, 2022, at 4:00 p.m. in the Commissioner’s Caucus Room located in Suite 204 of the County Administration Building at 12 East 4th Avenue, Rome, Georgia.
The purpose of the meeting is to call an executive session to discuss personnel matters.