Lisa A Dozier

Tax Commissioners are elected at the county level, and their job is to oversee most phases of the taxing process. These responsibilities include billing, collecting, processing, and distributing taxes. They are generally in charge of property taxes, solid waste fees, public utilities, and renewing your vehicle tag. Notably, the Tax Commissioner does not determine how much taxes you pay. Because taxes are a source of revenue for counties, the tax commissioners’ work is ultimately beneficial to individual cities, education, transportation, and other local services. In addition to administering tax laws, the department is responsible for enforcing laws and  regulations pertaining to the control of alcoholic beverages and tobacco products in Georgia as well as motor vehicle license plate and title administration.

Oversees the taxing process in the county

Wilkes

Administration

Gloria Battle

- County Commissioners create and pass laws at the county-level. These laws show up in very tangible ways, such as determining how much you pay in property and sales taxes, public transportation, and maintaining infrastructure.
- County Commissioners are responsible for preparing and passing the county budget. The budget determines how much funding goes to various public services, such as public transportation, law enforcement, repairing roads, and maintaining infrastructure.
- County Commissioners oversee the administrative duties of your county’s government to ensure the safety, comfort, and well-being of county residents.
- County Commissioners are elected to 4-year terms in staggered years. Typically, you only vote for the County Commissioner that represents your county commission district.

Creates new laws and passes the budget for your county

Taxes

Public Transportation

Public Services

Economy

Education

Public Safety

Housing & Urban Development

Transportation & Infrastructure

Ed Geddings

Cassie Burton Ware

- The Board of Education runs the public school system. The Board of Education is entirely independent from the rest of the county government.
- Board of Education members work together to make school policy, set the budget, and appoint the superintendent to run the schools day to day.
- Board of Education members are elected to four-year terms in nonpartisan elections.

Part of the board that governs your county's public school system

Teacher Pay

College & Career Readiness

Access to Education

School Curriculum

School Facilities & Resources

Student Wellbeing

Teachers

Jeannie Ferrell

David Steven Hadarits

- The Board of Education runs the public school system. The Board of Education is entirely independent from the rest of the county government.
- Board of Education members work together to make school policy, set the budget, and appoint the superintendent to run the schools day to day.
- In addition to the typical responsibilities of a Board of Education Member, Board of Education Chairs also oversee meetings, moderate board panels, and make sure progress is made toward the Board’s overall goals.
- Board of Education members are elected to four-year terms in nonpartisan elections.

Head of the board that governs your county's public school system

Wilkinson

James Dusty Thomas

- The County Coroner runs the Coroner’s Office, which is responsible for determining the cause, manner, and circumstance of death under the Georgia Death Investigation Act.  
- Deaths that they are responsible for investigating include violent deaths, suicides, sudden deaths, deaths unattended by a physician, suspicious deaths, deaths of children younger than seven years old, executions, deaths of inmates, and deaths of people admitted to a hospital unconscious. 
- The Coroner is responsible for pronouncing someone dead, and for releasing remains to be cremated, transported to another state, or autopsied. 
- All Georgia Coroners are required to attend a 40 hour course at the Georgia State Patrol Training Center and receive 24 hours of in services training on death investigation procedures each year. 
- Coroners are elected to four year terms in nonpartisan elections. 

The chief medical examiner for the county

Public Health

Kimberleigh Wood Bentley

The Superior Court Clerk is the official record keeper and legal administrator of the county, as they are responsible for receiving and maintaining criminal and civil court filings. They also manage the county’s land and property records. Their duties are numerous and include administrative tasks, like accounting and administering oaths, and judicial, like maintaining legal records. They can also potentially fill in for other roles, such as State Court Clerk and Passport Acceptance Agents.

Official record keeper and administrator of the county

Budget

Judicial Administration

Aisha M Edmonds

Bradasia Ambrenique Mims

Probate court judges are a type of judge in Georgia who decides a type of civil court cases called a "probate" case. Probate cases can be many things, like cases about people's wills, appointing guardians to children or the elderly, and managing estates. Probate court judges also sometimes decide whether to give out marriage licenses and gun licenses, and they can also decide traffic cases. 

2024 Georgia candidates

Wilkes Tax Commissioner, Democratic Primary

1 candidate

Wilkes County Commissioner, District 1, Democratic Primary

1 candidate

How this impacts you

Wilkes County Commissioner, District 2, Democratic Primary

1 candidate

How this impacts you

Wilkes County Board of Education Member, District 4

1 candidate

How this impacts you

Wilkes County Board of Education Member, District 3

1 candidate

How this impacts you

Wilkinson Board of Education Chair, Republican Primary

1 candidate

How this impacts you

Wilkinson Coroner, Republican Primary

1 candidate

Wilkinson Clerk of Superior Court, Republican Primary

1 candidate

Wilkinson Coroner, Democratic Primary

1 candidate

Wilkinson Probate Court Judge, Democratic Primary

1 candidate