Camden County GA : Reorganization and Swearing-In of County Commissioners

A special called meeting was held tonight at 5:30PM to swear-in Camden County Commissioners for Districts 1, 3 and 5.

The oath of office was administered by newly elected Superior Court Judge Robert W. Guy, Jr. for Commissioner James H. Starline (District 3), who ran unopposed, as well as Commissioner Lannie E. Brant (District 1) and Commissioner Ben L. Casey (District 5). Mr. Starline and the newly elected Commissioners will serve a four-year term ending December 31, 2020. The new Commissioners were given a warm welcome and the Commission looks forward to working with them to help build a better Camden.

Commissioner Starline is a fourth generation Camden County resident and a local business owner since 1971. In 2010 he was appointed by the Board of County Commissioners to assume the District 3 vacancy left by Commissioner Steve Berry. He is currently serving his second elected full term, which he ran both unopposed. In addition to his service as an elected official, Commissioner Starline is an appointed member of the Camden County Solid Waste Authority, a member of the Camden County Public Service Authority, Camden County Library Board of Directors, Coastal Regional Commissioner and various other boards and councils. He is an avid pilot and formerly served as an appointed member and chairman of the St. Marys Airport Authority.

Commissioner Brant grew up in Savannah and after serving two tours in Vietnam, he made Camden County his home. He worked in various fields before spending 30+ years with the Board of Commissioners, first as a Fleet Maintenance Superintendent for two years and then as the Director of Solid Waste. Commissioner Brant has been an active member of the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) and in 2014 he received the SWANA life member award. He has been recognized for his efforts to protect and improve the environment quality of life for Camden County.

Commissioner Casey was raised on a farm just south of Kingsland and graduated from Camden County High School in 1980. He attended Valdosta State College and Brunswick Junior College, where he enrolled in the CO-OP program for Industrial Electronics and Electricity. Commissioner Casey has worked in all manners of construction and maintenance, from residential home building to industrial plants, primarily in the electrical and instrumentation fields. He is currently employed at Anheuser-Busch, Inc., as an Electrical/Instrumentation Technician.

The Board of County Commissioners is comprised of five members elected through district elections for staggered, four-year terms. At the first meeting of the year, the Board elects the Chair and Vice-Chair of the County Commission to serve a one-year term, tonight the Board elected Jimmy Starline as Chairman and Chuck Clark as Vice-Chairman. Responsibilities of the Commission include making policies; adopting laws; setting budget limits; establishing tax rates; and setting an official regular meeting and holiday calendar. The Board also appoints a County Administrator and County Attorney, both of whom are chosen by and responsible to the Board of County Commissioners.

Board meetings are held at 6:00 pm on the first and third Tuesday of each month unless otherwise scheduled due to conflicts. All meetings are held at the Government Services Complex, on the second floor, in the Commission Chambers, located in Woodbine. Special Called meetings, Work Sessions, and Public Hearings are held when necessary. All meetings are open to the public.