Rockdale County Chair JaNice VanNess responds to controversy over veto letter sent to governor

ROCKDALE COUNTY, GA—JaNice VanNess, chair of the Rockdale Board of Commissioners (BOC), has issued a statement confirming that the three-member BOC has asked Gov. Brian Kemp to veto a bill that would allow citizens to vote expand the BOC from 3 to 5 members and change the form of government in Rockdale. 

The statement comes in the wake of public outcry that VanNess, veteran Commissioner Doreen Williams, and newly-elected Commissioner Tuwanya Smith acted without informing the community in requesting the governor to veto the expansion known as Senate Bill 238.  

VanNess defended the board’s action, saying her administration wanted to have more time to study the bill’s financial impact on the county and to hold additional community meetings concerning the bill.  

VanNess said she and the other two commissioners were not obligated to seek community input on a matter that her administration considered urgent. 

On Common Ground News received the chairwoman’s statement on Thursday, May 1, following a 90-minute meeting where several issues were discussed with VanNess, Melissa Mims, director of public relations; Sue Sanders, Chief Operating Officer; and Jennifer Rutledge, who serves as director of government affairs and county clerk.  

VanNess and her top administration leaders said during the meeting with On Common Ground News that she and Commissioners Williams and Smith did not violate the state’s Sunshine Law by independently authorizing a staff director to send the letter to the governor bearing their signatures.

A copy of that letter, obtained by Corliss Turner, founder  of a local watchdog group called Voices for Rockdale, was  posted on social media this week condemning the BOC. Turner said she learned about the letter while attending the board’s April 4 retreat at Rockdale’s Costley Mill Park Center where the board and stakeholders discussed county updates and goals. 

“No local government should interfere with a legislative bill. To stop this bill is to deny the residents the opportunity to vote. It’s disruptive and disrespectful to the Rockdale community,” Turner told On Common Ground News.

Meanwhile, state lawmakers representing Rockdale have stated they have worked several years—at the demands of the community—to address expanding the Rockdale BOC and hiring a professional county manager to oversee the day-to-day operation and Rockdale’s operating budget totaling more than $100 million as  Rockdale’s growth has exploded to an estimated population now at 97,610, according to the U.S. Census. Several community meetings have been held over the years as the Rockdale state legislators hashed out various versions of a bill that would address adequate representation on the BOC including salary costs for two additional board members and hiring a county manager by restructuring current positions and salaries.   

The governor began signing bills on May 1 that will impact Georgia residents.  At the time of publication of this news story, it was not known if Rockdale’s expansion bill has been signed by the governor or vetoed.

Senate Bill 238 would expand the Rockdale BOC from 3 to 5 members. The BOC would choose a chair from among themselves to lead the BOC meetings and then conduct a search for a professional county manager to oversee Rockdale’s day-to-day operations. 

If the governor signs the bill, Rockdale voters would decide in November 2025 by referendum whether to adopt the bill.

Following is the statement issued on Thursday, May 1, by JaNice VanNess, Chair of the Rockdale County Board of Commissioners:

“As the governing authority entrusted with representing the interests of our constituents, we were compelled to express our opposition to Senate Bill 238 introduced at the 2025 regular session of the General Assembly.

We respectfully urged the Governor to veto Senate Bill 238. We believe that such a decision would uphold the principles of transparency, accountability, and responsible governance that our constituents rightfully expect and deserve.

Senate Bill 238 proposes significant changes to the form of government in Rockdale County without the necessary feasibility study to justify such modifications. Furthermore, it has been advanced without input from the Board of Commissioners and lacks essential public outreach and education efforts to inform our community about its benefits or implications.

Of equal concern is the absence of a fiscal impact assessment detailing how this bill would financially impact on our residents, including potential increases in salaries and administrative expenses. As stewards of public resources, our primary focus remains on alleviating financial pressures rather than imposing additional costs on taxpayers.

Legislation of this magnitude demands thoughtful consideration, inclusive dialogue, and robust communication from its inception to mitigate potential chaos and confusion within our community.”

The Rockdale BOC’s letter to Gov. Brian Kemp follows below: 

State Rep. Rhonda Taylor blasts Rockdale BOC for requesting GA governor to veto SB238