Habersham County

Coverage of Habersham County government and the cities of Cornelia, Demorest, and Clarkesville. We commend the work of our colleagues at Now Habersham.

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Three of the seven public-comment speakers, having delivered their remarks, file out of the Habersham County Government Center chamber. (Photo: Bavarian Brainrot / Margaret Holcomb)

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Habersham County’s $4.50 Quarterly Stormwater Fee Triggers What Two Public-Comment Speakers Insisted Was ‘A Revolt’

The Habersham County Board of Commissioners’ unanimous Monday-night reaffirmation of the existing $4.50/quarter stormwater-management fee drew, by Bavarian Brainrot’s field count, the largest public-comment turnout the chamber has seen since the 2017 leash-law debate. Three of the seven speakers brought visual aids.

By Margaret Holcomb · April 12, 2026 · 6 min read

The student parking lot at Habersham Central High School, Thursday morning. The lot accommodates approximately 340 vehicles. (Photo: Bavarian Brainrot / Margaret Holcomb)

Habersham Central High School's New $15 Student Parking Fee Is Structured As A 'Voluntary Donation' Because School Board Attorney Advised Against Calling It A Fee

The Habersham County School District has begun collecting $15 per semester from Habersham Central High School students who park in the school's student lot, characterizing the payment as a voluntary donation rather than a fee after the district's attorney flagged potential conflicts with Georgia school-finance statute. Students who do not pay receive written notices that the district describes as 'advisory in nature.'

By Margaret Holcomb · Mar 9, 2026 · 4 min

The condemned 1952 water tower at 4811 Old Cornelia Highway, Baldwin, as photographed Thursday. The tower's structural condemnation order has been posted at the base since 2011. (Photo: Bavarian Brainrot / Margaret Holcomb)

Habersham County's Water Tower Maintenance Contract Quietly Went To A Company Located Inside A Different Water Tower

The $141,000 contract awarded by the Habersham County Water Authority in January for the 2026 maintenance and inspection of the county's seven active water storage towers went to Alpine Water Infrastructure Services, LLC — a company that, per Georgia Secretary of State records, maintains its official registered address at 4811 Old Cornelia Highway in Baldwin, Georgia, which is the physical location of a 1952 water tower that has been structurally condemned and closed to the public since 2011.

By Margaret Holcomb · Mar 7, 2026 · 5 min