I was struck by the irony of a comment attributed to Dawsonville Mayor Pro-tem James Grogan as to the reason the city passed an ordinance prohibiting pigs and chickens.

"To avoid having agricultural businesses that could be a nuisance to residents," was cited in a front page article in the Dawson Community News titled "Local farmer considers de-annexation from city."

The city did not demonstrate this concern about creating a nuisance to Dawson County residents by allowing the zoning which permitted the motorsports park.

This further demonstrates the contempt the city has for county residents, which I have observed since I moved here in 2003.

The city administration has been at the heart of a number of colossal failures from Thunder Road, to Gold Creek (which cost both city and county resident's money in the form of a loan guarantee by the U.S. Department of Agriculture which was used when the developer went bankrupt) to the motorsports park, to the Elliott/Cox/Amerson airport authority fiasco.

On the airport matter, I attended a meeting held by Rep. Amos Amerson at Ryan's to explain his actions. I accept his explanation and believe the person responsible for this failed attempt to force yet another inappropriate development on the citizens of the county is Mayor Joe Lane Cox.

At this meeting, I asked Rep. Amerson why we needed both a city and a county government in Dawson County. The answer was not responsive to the question, so the question remains for us as citizens of the county, why do we need both a city and a county government here?

The typical political response to this question would be along the lines of "we don't have the funds to pay for a feasibility study."

I say common sense dictates that whatever money the city costs to function is better spent to prevent lay-offs of teachers, firemen and police officers.

The tail (about 2,500 residents) has been wagging the dog (about 20,000) residents too long.

I call on everyone in the county to demand an answer from their city and county officials as to why we need a Dawsonville city government.

The time to consolidate the two competing governments in Dawson County is now.

Steve de Lyra
Dawson County