Dougherty Commission seeks applicants to serve on boards

ALBANY — The Dougherty County government is looking for a few good men and women to come on board some of its citizen boards, including those that give input on mental health and floodplain management.

The Dougherty County Commission is advertising for applicants to serve on seven boards. Some, such as the Electrical Board and the Albany-Dougherty County Land Bank Board, require that applicants have certain expertise or certification. Those two are among the boards for which the application process is open.

“If you value a citizen’s opinion, this is certainly one way to get it,” Commissioner Gloria Gaines said during a Tuesday telephone interview. “These are ordinary citizens in certain situations where expertise is required. We try to find people who are interested in their community in general.”

As is the case for many local governments, it is not always easy filling such positions. In some instances, there are no applicants for some of the positions, which are advertised in this newspaper.

“Sometimes the commissioners have to go out and recruit folks,” Gaines said. “We do it through contacts. We have to find other ways sometimes to get the word out.”All of the boards serve important functions, Commissioner Lamar Hudgins said, but some, such as the Air Conditioning, Heating & Ventilation Board, are “static” and do not do not meet on a regular schedule, only convening to hear an appeal on a specific related issue.

Some of the requirements can be quite specific, he said. The Electrical Board requires that one member be a professional engineer and one a master electrician, for example.

“Usually we’re good on those trade boards,” he said. “Sometimes we have to go back out and re-advertise because we don’t fill them all. Sometimes we don’t have applicants.

“We’re just appreciative of citizens who want to serve on them.”

Other positions for which the county is seeking applicants include: ASPIRE Behavioral Health & Developmental Disability Service Board, the Joint Board of Adjustments and Appeals, and the Department of Family & Children Services Board.

The deadline to submit a letter of interest and/or resume is June 5.

For a full listing and information on the application process, visit www.dougherty.ga.us/content/1800/2883/168649/382186.aspx.

File PhotoFile Photo