A special meeting of the Charlton County Board of Commissioners was held on October 24, 2025, to address two pressing issues: the cancellation of the November 4 SPLOST referendum and the recent vacancy on the Board of Elections.
During the meeting, Brenda Hodges was appointed to fill the remainder of the unexpired term of Lenora “Jo” Dube, who resigned from her position a few weeks ago. Hodges holds the Georgia Election and Registration Official Certification (GEROC), a credential that highlights her expertise in election laws, voter registration procedures, and best practices for election administration.
As for the SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) referendum originally planned for November, it may be postponed until May 2026. In Georgia, the local governing authority—whether the county or the county in partnership with participating municipalities—is responsible for compiling the SPLOST project list and submitting it to the county election supervisor.
At this time, it remains unclear whether the project list was provided to the election supervisor and not forwarded for publication in the Charlton County Herald as required by law, or if the project list was never delivered to his office in the first place. An investigation into the matter is currently underway.
Complicating the issue further, Election Supervisor Will Nance resigned from his position a few weeks ago, leaving questions about where the breakdown in communication occurred. Both the Election Committee and the Charlton County Board of Commissioners are awaiting a response from the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office regarding the situation. Commissioners plan to make a final decision by October 31 on whether to remove the SPLOST referendum from the November ballot.
Officials warn that this administrative error could have serious financial repercussions, potentially costing Charlton County, the City of Folkston, and the City of Homeland an estimated $1,203,000 in funding. These funds were expected to support vital local projects, including those for the Sheriff’s Office, EMS, fire departments, and road improvements.
Will Nance could not be reached for comment.
