Page 4 - Camden County Annual Report 2015

Message from the County Administrator

“Leadership that Listens”

I am delighted to share with our Camden County citizens the progress and the milestones completed this past
year in Camden County. The 2015 ANNUAL REPORT is filled with the accomplishments and undertakings of
Camden County Government Team Members and your Board of County Commissioners (BOCC). With
unanimous support by the Board of County Commissioner in March, we unveiled the new Strategic Plan that
establishes a blueprint for Camden County's future. That plan consists of an Action Agenda, Goals for 2020,
and A Vision for 2030. The new plan looks at five-year outcome-based goals, with measurable objectives,
and specific issues and projects that need to be addressed by the county. In accordance with the Plan, the
County is well on its way to building a successful roadmap for the coming years. This is of vital importance to
the future success of Camden County.

Important highlights from 2015 include receiving four distinguished awards from the National Association of
Counties (NACo) - including two Best of Category Awards; bringing the McKinney Medical Center to Camden to provide affordable health
care to the citizens; increasing to a Class 7 ranking in the Community Rating System, thereby saving local citizens who reside in flood
zones in unincorporated Camden County 15% on their flood insurance premiums; and achieving significant progress with the Spaceport
Camden project.

In 2015 Camden County collectively working with the City of Kingsland and the City of St. Marys continued to make substantial strides with
the historic Automatic Aid and Mutual Aid Response Areas Agreement. Under the agreement, the three departments began training
together in 2015. The agreement made it possible for Camden County Fire Rescue to close Station 14 (near the intersection of Harrietts
Bluff Road and HWY 17) and move County trucks and equipment to the Kingsland Fire Department on Robert's Path adjacent to Mamie
Lou Gross Elementary School. In addition, St. Marys Fire Department’s Station 9 (at the intersection of Colerain Road and St. Marys Road)
now has a Camden Fire Rescue ambulance. These strategic changes help to better utilize resources and provide cost savings.

Camden County was also ranked as one of the Top Ten best counties in Georgia to live in by Niche, a research site that blends community
reviews with hard data to help people explore what a place is really like. Niche grades each county on key factors such as schools, safety,
weather, jobs, and access to activities, housing, and transportation. A top ranking indicates that a county offers a high quality of life to its
residents.

Additionally in 2015, Camden County was awarded a Certificate of Achievement for excellence in financial reporting by the Government
Finance Officers association of the United States and Canada for Camden County’s comprehensive annual financial report. The Certificate
of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment
represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management. Less than 1% of all governments receive this award.
Camden County, Georgia has received this award each year for the last 13 consecutive years.

To continue the theme this year of strengthening relationships, County Commissioners executed two new agreements involving the Public
Service Authority (PSA) and the City of Kingsland’s Fleet Services. Through a public-public partnership with the Camden County Board of
Commissioners, Camden County PSA fully integrated three new departments into their organization by overseeing management of the
County’s Facility Maintenance Department, Mosquito Control Division, and Roadside Mowing. This more closely aligns the PSA and
County with future goals found in our Strategic Plan.

Camden County and the City of Kingsland, additionally through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), agreed to co-share fleet man-
agement services when the County Fleet Service Manager retired. Ronnie Wise, Fleet Director for the City of Kingsland, has helped to
save money and implement best practices across multiple fleets. More details on fleet services and other important county endeavors can
be found within this year’s Annual Report.

I, along with our Board of Commissioners, are extremely proud of the accomplishments and outstanding work performed by all depart-
ments. I look forward to working with the Board of Commissioners, employees, and citizens, as we continue to move Camden County
forward together.

Yours for a better Camden,

Steve L. Howard, ICMA-CM, CPM, CPPO “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.”
County Administrator
-Warren Bennis

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