Hall County highlights budget award, White Sulphur Road realignment, health clinic expansion and REACT reentry outcomes

Joy Licciardi, Hall County public information officer, used the county’s weekly update to summarize recent county actions and projects, including a national budget award, an ongoing road realignment, a health‑department expansion and results from the REACT reentry program.

Licciardi said Hall County Financial Services received the Government Finance Officers Association’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the fiscal‑year 2025 budget — the county’s ninth consecutive year to earn the distinction. "Hall County Financial Services was awarded the distinguished budget presentation award by the Government Finance Officers Association for its fiscal year 2025 budget," Licciardi said.

Transportation: White Sulphur Road realignment Licciardi described the White Sulphur Road Realignment project as a proactive safety and traffic‑flow measure tied to construction of the nearby Blue Ridge Connector. The project will realign approximately 3,900 linear feet of White Sulphur Road from the north side of the Northbrook Southern Railway to the southern side, eliminate one railroad crossing and require installation of two large culvert pipes beneath the new road. County staff reported the project is roughly 15 percent complete, with about 85 percent of clearing and grubbing finished and grading approximately 20 percent complete. Funding was identified from SPLOST, county capital projects and grant monies; county staff said the project is on track for completion by fall 2025.

Health‑care campus: NGPG Community Clinic Licciardi described work on the Hall County Health Department campus in Gainesville, including completion of construction for the NGPG Community Clinic (previously named the NGPG Primary Care Clinic of Hall County Health Department) and the start of phase‑2 renovations to the existing health‑department building. The county has partnered with Northeast Georgia Physicians Group since 2008; Licciardi said the new facility will expand access to primary care, diabetes education, behavioral health and social services, and phase‑2 renovations are expected to finish in 2025.

Reentry and rehabilitation: REACT program and Warden Davis retirement The county update highlighted the REACT (Reentry Accountability Courts Transition) program operated from the Hall County Correctional Institution. Warden Walt Davis described the REACT program’s three phases: educational and vocational training (GED, welding and forklift certification), substance‑use treatment using the RSAT program and a transitional center where supervised inmates can work during the day and return at night. Warden Davis said about 80 percent of program participants have substance‑use issues and that program participants leave the transitional center with an average of about $18,000 in the bank. He told the county, "If you're just warehousing the inmates and you're not doing anything to prevent what's caused that behavior and has resulted in their incarceration, and that's why we think this program is so beneficial because it addresses those root causes of why they're in prison."

Licciardi also announced Warden Walt Davis’ retirement after more than a decade with Hall County and nearly 30 years with the state; the county recognized his leadership on REACT at the update.

Other items and civic engagement Licciardi noted registration is open for the 2025 Government Scholars Academy, a nine‑session, no‑cost course that tours county facilities; registration closes Feb. 28 at 5 p.m. She also reminded viewers the county’s FY2025 budget guide is available online at hallcounty.org.

Ending The updates packaged routine county accomplishments, infrastructure progress and public‑health upgrades, and they directed residents to county staff and online resources for registration and documents.