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NAACP asks Meriwether County commissioners to reconsider DFCS lease removal
Summary
At the Jan. 28 Meriwether County Board of Commissioners meeting, a representative of the county NAACP urged the board to reconsider terminating the lease for the Department of Family and Children Services office on Roosevelt Highway and requested a town‑hall meeting to hear directly from impacted residents.
Dr. James Clements, speaking for the Meriwether County chapter of the NAACP, urged the Meriwether County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 28 to reconsider a decision that he said prevents the Department of Family and Children Services from extending its lease at 17234 Roosevelt Highway.
Clements said the building, constructed in 1996, provides “essential services such as food assistance, child welfare, Medicaid, and, the TANF,” and warned the move would “overlook the impact on indigent, disabled, and impoverished families who rely on these services.” He asked the board to hold a town‑hall meeting so clients who depend on the office can “at least have an opportunity to ... talk to you as the representative for the county.”
Why it matters: The DFCS office provides direct benefits and eligibility services used by low‑income and vulnerable residents. Closing or relocating a local office can create additional travel and financial burdens for people who rely on public assistance and caseworkers for time‑sensitive services.
At the lectern, Clements read a letter he said documented the lease history: he told the board a state representative had told him the lease began in June 2012, ended in 2013, and was renewed from June 2020 to June 2021, after which, he said, DFCS “hasn't been allowed to extend the lease.” He said alternate buildings considered did not meet state requirements and that county staff had previously declined proposals to share space in Meriwether County.
Clements asked the commissioners to “reconsider this decision and explore solutions that allow defect services to remain within Merriweather County,” adding that the county chapter of the NAACP represents “people who sometimes overlook, people who are silent, who sometimes don't feel that they have a voice to speak.”
The board did not take a formal vote or issue a directive during the meeting; the comment appeared during the public comment period. The board has not publicly posted an official timeline or next steps related to the DFCS lease in the meeting record presented to the commission at the Jan. 28 session.
Ending: Clements closed his remarks asking the board to engage directly with service recipients, saying, “At the minimum, have a town hall meeting with the people, especially those recipients, people who rely on these services.”
