Dade County officials outline $100,000 site purchase, SPLOST funding and next steps for proposed Elections Building

Dade County Executive Don Townsend and Communications Director Carrie Anderson addressed resident questions in a virtual town hall about the county’s proposed Elections Building, confirming the county paid $100,000 for a three‑acre tract at 71 Georgia Avenue and that construction will be paid from SPLOST (the special purpose local option sales tax), not a property tax increase.

Townsend said the former Board of Commissioners approved the $100,000 purchase on Nov. 2, 2023, and that the chosen site sits behind the Bank of Beggs drive-through adjacent to the Trenton Ministry Center. "The cost is $100,000 that was approved by the former county board of commissioners, 11/02/2023, and it's for a 3 acre tract over on Georgia Avenue," Townsend said.

County officials described the planned building as roughly 12,400 square feet, with mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) and structural plans prepared by OLG Engineering of Tullahoma, Tennessee. Townsend said the county will post design plans online for public review. "The current plan did call for 12,400 square feet," he said.

Officials said the design and equipment requirements draw on multiple sources, including ADA accessibility standards, vendor guidance for poll pads (identified in the town hall as "KnowLink") and technical letters from the Georgia secretary of state's office about electrical and engineering requirements for election equipment. Townsend said the county reviewed plans from several Georgia jurisdictions and chose a scaled‑back version of Gordon County's plan as the template.

On accessibility, Townsend said engineering plans provide ample parking including designated handicap spaces and level, step‑free entry to allow wheelchair access.

Funding and procurement: Townsend said the project will be funded by SPLOST revenue collected at the merchant level and clarified that SPLOST proceeds are used for capital projects such as the Elections Building and the county animal shelter. He described the procurement history: 11 firms attended the pre‑proposal conference, seven submitted proposals, one was disqualified for technical defects and six remained as qualified general contractors. The county has not yet approved a contractor and is scheduling a public hearing on Sept. 2, 2025, at 5 p.m. in the administrative office's public meeting room to take public comment before approving a contractor.

Transparency and records: Residents asked why some meeting minutes were not immediately posted and whether private‑message questions would be shared publicly. Townsend said clerks draft minutes within a few days and the standard process brings minutes back to the board for review; minutes are posted online only after the board approves them at the next regular meeting. Anderson and Townsend said the town‑hall video and answers will be posted and that they aim to publish information to reduce online miscommunication.

Contract documents and bids: When asked whether contractor proposals or bids would be published, Townsend said proposal amounts and bidder names are known after proposals are opened, but the county conducts due diligence that includes checking references and verifying proposals for technical defects. He declined to publish all proposal files at that time and said the Sept. 2 public hearing will be part of the review process.

Background and context: Townsend described the Elections Building as the product of roughly 12 years of discussion and said interest and records requests increased markedly after the 2019–2020 election cycles. He referenced state legislation enacted in 2021 known in the county discussion as the Election Integrity Act of 2021 (Senate Bill 202) and said that heightened scrutiny has driven some of the county's planning and record requests.

Contact and next steps: County officials encouraged residents to submit questions by email (info@dadecounty-ga.gov), Facebook Messenger or phone. The county plans to post the town‑hall video and related documents online and to hold the Sept. 2, 2025 public hearing to accept comments before proceeding with contractor approval.