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Burke County commissioners approve routine bids, hires and appointments; residents oppose Murphy Street rename
Summary
At its organizational meeting commissioners adopted the agenda, reappointed leadership, approved several routine bids and personnel hires, ratified a contract change for the animal shelter and heard a petition opposing renaming Murphy Street to M.L. King Jr. Drive; the board also took a $30,000 restroom grant request under consideration.
Burke County commissioners handled a range of routine organizational and county-business items and heard community input on a proposed street rename.
Key votes and actions at the meeting included approving the agenda, keeping Chairman Martin and Vice Chair Kelly in their leadership roles for 2026, and approving meeting minutes from December. The board approved several procurement and contract items including awarding a $39,500 low bid from Turf Wheel Athletic Fields for two ball-field renovations (budgeted at $65,000) and accepting a $30,528 culvert-pipe bid from Cherokee for a Claxton Lively Road repair. Commissioners also ratified a $9,946 contract change order for plumbing work on the animal-shelter addition and authorized the sale of 100 decommissioned desk phones to Douglas County for $1,000.
Personnel and appointments: the board authorized filling facilities maintenance vacancies (Maintenance Mechanic I and Maintenance Mechanic 3), approved filling an Administrative Assistant I position for the Clerk of Court, and approved filling a light-duty equipment operator vacancy for the road department with backfill authority if promotions occur. On boards and commissions, Lisa Coochie was reappointed to the Burke County Library Board and Gladys Johnson was appointed to fill an expired term.
Public comment and petitions: residents and property owners from Murphy Street submitted a petition opposing the proposed renaming of Murphy Street to M.L. King Jr. Drive/Avenue, citing the street’s historical name, potential emergency-response confusion while mapping systems update, and the cost and burden to residents of updating records and documents. County staff told petitioners that street naming is primarily a city function and that Midville had inquired but had not yet submitted a formal request to the county; staff said they would share the petition with the county and city officials.
Other actions: the board set 2026 election qualifying fees (county commission $288; school board $216; solicitor of state court $899.65), approved a two-day temporary closure of McManus Road for a February dirt-bike race (with insurance requirements noted), and heard departmental reports including road-project updates and parks openings.
What happens next: staff will follow up on the Downtown Development Authority’s $30,000 matching-grant request for public restrooms, finalize personnel advertising and hires, and carry out procurement and implementation steps approved by the board.
