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Ben Hill County transmits joint 2026 comprehensive plan update to state reviewers
Summary
The Ben Hill County Commission voted Jan. 6 to transmit the joint 2026 Comprehensive Plan update (county and City of Fitzgerald) to the Southern Georgia Regional Commission and Georgia DCA for review; county staff said the current plan expires at the end of February.
The Ben Hill County Commission on Jan. 6 approved sending the joint 2026 Ben Hill County and City of Fitzgerald Comprehensive Plan update to the Southern Georgia Regional Commission and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs for statutory review.
Marcus MaConico of the Southern Georgia Regional Commission told the board state law requires comprehensive plans to be updated every five years and summarized the outreach and meetings conducted since April. He said both the county and city updated their work programs to reflect multiple completed and ongoing projects and explained the county’s current plan expires at the end of February.
Commissioner Bennie Calloway moved to approve the review and transmittal; Commissioner John Mooney seconded and the motion passed with Commissioners Calloway, Mooney, Cowan and Vice‑Chair Hope Harmon voting in favor. The plan will now go to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) for formal review under state rules.
Why it matters: Comprehensive plans guide local land use, transportation and capital projects; transmitting the update starts the formal state review that determines compliance with Georgia planning rules and affects eligibility for certain grants and state programs. The county expects to revisit the plan cycle again in 2030 or 2031 under state requirements.
