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Commissioner’s bid to add two private roads to county scraping list defeated
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Summary
On Aug. 8, 2023, the Screven County Board of Commissioners voted down a motion to add two privately owned roads, Douglas Loop and Kenwood Drive, to the Roads & Bridges scraping list after concerns about fairness and the absence of a cost study were raised.
The Screven County Board of Commissioners voted down a motion on Aug. 8 to add two privately owned roads to the county Roads & Bridges scraping list.
Commissioner Allison Willis moved to add Douglas Loop and Kenwood Drive, both privately owned, to the scraping list. The motion drew opposition from Commissioner Rosa Romeo, who said Lawton Place — another private road frequently cited by residents — had not been included in the proposal. Commissioner Edwin Lovett asked whether any cost studies had been conducted to estimate the fiscal impact of maintaining private roads.
The motion failed on a 6–1 opposition: Commissioners Romeo, Will Boyd (Chairman), Mike Dixon, Ben Thompson, J.C. Warren (Vice‑Chairman) and Edwin Lovett opposed; Commissioner Willis voted in favor.
Why it mattered: several commissioners and residents have repeatedly raised concerns about the condition of privately owned roads in the county. Supporters argued adding roads to the scraping list would improve safety and access; opponents said inconsistent inclusion of private roads and the unknown cost to taxpayers counsel caution.
What the board decided next: the motion was defeated and no change was made to the scraping list during the meeting. Commissioners asked staff questions about cost analysis; no formal study was presented at the meeting.
The board’s action leaves the county’s existing policy unchanged; further requests to add private roads would require a new motion supported by additional information on costs and equitable criteria.