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Dodge County declares local state of emergency, limits gatherings and waives certain penalties
Summary
On March 22, 2020, Dodge County commissioners unanimously declared a local state of emergency in response to COVID‑19, imposing building access limits, suspending some tax penalties for a month, limiting gatherings and temporarily changing procurement rules for emergency purchases. The declaration was later tightened jointly with the City of Eastman.
Chairman Dan McCranie and the Dodge County Board of Commissioners unanimously declared a local state of emergency beginning March 22, 2020, citing the public‑health threat posed by the COVID‑19 pandemic. County Manager Spencer Barron opened the discussion and asked department heads and health partners to brief the board on local capacity; hospital representative Kristeena Roberson said Dodge County Hospital was directing potentially exposed patients to county health services for testing, and EMS Director Jeff Creech said the department was preparing for possible case increases.
The board approved a package of emergency measures by motion. Commissioners voted to waive tax and tag penalties and interest for payments due between March 22 and April 20, 2020; to suspend tax sales during that period; to restrict access to government buildings (essential services only and appointment‑only handling for non‑essential services); and to ask citizens to limit gatherings to 10 people per contemporaneous CDC guidance. The board also agreed that, for the four‑week emergency period, restaurants must cease public dining and operate carryout/drive‑thru only, and the county would suspend formal bid requirements for emergency purchases to speed response. Commissioner Brian Watkins summarized the motion as a set of time‑limited, emergency steps to protect public health while maintaining essential services.
Two days later, in a joint teleconference with City of Eastman officials, the county and city agreed to make the previously voluntary 10 p.m.–6 a.m. curfew mandatory and to coordinate enforcement and public communications. County Attorney John Harrington advised the board on the legal scope of local emergency powers and on practical steps (e.g., providing employment verification letters for essential workers). The board’s emergency orders were time‑limited (initially four weeks) and were revisited during subsequent meetings as the pandemic evolved.
What happens next: The board said it would revisit the declaration as circumstances changed and coordinate closely with health officials and emergency management. The emergency measures affected county operations — including limited in‑person access to offices, modifications to court proceedings and temporary suspension of some routine procurement rules — and the board recorded motions to track each specific provision.
