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Commissioner raises concern about sheriff's opposition as Dawson County weighs new CAD/RMS system
Summary
Dawson County officials reviewed a request to replace the county CAD/RMS system, to be funded by SPLOST VIII; Commissioner Alexa Bruce said the sheriff's prior opposition to SPLOST makes her "a little nervous," and Sheriff Jeff Johnson said he hopes to meet with board members to "bridge that gap."
Dawson County officials discussed a request to replace the county's Computer-Aided Dispatch/Records Management System (CAD/RMS) during the Jan. 15 work session. Major Ray Goodie presented the proposal alongside County Manager Joey Leverette and John Jolin of SmartCOP; the item was scheduled for the Feb. 5, 2026 Voting Session agenda.
Commissioner Alexa Bruce said she was "just going to address the elephant in the room," noting that Sheriff Jeff Johnson had publicly opposed SPLOST VIII, which is the proposed funding source for the CAD/RMS upgrade. "I'm a little concerned that the Sheriff's department is not going to support SPLOST, and this is a SPLOST project that we're [planning to move] ahead with," Bruce said. Sheriff Johnson responded, "I understand that. Obviously, I can't stand right here and tell you that I do support [SPLOST] at this point. But it's my hope that maybe myself and some board members can get together and talk about bridging that gap."
The board did not take a vote on the request during the work session; members agreed to place the CAD/RMS replacement on the Feb. 5 Voting Session agenda for further consideration and possible formal action. The Feb. 5 agenda placement was the primary outcome of the discussion; no funding decision was recorded at the Jan. 15 work session.
