Wilkinson Receives Legislator of the Year Award

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR Radio, Lavonia

50th District State Senator John Wilkinson is the recipient of an award from the Association of County Commissions in Georgia.

At the regular Franklin County Board of Commissioners meeting Monday evening, Shaun Adams, Associate Legislative Director for ACCG presented their 2015 Legislator of the Year award to Wilkinson.

Adams said the award was for Wilkinson’s work on behalf of Franklin County this past year in reversing a bill that would have cost the county millions in lost revenue.

“Chairman Bridges himself last fall brought to our attention an issue regarding a potential revenue reduction dealing with trucks that may be registered in the county and the ad valorum tax revenue that comes from that,” Adams said. “But due to a new formula put through the State Legislature in 2013, your county along with 48 others would have lost that revenue beginning April 1.”

Adams said Franklin County contacted Wilkinson who worked to get that money back for the County.

“He immediately took the lead, stepped up and sponsored a piece of legislation and not only did he get that legislation through the House and Senate in short order, but it had to be signed by the Governor on March 31 in order to prevent 48 counties from losing revenue,” Adams explained. “He made that happen. The Governor signed it on March 31 and it immediately became law. The first distribution came out August 1 and every one of those 48 counties got at least as much revenue, if not more, and all of that was thanks to Senator Wilkinson’s leadership.”

Franklin County Commission Chair Thomas Bridges also noted Wilkinson’s help with HB170 – the State Transportation Funding Bill.

“We were fixing to lose millions of dollars, and Senator Wilkinson stepped up and turned that around for Franklin County also. So, we are very fortunate to have Senator Wilkinson as our Senator,” Bridges said.

After receiving the award, Wilkinson said he wanted to receive the recognition at the Board of Commission meeting in Franklin County.

“They let me pick where I wanted to have this presented and this is where I wanted to have it presented. Thank you,” Wilkinson said afterwards.

Sen. Wilkinson serves the 50th State Senate District, which includes Stephens, Franklin, Banks, Habersham, Rabun and Towns counties as well as part of Jackson County.

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