- The Board of Education runs the public school system. The Board of Education is entirely independent from the rest of the county government.
- Board of Education members work together to make school policy, set the budget, and appoint the superintendent to run the schools day to day.
- Board of Education members are elected to four-year terms in nonpartisan elections.

Part of the board that governs your county's public school system

Georgia

2024 Georgia General Elections

2024 GA Primary Election

2024 GA Primary Election Runoff

Teacher Pay

College & Career Readiness

Access to Education

School Curriculum

School Facilities & Resources

Student Wellbeing

Teachers

County Board of Education Member

- Magistrate Courts hear civil cases only in amounts less than $15,000. There are no jury trials in Magistrate Court. 
- Magistrate Courts hear landlord tenant dispossessory cases (i.e. a case where a landlord is seeking an eviction of their tenant) and can order evictions. 
- The Chief Magistrate can determine procedures for managing the cases in front of the Magistrate. For example, in Fulton County the Chief Magistrate informs parties in landlord tenant dispossessory cases on the benefits of mediation and provides on-site mediators to resolve landlord tenant disputes before the parties appear in front of the judge. 
- Magistrate Courts only have jurisdiction over their respective counties. Each county has its own magistrate court. Magistrate Court Judge term lengths vary per county, however most serve four year terms. Local Superior Court Judges set parameters for Magistrate Courts. 

Local Judges who hear low-value civil cases and eviction cases

Lamar

Housing & Urban Development

Judicial Efficiency

Legal Experience

Ethics & Conduct

Judicial Administration

Community Involvement

Chief Magistrate

Probate court judges are a type of judge in Georgia who decides a type of civil court cases called a "probate" case. Probate cases can be many things, like cases about people's wills, appointing guardians to children or the elderly, and managing estates. Probate court judges also sometimes decide whether to give out marriage licenses and gun licenses, and they can also decide traffic cases. 

Decides court cases for topics like wills, licenses, and traffic tickets

Probate Court Judge

The Superior Court Clerk is the official record keeper and legal administrator of the county, as they are responsible for receiving and maintaining criminal and civil court filings. They also manage the county’s land and property records. Their duties are numerous and include administrative tasks, like accounting and administering oaths, and judicial, like maintaining legal records. They can also potentially fill in for other roles, such as State Court Clerk and Passport Acceptance Agents.

Official record keeper and administrator of the county

Lanier

Budget

Clerk of Superior Court

- The County Coroner runs the Coroner’s Office, which is responsible for determining the cause, manner, and circumstance of death under the Georgia Death Investigation Act.  
- Deaths that they are responsible for investigating include violent deaths, suicides, sudden deaths, deaths unattended by a physician, suspicious deaths, deaths of children younger than seven years old, executions, deaths of inmates, and deaths of people admitted to a hospital unconscious. 
- The Coroner is responsible for pronouncing someone dead, and for releasing remains to be cremated, transported to another state, or autopsied. 
- All Georgia Coroners are required to attend a 40 hour course at the Georgia State Patrol Training Center and receive 24 hours of in services training on death investigation procedures each year. 
- Coroners are elected to four year terms in nonpartisan elections. 

The chief medical examiner for the county

Public Safety

Public Health

Coroner

- County Commission Chairs oversee the Board of County Commissioners, which create and pass laws at the county-level. These laws show up in very tangible ways, such as determining how much you pay property and sales tax rates, public transportation, and maintaining infrastructure.
- The County Commission Chair is specifically responsible for preparing the county budget, which must be passed by the rest of the County Commissioners. The budget determines how much funding goes to various public services, such as public transportation, law enforcement, repairing roads, and maintaining infrastructure.
- County Commission Chairs have additional executive duties including coordinating with the office of the Mayor for your county, appointing Commissioners to committees, and representing your county at official functions.
- County Commission Chairs are elected to 4-year terms in county-wide elections.

Acts as the head of your county's governing board.

Policing

Quality of Roads

Public Services

Economy

Education

Transportation & Infrastructure

County Commission Chair

- The Board of Education runs the public school system. The Board of Education is entirely independent from the rest of the county government.
- Board of Education members work together to make school policy, set the budget, and appoint the superintendent to run the schools day to day.
- In addition to the typical responsibilities of a Board of Education Member, Board of Education Chairs also oversee meetings, moderate board panels, and make sure progress is made toward the Board’s overall goals.
- Board of Education members are elected to four-year terms in nonpartisan elections.

Head of the board that governs your county's public school system

Taxes

Board of Education Chair

Tax Commissioners are elected at the county level, and their job is to oversee most phases of the taxing process. These responsibilities include billing, collecting, processing, and distributing taxes. They are generally in charge of property taxes, solid waste fees, public utilities, and renewing your vehicle tag. Notably, the Tax Commissioner does not determine how much taxes you pay. Because taxes are a source of revenue for counties, the tax commissioners’ work is ultimately beneficial to individual cities, education, transportation, and other local services. In addition to administering tax laws, the department is responsible for enforcing laws and  regulations pertaining to the control of alcoholic beverages and tobacco products in Georgia as well as motor vehicle license plate and title administration.

2024 Georgia candidates

Lamar County Board of Education Member, District 1, Democratic Primary

1 candidate

How this impacts you

Lamar County Board of Education Member, District 3, Republican Primary

1 candidate

How this impacts you

Lamar Chief Magistrate

1 candidate

How this impacts you

Lamar Probate Court Judge

1 candidate

Lanier Clerk of Superior Court, Republican Primary

2 candidates

Lanier Coroner, Republican Primary

1 candidate

Lanier County Commission Chair, Republican Primary

1 candidate

How this impacts you

Lanier Board of Education Chair, Republican Primary

1 candidate

How this impacts you

Lanier Probate Court Judge

3 candidates

Lanier Tax Commissioner, Republican Primary

1 candidate