Dear Editor,
On Dec. 2, 2025, Jennifer Ray and I appeared before Judge Stephen Bradley in Superior Court to oppose the validation of a $100 million bond to be issued by the Putnam Development Authority (PDA) to Harmony Road GA, LLC, as a bond-for-title arrangement.
No other commissioners attended that hearing. This arrangement included a tax abatement that would cost the taxpayers of Putnam County millions of dollars. Our objections included both constitutional and procedural issues.
On Jan. 12, 2026, Judge Bradley issued an order which required the PDA to hire a qualified auditor “after consultation and agreement of the Putnam County Board of Commissioners.” The auditor was to provide an “opinion as to the soundness, feasibility, and reasonableness of the proposed bond.” Further, the order required a Performance Audit through the life of the bond (18 years). The judge set a hearing for March 31, by which time the PDA was to comply with the order.
At the March 6 meeting of the BOC, I introduced a motion to have the county attorney submit an amicus curiae (a friend of the court) brief, which in part would identify at least two individuals who could comply with the court order. The motion failed when Commissioner McElhenny and Chairman Sharp voted against the motion while Commissioner Garrett and I voted for the motion (Commissioner Wooten was absent). The result was the BOC took no action.
As of March 30, the PDA had neither consulted with nor reached an agreement with the BOC as to hiring an auditor. Does the PDA believe it can simply ignore a court order?
Undaunted by the inaction of the BOC, (District 4 commission candidate) Jennifer Ray submitted her own amicus curiae brief identifying the individuals who could comply with the judge’s order.
Regardless of how Judge Bradley rules on the bond, I believe the taxpayers of Putnam County owe Jennifer a debt of gratitude for her actions in trying to save them millions of dollars.
I, for one, thank Jennifer.
Stephen Hersey District 3 Commissioner