Gilmer County, GA elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Gilmer County: 9 seats on 7 elected bodies. 1 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of Commissioners

Gilmer County Board of Commissioners

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
Commission ChairCharlie Paris Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County Commissioner, Post 1Karleen P. Ferguson Republican source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it now
Clerk of Superior CourtAmy E. Johnson Republican source
CoronerJerry B. Hensley Republican source
Probate JudgeScott C. Chastain Republican source
SheriffStacy L. Nicholson Republican source
Tax CommissionerRebecca "Becky" Marshall Republican source

School Board

Gilmer County Board of Education

Each member is elected by the voters of their district.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
Board of Education Member, Post 4Michele Penland sourceRe-elected (elected unopposed)
Board of Education Member, Post 5Jacob Callihan sourceRe-elected (elected unopposed)

How many local governments Gilmer County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 5 local governments in Gilmer County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships20
School districts (school boards)11
Special districts (elected boards)10

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Gilmer County

32,426people
50median ageU.S.: 38.9
$74,499 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
16%below the U.S.: 12.5%
24.9%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$314,000median home valueU.S.: $332,700
2.7%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
5.2%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
10.2%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
14.6%U.S.: 8.4%
39.7%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
25.6%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 12.3% · White 83.6% · Black 0.3% · Asian 0.5% · Other or more than one race 3.3% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Gilmer County

3.3%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 2.8%. Georgia: 3.5%.
534people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
15,600people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
16,134in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Gilmer County 0.0%1.3%2.7%4.0%5.4% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.3%53415,60016,134
August 20263.0%46915,40015,869
July 20262.7%42115,41815,839
June 20263.0%47215,37615,848
May 20262.8%43515,31915,754
April 20262.5%38915,27315,662
March 20263.0%47715,20815,685
February 20263.2%49715,05415,551
January 20263.0%46014,89915,359
December 20252.6%40514,99115,396
November 20253.1%48515,03115,516
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20252.8%43714,99315,430
August 20253.3%49714,76115,258
July 20253.0%46314,95915,422
June 20253.0%46015,00715,467
May 20253.0%45114,82515,276
April 20252.7%41814,88315,301
March 20253.2%48714,89615,383
February 20253.4%52214,75015,272
January 20253.0%46214,84515,307
December 20242.5%38314,77315,156
November 20242.9%43814,74415,182
October 20242.7%41714,82615,243
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)3.0%46214,90415,366
20242.8%43014,66815,098
20232.8%40413,80114,205
20222.8%39613,55013,946
20212.8%38013,24113,621
20204.2%56212,73813,300
20193.3%43612,79713,233
20183.8%50512,69013,195
20174.6%60612,68113,287
20165.1%67512,43313,108

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Georgia's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 3.3% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Crime reported in Gilmer County

171.4 per 100,0002025. Georgia: 296.9.
582.3 per 100,0002025. Georgia: 1,409.3.
0murders2025, 58 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
202558171.4197582.3
202467200.0243725.5
202382248.7311943.2
202286262.64271,304.0
202160185.7311962.7
2020100315.7286902.9
201977247.54401,414.3
201877248.75831,882.7
201766219.96112,035.9
201674250.15061,709.9
By police agency (3)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Gilmer County Sheriff's Office20255415029,842
Ellijay Police Department20243271,978
East Ellijay Police Department20245381,799

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Georgia · the U.S.

Police staffing

2.51 per 1,000 residents2025, 3 agencies serving 33,832 people.
85sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
57civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (3), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Gilmer County Sheriff's Office664829,842
East Ellijay Police Department882,040
Ellijay Police Department1111,950
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
2025852.51573
2024832.48573
2023802.43563
2022812.47473
2021722.23503
2020862.72443
2018983.16273
2017993.30273

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Gilmer County Clerk of Superior Court?
Amy E. Johnson (Republican) is the Clerk of Superior Court of Gilmer County, Georgia.
Who is the Gilmer County Coroner?
Jerry B. Hensley (Republican) is the Coroner of Gilmer County, Georgia.
Who is the Gilmer County Probate Judge?
Scott C. Chastain (Republican) is the Probate Judge of Gilmer County, Georgia.
Who is the Gilmer County Sheriff?
Stacy L. Nicholson (Republican) is the Sheriff of Gilmer County, Georgia.
Who is the Gilmer County Tax Commissioner?
Rebecca "Becky" Marshall (Republican) is the Tax Commissioner of Gilmer County, Georgia.
Who are the Gilmer County commissioners?
Charlie Paris (Commission Chair); Karleen P. Ferguson (Post 1).
Who is on the Gilmer County School Board?
Michele Penland (Board of Education Member, Post 4); Jacob Callihan (Board of Education Member, Post 5).
What is the population of Gilmer County?
About 32,426 people, with a median age of 50; the median household income is $74,499 and 16% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Gilmer County?
3.3% in September 2026 (preliminary): 534 people unemployed in a labor force of 16,134, against 2.8% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Gilmer County?
5 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 2 municipal, 1 school district and 1 special district governments.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Georgia Secretary of State's official results of each seat's last election (the November 2024 general, or a special election since), and for seats up in 2026 whose 2022 result the SOS site doesn't carry, the incumbent the SOS marks on that seat's 2026 primary, nonpartisan or November contest; officials appointed since then may differ; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

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