https://www.facebook.com/549333758252401/

Dade Transparency, 75 Case Ave, Trenton, GA (2026)

10/12/2026

📢 DADE COUNTY, WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

🏡 If you could change ONE thing about Dade County, what would it be?

We spend a lot of time discussing decisions made by our elected officials, how taxpayer money is spent, and whether our local government is truly serving the people.

But today, we want to hear from YOU.

What concerns you most about the direction our county is heading?

💰 Property taxes and rising costs?

🚧 Road conditions and maintenance?

🚔 Law enforcement and public accountability?

🚑 Emergency services and response times?

🏛️ Government spending and transparency?

🌳 Development, tourism, and preserving our small-town way of life?

🤝 Fair treatment of all residents?

Or is there something else that deserves attention?

Dade County belongs to its residents, not its elected officials.

The people who live here, work here, raise their families here, and pay taxes here deserve to have their voices heard.

At Dade County Transparency & Accountability, we believe meaningful change starts with informed citizens and open conversations.

We're interested in more than complaints. We want to identify problems, examine the facts, and explore solutions.

👇 So tell us: If YOU had the power to change one thing about Dade County tomorrow, what would it be?

Don't be afraid to speak up, but please keep the conversation respectful and focused on the issues.

Your concerns could help determine what we investigate and report on next.

📢 YOUR COUNTY. YOUR COMMUNITY. YOUR VOICE.

Dade County Transparency & Accountability

10/11/2026

Dade County's Tourism Plans Raise an Important Question: Who Pays for Growth?

Economic development should benefit the people who live here—not come at the expense of their safety, financial security, or small-town way of life.

At a recent commissioners meeting, Don Townsend discussed the efforts he has been making to bring tourism to Dade County. Tourism and outdoor recreation can create opportunities for local businesses, support jobs, and bring new revenue into our community. Those possibilities deserve consideration.

But before we celebrate the prospect of more visitors, we need to ask some important questions about the financial consequences, the demands on public services, and the long-term impact on the people who already call Dade County home.

Because tourism doesn't come without costs.

💰 More Visitors Can Mean More Public Expenses

As tourism grows, so can the demands on law enforcement, emergency medical services, fire protection, road maintenance, waste collection, and environmental protection.

More traffic means more pressure on rural roads. More outdoor recreation can mean more accidents, rescue calls, litter, and demands on emergency responders. Increased demand for vacation rentals can also put pressure on housing availability and affordability.

Who pays for these additional expenses?

If tourism-related revenue doesn't cover the additional costs, taxpayers could ultimately be left paying the difference.

And this is happening in a county where residents are already concerned about property taxes, rising costs, and the future of their household budgets.

According to Dade County's July 2026 budget announcement, county leadership approved the FY 2027 budget using approximately $200,000 from the county's fund balance and implemented a hiring freeze while continuing to evaluate its finances. The county cited rising operating costs and the need to balance the budget. These are real financial pressures that deserve careful consideration before the county takes on additional long-term obligations.

Source: "Dade County's FY 2027 budget announcement" (https://www.dadecounty-ga.gov/m/NewsFlash/Home/Detail/129).

📊 Tourism Revenue Is Already Part of the Picture

Dade County already collects an 8% hotel-motel accommodations tax on qualifying short-term rentals.

The county's audited financial statements report hotel-motel tax revenue of:

- FY 2022: $349,194
- FY 2023: $514,576
- FY 2024: $521,443

These are reported lodging-tax receipts, not total tourism revenue or profit. They demonstrate that tourism-related tax revenue already exists, even without assuming a future tourism boom.

Source: "Dade County's financial records" (https://www.dadecounty-ga.gov/Archive.aspx?ADID=85) and "hotel-motel tax information" (https://www.dadecounty-ga.gov/326/Hotel-Motel-Accommodations-Excise-Tax-Re).

So an important question for taxpayers is this: Can county leadership clearly show how tourism-related revenue is collected, allocated, spent, and measured against the costs tourism places on our community?

Residents deserve to understand not only how much money comes in, but also where it goes and what measurable benefits it provides.

🛡️ What About Public Safety and Accountability?

A growing tourism industry may require more law enforcement coverage, additional equipment, traffic enforcement, and emergency-response capabilities.

Those needs can be legitimate. But additional funding should come with clear budgets, documented purposes, appropriate oversight, and measurable results.

The same principle applies to county government.

When public officials pursue economic development, taxpayers should be able to see the projected costs, anticipated revenues, funding sources, contracts, and long-term obligations associated with those plans.

And when concerns have been raised about the handling of public funds, the answer should be greater transparency and stronger accountability—not assumptions in either direction.

Allegations of financial misconduct must be supported by evidence. But the public's right to ask questions and examine records does not depend on proving misconduct first.

That is precisely why financial transparency matters before, during, and after economic development projects.

🏡 What Happens to the Small-Town Feel?

Many people choose Dade County because they value its rural character, natural beauty, quiet surroundings, and sense of community.

We should consider whether unchecked tourism growth could gradually change those qualities.

Will local families still be able to afford to live here? Will our roads and emergency services keep pace with development? Will our waterways, public spaces, and private property be protected? Will locally owned businesses benefit, or will most of the gains go elsewhere?

And will residents have a meaningful voice in decisions that change the communities they have spent years building?

Economic growth should not be measured solely by visitor counts, new developments, or the amount of money moving through the local economy. It should also be measured by whether the people who live here are better off.

🔎 Before We Pursue More Growth, Let's Ask for Answers

Dade County residents deserve a transparent accounting of the potential benefits and costs of tourism development.

Here are some reasonable questions for county leadership:

1. What are the specific tourism-development plans, and what will they cost taxpayers?
2. What additional revenue is realistically anticipated, and how will it be generated?
3. How much does the county currently spend on tourism-related public safety, infrastructure, and environmental needs?
4. How are existing hotel-motel tax receipts allocated, and what results have those expenditures produced?
5. What safeguards will ensure that additional revenue is properly managed, independently reviewed, and spent for authorized public purposes?
6. How will the county protect residents from bearing disproportionate costs if tourism-related expenses exceed the revenue generated?
7. How will residents be included in decisions that affect their safety, property, taxes, and quality of life?

These are not questions against tourism. They are questions in favor of responsible government.

The Bottom Line

Don Townsend and the Board of Commissioners have a responsibility to consider opportunities for economic development. But they also have a responsibility to protect the interests of the residents who fund county government.

Tourism may bring benefits to Dade County. It may also bring costs that are easy to overlook until the consequences become part of everyday life.

Before we ask how much more tourism Dade County can attract, let's ask whether we have a clear, transparent, and financially responsible plan for managing it.

Our county should not have to sacrifice its small-town character, place additional burdens on taxpayers, or compromise public safety in pursuit of economic growth.

We can welcome visitors while protecting our community. We can support local businesses while demanding financial accountability. And we can consider new opportunities without abandoning the responsibility to ask difficult questions.

Dade County belongs to the people who live here. Their taxes, safety, property, and quality of life must remain central to every decision about its future.

What do you think, Dade County? What safeguards should be in place before tourism expands, and what assurances would you want from county leadership that growth will benefit residents rather than leave them carrying the costs?

Dade County Transparency and Accountability — Informed citizens. Transparent government. Accountable leadership.

10/11/2026

DADE COUNTY TRANSPARENCY & ACCOUNTABILITY

When Those Sworn to Protect You Become the People You Fear

October 6, 2020 — Dade County, Georgia

Imagine being home, homeschooling your children, when a man and woman arrive at your door claiming they're there to pick up a swimming pool you advertised for free on Facebook.

Now imagine those same people suddenly rushing onto your porch, grabbing you as you attempt to go back inside, and physically pulling you away while your children scream in terror.

You believe you're being kidnapped.

Your children believe their mother is being kidnapped.

But these weren't strangers responding to a Facebook advertisement.

They were Dade County law enforcement officers.

And according to the detective's own written account, they deliberately lied about why they were there.

WHAT THE DETECTIVE ADMITTED

In his report concerning the arrest of Cierra Bradley, Detective Tim McKaig described how he and Detective Cynthia Thurman (on orders of Sheriff Ray Cross) approached the Bradley residence to execute outstanding bench warrants.

Rather than identifying themselves and explaining their purpose, they pretended to be responding to a Facebook advertisement in a local group for a swimming pool.

McKaig wrote:

"We lied and told her we were there to drain the pool."

He further explained that he believed it would be better to lure Bradley away from the house, where her children might be present.

When Bradley became suspicious and attempted to return inside, McKaig acknowledged grabbing her clothing near her shoulder.

He wrote:

"She was actually inside the screen door at that point trying to close the main door."

Think about that.

A mother standing at the entrance to her own home, unaware that the people confronting her were law enforcement officers, suddenly finds herself being physically restrained.

WHAT THE POLICE REPORT DOESN'T TELL YOU

According to Bradley, she had advertised the swimming pool for free in a local Facebook group.

She was homeschooling her two young sons when the man and woman arrived.

Their appearance and behavior didn't match what she expected from the person she had been communicating with online.

Something felt wrong.

When she attempted to return inside to verify who they were, the man and woman rushed toward her and grabbed her.

A woman helping at the homestead witnessed the struggle and attempted to protect Bradley.

Everyone believed they were witnessing an attempted kidnapping.

Her children were screaming.

Bradley says she didn't realize the man and woman were law enforcement officers until one threatened to arrest the woman attempting to help her.

Only then did Bradley tell her friend to let go, check on the children, and contact her husband.

THE INJURIES

The detective's report describes Bradley's injury as a minor cut to her thumb.

However, photographs Bradley says were taken following the arrest show additional bruising and visible marks on her body.

Those photographs raise questions about the physical force used during the encounter and whether the official report adequately documented her injuries.

BUT WHY WAS THERE A WARRANT?

Here is another troubling part of this story.

Bradley maintains that the underlying bench warrant resulted from a missed court appearance after the court notice was sent to an incorrect address.

She says she never received proper notice of the hearing and has received copies of the envelope that contained the document with the court date from the court clerk. She says the document has the correct address on it but the envelope has the wrong address and has a sticker on it where the post office was unable to deliver it and returned it.

If someone never receives notice to appear in court, should a warrant be issued for failing to appear?

And even when officers possess a warrant, should they be permitted to conceal their identities, impersonate private citizens, and physically seize someone who believes they are defending themselves against an abduction?

These are questions worth asking.

THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN IN ISOLATION

This incident occurred amid an ongoing dispute between the Bradley family and Dade County officials concerning the county's use and maintenance of a private driveway and easement.

The Bradley family has maintained that county employees used public resources to maintain their private easement while the public roadway was neglected.

That dispute had already resulted in years of disagreements involving county officials and law enforcement.

Whether the arrest was connected to that broader dispute is a question that deserves scrutiny—not an established conclusion.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

This story isn't simply about one arrest.

It's about public trust.

It's about the difference between enforcing the law and exercising authority in a manner that leaves citizens terrified inside their own homes.

The detective's own account acknowledges that officers deliberately misrepresented their purpose and attempted to lure a woman outside before physically seizing her.

The report does not establish that the officers announced their identities before initiating physical contact.

And the family's account describes two young children witnessing what they believed was their mother's abduction.

Bradley said in a statement to us, "I will forever be haunted by the screams of my two little boys who witnessed the struggle."

A badge does not eliminate the responsibility to exercise sound judgment, restraint, and respect for the people officers are sworn to protect.

Police deception is not automatically unlawful, and the existence of a warrant can authorize an arrest. But neither fact should prevent the public from questioning how an arrest was carried out.

DADE COUNTY DESERVES ANSWERS

Five questions remain:

Why did officers choose deception rather than identifying themselves?

Did they announce that they were law enforcement before physically grabbing Bradley?

Was the underlying bench warrant issued after notice was sent to an incorrect address?

Why did the Sheriff's Office feel the need to serve a warrant in such nature on simple misdemeanor charges and on a woman who had no sort of criminal background?

Does the cell phone recording McKaig described in his official report reveal additional details?

Transparency isn't about attacking law enforcement. It's about holding everyone entrusted with public authority to the same standard of accountability.

This is one portion of the Bradley family's experience with Dade County government.

And it's a portion of the story the public deserves to hear.

Because if it can happen to one family, every citizen has reason to care.

— Dade County Transparency & Accountability
Editor's note: This account draws from Detective Tim McKaig's written narrative as provided by Bradley, Bradley's firsthand account, and photographs she identifies as documenting injuries following the arrest. Allegations concerning notice, force, and the broader county dispute have not been independently adjudicated in this article.

10/09/2026

DADE COUNTY, DO WE REMEMBER? HISTORY HAS A LESSON ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY.

Before anyone tells citizens to stop asking questions about public spending, perhaps we should remember a chapter in Dade County's own history.

In 2018, former Dade County Sheriff Patrick Cannon pleaded guilty to five counts of violation of oath of office and 13 counts of theft by conversion. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation documented the case, which resulted in 10 years of probation under the First Offender Act, along with fines and restitution totaling $9,662.50.

Those convictions and the resulting sentence are matters of public record.

Now, here we are again, confronting questions about public money, official accountability, and the responsibility of those entrusted with positions of public service.

Questions have been raised about county credit-card spending by a sitting commissioner. The Sheriff's Office announced a review of the submitted records, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation has been brought into the process. These matters remain under review, and no conclusion about wrongdoing should be drawn unless supported by established facts or a final legal determination.

Separately, in June 2026, a former county jail administrator was arrested on charges of theft by conversion and violation of oath by a public officer. Those charges are allegations, not convictions, and the case should be evaluated through the legal process. These are separate matters, and each must be judged on its own evidence and outcome.

But the bigger question remains: What has Dade County learned about accountability?

When public officials are entrusted with taxpayer money, the public has every right to ask how that money is spent, what public purpose it serves, and whether the rules are being followed.

When citizens request records, raise concerns, or seek answers, they are not attacking the community. They are exercising their right to hold their government accountable.

And when concerns involve those in positions of authority, transparency should not depend on who is being questioned, what office they hold, or whether the questions make leadership uncomfortable.

The Sheriff's Office has a responsibility to uphold the law impartially. The Board of Commissioners has a responsibility to safeguard public funds. Both have a responsibility to maintain public trust.

Accountability cannot be selective. Transparency cannot be optional. And public service must never be confused with personal privilege.

We are not declaring anyone guilty before an investigation or legal proceeding is complete. We are asking that the facts be established, the records be available as required by law, and the same standards of accountability apply to everyone.

Patrick Cannon's convictions and sentence are a reminder of why oversight matters. The questions and investigations facing Dade County today are a reminder that citizens must remain engaged while respecting due process.

History should teach us something. If it doesn't, why should taxpayers believe anything will change?

Dade County Transparency and Accountability

The public has a right to ask. Those in public office have a responsibility to answer.

10/06/2026

DADE COUNTY: THE QUESTIONS CITIZENS ARE ASKING DESERVE ANSWERS

On October 1, citizens once again stood before the Dade County Board of Commissioners to raise questions about how county government operates, how taxpayer resources are used, and whether citizens can obtain clear answers when something doesn't appear to add up.

The October meeting came at a time when the county is already facing increased public scrutiny.

In September, citizens brought questions about county credit-card expenditures to the Commission. Those concerns resulted in the Dade County Sheriff's Office reviewing documents and receipts submitted by citizens, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation taking up an investigation involving two years of county credit-card records.

Reporting by the Chattanooga Times Free Press subsequently detailed questions surrounding Commissioner Melissa Bradford's expenses associated with a National Association of Counties conference in New Orleans. County officials said nearly $680 of expenses were ultimately paid from the county's general fund after a scholarship and reimbursement were accounted for.

The county itself has stated that citizen participation is an important part of the governmental process and that citizens are encouraged to make statements and recommendations to the Board.

So what happens when citizens bring forward questions that go beyond one credit-card statement?

What happens when the questions involve public property, public records, public resources, governmental authority, or years of county activity?

Those are the questions that were raised again on October 1.

THIS ISN'T A NEW STORY

One citizen who addressed the Commission on October 1 was Cierra Bradley.

Bradley's concerns involve a road and deeded easement near her property—a dispute that, according to Bradley, dates back years and was previously reported by the Chattanooga Times Free Press in 2020.

Her argument is not that she has already proven every answer.

Her argument is that the questions have never been adequately answered.

According to Bradley, the county's Public Works Department told her that the county began maintaining the deeded easement in 2007.

The question she says remains unanswered is simple:

What legal documentation gave the county the authority to use taxpayer-funded labor, equipment and materials to maintain and pave that easement?

Bradley says that when she requested documentation establishing the county's right to maintain the property for public use, neither the Public Works Director nor the county clerk at the time could produce the documentation she was seeking.

She says she was initially told the arrangement was made "on a handshake."

That raises another question:

If county resources were being used on private property or a deeded easement, what authority authorized that use?

THEN THERE IS THE ROAD ITSELF

Bradley says she also discovered a discrepancy between the road being maintained by the county and the road reflected on official transportation records.

According to her account, a portion of the actual public road shown on the official Georgia Department of Transportation map was no longer being maintained, while the deeded easement was being maintained.

When the Public Works Director and then-Commission Chairman Ted Rumley reportedly measured the road according to the county's records, Bradley says the physical location did not match what the records indicated.

That does not, by itself, establish wrongdoing.

But it creates a question that deserves documentation:

If the public road and the road being maintained with county resources were not the same piece of property, what authorized the county to spend public resources on the latter?

Bradley says the easement was subsequently repaved in 2022 while the remaining portion of the public road remained in poor condition.

Again, the issue is not simply whether someone believes the county did something wrong.

The issue is whether the county can produce the records showing why it had the authority to do what it did.

THE CONSEQUENCES WERE PERSONAL

This issue also has a deeply personal history for the Bradley family.

Bradley told the Commission that she and her husband, Jason, were sued by the county in 2020 after the dispute escalated.

She also described the arrest of herself and her husband in front of their children and said they were accused of blocking what they were told was a public road.

Her concern now is not simply what happened to her family.

It is whether the government applies the same standard of accountability to itself that it expects from ordinary citizens.

That is a legitimate question for taxpayers to ask.

ONE ISSUE OR A LARGER PATTERN?

This is where the current discussion becomes bigger than one road.

Over the past several months, citizens have raised questions involving:

• County credit-card expenditures
• Conference and travel expenses
• The use of taxpayer funds
• Open-records requests
• Government documentation
• Public property and road maintenance
• County procedures and oversight
• The use of governmental authority
• Whether citizens receive adequate answers when they raise concerns

Some of these matters are completely separate.

Others may ultimately prove to have nothing in common beyond the fact that citizens are asking questions.

But that is precisely why documentation matters.

A government that is operating properly should be able to show the public the records supporting its decisions.

A government that spends taxpayer money should be able to account for that money.

A government that uses public equipment, labor and materials should be able to explain the legal and administrative authority for doing so.

And when citizens submit open-records requests, they should be able to obtain the records to which they are legally entitled.

ACCOUNTABILITY IS NOT AN ATTACK

There is an important distinction between accusing someone of wrongdoing and asking whether something should be investigated.

Citizens should not have to prove criminal conduct before they are allowed to ask questions.

Likewise, elected officials should not be presumed guilty simply because a citizen raises a concern.

The proper response to a credible question is documentation, investigation and transparency.

If the records show that everything was done properly, then those records should help establish that fact.

If the records reveal mistakes, those mistakes should be acknowledged and corrected.

And if an investigation establishes misconduct, then the appropriate authorities should determine what consequences are warranted.

That's what accountability looks like.

WHO DOES GOVERNMENT BELONG TO?

At the October 1 meeting, Bradley ended her remarks with a statement that deserves to be remembered:

"It belongs to the people."

That is more than a slogan.

County government exists to serve the public.

The money being spent is taxpayer money.

The property being managed is public property when the law says it is.

The records being created are public records when the law says they are.

And the authority being exercised is authority entrusted to elected and appointed officials by the people.

That means citizens have every right to ask questions.

They have every right to examine records.

They have every right to challenge decisions.

And they have every right to expect answers.

The recent scrutiny surrounding county expenditures should not be viewed as the end of the conversation.

It should be an opportunity to examine how Dade County government documents, authorizes, spends and accounts for public resources across the board.

Not because every allegation is true.

Not because every official has done something wrong.

But because transparency allows the facts to speak for themselves.

And when credible questions remain unanswered, the answer should not be to silence the question.

The answer should be to investigate it.

Dade County taxpayers deserve nothing less.

We aren't asking for special treatment.

We're asking for the same thing every citizen should expect from government:

The records.
The facts.
The answers.
And the truth.

If you would like to review the newspaper article, body-camera footage, police reports, maps, or other documentation related to the road/easement dispute, please reach out to Cierra Bradley at her email: [email protected]

There is considerably more documentation behind this story than can be covered in a five-minute public comment.

If you have documentation, public records, meeting footage, police reports, court documents, photographs, maps, or other information concerning these issues, consider preserving the original records and sharing them with the appropriate governmental or investigative authority.

Dade Transparency will continue to distinguish documented facts from allegations and unanswered questions.

09/10/2026

🚨 DADE COUNTY TAXPAYERS — YOUR MONEY MATTERS.

Over the years, questions have been raised about how county money and resources are being used.

• 2020: The Bradley Family raised concerns about county resources being used to pave a private drive while a public road shown on the Georgia DOT map was reportedly abandoned.

• 2026: Questions were raised about Commissioner Bradford’s New Orleans trip spending. The Sheriff’s Office has asked the GBI to review the allegations.

• 2026: Former Jail Commander Chambers was arrested following a GBI investigation involving allegations of approximately $10,000 in jail funds being used for personal purchases.

So who is watching Dade County’s money?

Taxpayers have a right to ask questions and expect answers.

💰 Our money. Our county. Our right to know.

Dade County Transparency & Accountability

05/14/2026

🚩Local Resident Says No One Is Addressing Possible Misuse of Tax Money in Dade County🚩

A resident of Dade County says they have spent a lot of time trying to report what they believe is the illegal use of Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) money, but no government agency has taken action.

SPLOST is a special sales tax that voters approve to pay for projects like roads, schools, and public buildings. There are laws that explain exactly how this money is supposed to be used and reported.

The resident says they found evidence that several local government groups may have been breaking these rules for many years.

The resident said they contacted many state agencies and public officials, including:

-Association County Commissioners of Georgia

-Georgia Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division

-Georgia Department of Revenue

-Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts

-Henderson Hutcherson & McCullough, the accounting firm that audits the county

-Dade County Board of Commissioners

-Local 3 News

-Mike Cameron

-Former District Attorney Clay Fuller

-Supreme Court of Georgia Public Information Office

According to the resident, most agencies said the issue was outside their authority, while others did not respond at all.

The resident says the following local groups may have violated Georgia SPLOST laws for decades:

-Dade County Board of Commissioners

-Dade County Industrial Development Authority

-Dade County Water and Sewer Authority

-The City of Trenton

-Dade County School District

These claims have not been proven in court, and no state agency has officially stated that any laws were broken.

The resident said they are frustrated that ordinary citizens are held accountable for breaking laws, while government officials appear to face no consequences.

They say they have shared documents, spoken at public meetings, and posted videos online explaining what they believe is wrong, but so far nothing has changed.

The resident is asking if anyone knows of another agency or official who might be willing to investigate the issue and make sure the law is followed.

Dade Transparency

10/12/2026

10/11/2026

10/11/2026

10/09/2026

10/06/2026

09/10/2026

05/14/2026

Address

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Listing takedown request