City Manager:  Eric Wilmarth

The City Manager is responsible for providing oversight of the day-to-day activities of the city and project management on behalf of the Mayor and City Council. Other responsibilities include fiduciary responsibilities, public relations, policy implementation and coordination of City activities. The City Manager is appointed by the Mayor and serves at his pleasure.

About the City Manager…

Eric W. Wilmarth serves as the City Manager for the City of Ball Ground, Georgia, a rapidly growing City in northern Cherokee County with a population of approximately 2,600 people and combined annual operating budgets of approximately 3 million dollars. Having served in this position since 2001, he manages the operations of seven City departments and contract services.

Eric is a native of Kingsley, Pennsylvania, a retired Sergeant First Class and a veteran of the Persian Gulf War. He is married to Shena A. Mullins and together they have three children.

Contact Information:

Office Phone:  770/735.2123
Email City Manager

Memberships & Affiliations

• Ball Ground City Manager 2000 – Present
• Metropolitan Atlanta North Georgia Water Planning District Technical Coordinating Committee 2001 – 2004 and 2008-2010
• Leadership Cherokee 2002
• Regional Leadership Institute 2004
• Class 3 Water Treatment Plant Operating License
• Member of The Association of Water Professionals
• Member of Georgia City-County Management Association
• Cherokee County Water and Sewerage Authority Board Member 2017 – Present

City Clerk:  Karen Jordan

Appointed by the Mayor and Council, the City Clerk is the official record keeper for the City. Duties include recording and maintaining the Council’s official actions in the minutes, coordinating and distributing the agendas, maintaining contracts, ordinances, resolutions and agreements for the City, attesting signatures of the Mayor and Council, and keeping the City Seal. The City Clerk oversees the adoptions and publishing of the Code of Ordinances and helps to ensure that all open record requests are in accordance to the Open Records Act. The City Clerk also serves as the Superintendent of Elections for all City Elections.

About the City Clerk…

Ball Ground’s City Clerk is Karen L. Jordan. The City of Ball Ground hired Mrs. Jordan July 1, 1985. In 1993 she earned her Certified Municipal Clerk designation.

Contact Info

Email the City Clerk

Memberships & Affiliations

Mrs. Jordan is a member of the Georgia Municipal Clerks and Finance Officers Association and the International Institute of Municipal Clerks. In 2006 Karen was selected by her peers as the “State of Georgia Clerk of the Year”.   In 2018 Karen was elected to serve a one year term as President of the Georgia Municipal Clerks and Finance Officers Association.  Karen is also a member of the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce and a graduate of Leadership Cherokee.

The Ball Ground City Council consists of five members elected at large by the residents of Ball Ground. In order to qualify as a candidate for office, an individual must be at least 18 years old and have been a resident of the City of Ball Ground for at least twelve consecutive months prior to the date of qualification. Each post is elected City wide, and a candidate may simply choose which post number they wish to seek election to. Council terms are for four years.

Questions?
Contact the City Clerk for additional information.

Scott Barnes, Council Member — Post #1

Sworn In: 2023

Scott Barnes and his wife Judy have lived in the City of Ball Ground since 2001.

Scott and his wife have two grown daughters who both grew up in Ball Ground. Scott is retired from Leadership at Publix Supermarkets after 43 years of service. Scott is currently a member of the Cherokee County Planning Commission which he been involved with for the past 14 years representing the City of Ball Ground. Scott has been involved across Cherokee County in various roles of community service since 1997. Scott’s passions are hiking, fly fishing, and spending time with family. Scott is a member of Orange United Methodist Church located in the Lathemtown community.

• Email Councilman Barnes

Call: 470-820-4826

Annette Homiller, Council Member — Post #2

Sworn In: 2023

Annette and her husband Dan live in the historic Stripling-Lovelady-Homiller house. They have two adult sons that they raised in Cary, North Carolina, two precious daughters-in-law, and one precious granddaughter. Having lived in New Mexico, New Jersey, Alabama, Ohio, Virginia, Massachusetts, and Brussels, Belgium before coming to Georgia for college; Annette brings a unique perspective to the City Council. She graduated with a Bachelor of Industrial and Systems Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1986.

Annette regularly volunteers in the Ball Ground Care Closet—a clothing and food pantry inside the Ball Ground Elementary School. She is an active member of the Ball Ground Garden Club. Besides gardening, her other hobbies are sewing, crocheting, crafting, doing puzzles, reading, biking, and hiking. Annette also enjoys walking her dog, Sheba, a miniature Australian labradoodle.

• Email Councilwoman Homiller

Call: 470-820-5693

Vicki Benefield — Post #3

Sworn In: 2021

Mrs. Benefield was sworn in on November 18, 2021 to fill an unexpired Post #3 City Council seat.

Vicki and her husband, Bob first moved to Ball Ground in 2003, moving into the city in 2016.  She has been an active volunteer within Cherokee County since 1991 and has been involved with many charities.  As an entrepreneur, she developed an in-depth knowledge of research, writing, and maintaining government and private grants.  As a former congressional representative, Vicki is experienced in working with constituents and assisting them in resolving any issues they had. She brings experience, conservative values, commitment, and a keen desire to serve the people in our city.  “I am not a politician; I am a citizen who genuinely cares about Ball Ground and the people who live and work here.”

Council Member Benefield is a member of the Downtown Development Authority, Chair of the Roads, Streets and Sidewalks Committee and Co-Chair of the Parks and Recreation Committee.

• Email Councilwoman Benefield

Call: 470-820-5494

Kristine Rogers, Council Member — Post #4

Sworn In: 2022

Kristine and her husband, Donald, moved to Ball Ground in 2006. They currently reside in the Historic District in downtown. Kristine and Donald have two daughters, Alexis and Courtney. Alexis works at Northside Cherokee Hospital, and Courtney is a police officer. In 1990, Kristine graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. Kristine worked as a Finance Director for a private college in Tampa, Florida. Since then, Kristine has been involved in various aspects of community outreach and volunteer work within the communities she has resided. Kristine has the best interest of both the citizens and the city in mind, and she looks forward to serving the community.

Council Member Rogers is the Chair of the Public Safety Committee and the Co-Chair of the Finance, Insurance and Personnel Committee.

• Email Councilwoman Rogers

Call: 470-820-5555

Dennis Nelson, Council Member — Post #5

Sworn In: 2022

Dennis and his wife, Dawn live in the Mountain Brooke North subdivision. They have lived in Cherokee County for 28 years and four years in Ball Ground. They have two grown boys on their own now. One is a high school science and biology teacher and the other is a former combat United States Marine veteran. They have three grandchildren.

Dennis has a 43-year career in law enforcement and has held top executive positions with several Georgia law enforcement agencies including police chief. Currently, he oversees a department of 165 full-time employees in the areas of corrections, code enforcement, and refuse control.

Council Member Nelson is the Mayor Pro-Tem, Chair of the Water, Sewer, and Sanitation Committee and the Co-Chair of the Public Safety Committee.

• Email Councilman Nelson

Call: 470-820-5608