6 | Meet the Commissioner
Brasstown Bald Brasstown Valley Golf Course Union County Farmers Market
Commissioner Paris is also justifiably
proud of Union County’s solid finances.
With a $15 million operating budget and
an additional $3.5 million in funds coming
in each year from a Special Purpose
Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), the
county is able to properly maintain its
infrastructure with money to spare.
A Perfect Day in Union
When asked how he’d share the “perfect
day” with someone visiting the area for
the first time, the Commissioner had
this to say: “I’d start them off with a big
stack of pancakes at one of our excellent
local restaurants, then wander out to the
Farmers Market or take a stroll along
Butternut Creek at Meeks Park. I’d want
them to see our Fine Arts Center and
library, which are both unbelievable for a
small town. I’d also want them to see what’s
happening at Union General Hospital.
With so many rural hospitals shutting
down, it’s pretty incredible to see the world-
class physicians and facilities we have here.
If it’s a hot day, we’d head up to Brasstown
Bald or over to Helton Creek Falls.
We might end the day with a steak or
some seafood as the sun sets and toast
another perfect day in the mountains!”
Sounds like a perfect day to us, too!
Elevation
1,600-4,784 feet above sea level,
with Brasstown Bald, the highest
mountain in Georgia, rising to
4,784 feet in the southeast
corner of the County
Weather
• 85° F (July average high)
• 25° F (January average low)
• 55.6° F (average temp.)
• 55.99" (average rainfall)
• 4.0" (average snowfall)
(Source: U.S. Climate Data)
DEMOGRAPHICS
• 700 (est. 2017 Blairsville pop.)
• 23,459 (est. 2017 county pop.)
• 65.9 (pop. per square mile)
• 10,238 (est. 2017 county workforce)
• 338,452 (est. 2017 Georgia
mountain area workforce)
• 3.5% (Dec. 2018 Union County
unemployment rate)
• $34,545 (est. 2018 per capita
personal income)
• 53.8 (residents’ median age)
(Source: Georgia Dept. of Labor)
Important Designations
• Appalachian Trail Community
• Camera-Ready Community
• Entrepreneur Friendly
• Georgia Work-Ready Community
• Upper Hiwassee Highlands
American Viticultural Area
• Blairsville is a Georgia Better
Hometown/Main Street Community
• 2019 is the 25th anniversary of
Blairsville’s designation as “Tree
City USA”