The County Administration Office has the responsibility to ensure the efficient performance of all county departments.
The Administration office provides the following services for Ben Hill County Residents:
- Prepares and oversees the county budget
- Pays all county bills
- Process county payroll
- Issue alcohol license
- Receive all revenue and make deposits
- Handle all employee medical insurance and Workers Compensation claims
- Keep meeting minutes as well as maintain contracts, ordinances and resolutions
- Handle day to day operations
Need to get in touch with someone in Administration?
The Building Inspector provides the following services to Ben Hill County Residents:
- Review plans to ensure they meet building codes, local ordinances, and zoning regulations
- Approve building plans that are satisfactory
- Monitor construction sites periodically to ensure overall compliance
- Use survey instruments, metering devices and test equipment to perform inspections
- Inspect plumbing, electrical and other systems to ensure that they meet code
- Verify alignment, level and elevation of structures to ensure building compliance
- Issue violation notices and stop-work orders until building is compliant
- Keep daily logs, including photographs taken during inspection
- Provide written feedback related to the findings
Construction and building inspectors examine buildings, highways and streets, sewer and water systems, dams, bridges and other structures. They also inspect electrical, heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR); and plumbing systems. Although no two inspections are alike, inspectors perform an initial check during the first phase of construction and follow-up inspections throughout the construction project. When the project is finished, they do a final, comprehensive inspection and provide written or oral feedback related to their findings.
For permit applications Click Here
Need to get in touch with someone in the Building Inspector’s office?
Lawton Lovett, Building and Zoning Director
Welcome to the Ben Hill County Building, Licenses and Zoning Department. We know your time is valuable and we want to make your visit with us the best experience it can be. In our effort to do this, we have made a few things available to you through this site. By doing this, when you arrive for your permits or other services, we can hopefully have all the information to get the process done quickly.
Building/Licenses and Zoning Department provides these services to Ben Hill County Residents:
Building Permits, Licensing for Business, Ordinance Enforcement, Zoning Requests
Forms listed are available through these active links, forms page or at the Building and Zoning office
Informational Help
When Do I Need to get a Permit?
911 Address and Private Septic Permit Forms
- 911 Address Request Form (Fill out top section and submit to Building and Zoning Office)
- Residential Septic / Health Permit Form (If served by Fitzgerald Utilities/ (229) 426-5400)
Permit Application Forms
- Building Permit Application
- Electrical Permit Application
- Mechanical Permit Application
- Plumbing Permit Application
License Application Forms
Code Complaint Form
Zoning Requests
Need to get in touch with someone in the Building and Zoning office?
Darlow Maxwell, Chief Financial Officer
The Chief Financial Officer provides leadership, direction and management of the finance and accounting team by managing the processes for financial forecasting and budgets, and overseeing the preparation of all financial reporting. Also by advising on long-term business and financial planning.
Need to get in touch with the Chief Financial Officer?
The Honorable Betty Lynn Johnson
The Clerk of Superior Court provides the following services for Ben Hill County Residents
Filing records for:
- Criminal
- Juvenile
- Adoption
- Garnishments
- Warrants
- Recordings
- Real Estate
- Liens (Federal, State, Lis Penden, Etc)
- Hospital Liens
- UCC (Personal Property)
- Plat
- Military Discharge
This Office Issues:
- Notary Commissions
- Passports
- Subpoenas
- Jury Summons
- Fi Fa's
- Bench Warrants
- Bond Forfeitures
- Arraignment Notices
Compile Calendars for:
- Civil
- Criminal
- Arraignment
Records not available to the general public:
- Juvenile
- Adoption
- Military Discharge
Need to get in touch with the Clerk of Superior Court?
Robert W. Chasteen, Jr., Chief Judge T. Christopher Hughes, Judge Denise D. Fachini, Judge
Mark Shealy, County Coroner
The coroner's major role in the investigation is to establish the cause and manner of death. The cause is the medical reason the person dies and the manner is whether they died as a result of a homicide, suicide, accident, natural causes or in an undetermined fashion.
The Coroners office provides the following services for Ben Hill County Residents
To investigate deaths that occur in Ben Hill County:
- As a result of violence
- Suicide or casualty
- Suddenly when in apparent good health
- When unattended by a physician
- In any suspicious or unusual manner
- After birth, but before seven years of age if the death is unexpected or unexplained
- As a result of an execution carried out pursuant to the death penalty
- When an inmate of a state hospital, or a state, county, or city penal institution dies
Need to get in touch with the Coroner?
Donna R. Prather, County Clerk
The Ben Hill County Clerk serves as the official custodian of the Ben Hill County seal and materials of public record for the Ben Hill County Board of Commissioners and other County boards and authorities. Additional responsibilities include:
- Coordinating and distributing Board of Commissioners agendas and minutes
- Handling requests for public records
- Maintaining the Ben Hill County Code of Ordinances
- Ensuring that the County adheres to the Georgia Open Meetings and Open Records acts
- Assisting with the processing of contracts
- Publishing and distributing all disclosures pursuant to the Ben Hill County Code of Ethics
- Boards and Authorities Appointment Process
Need to get in touch with the County Clerk?
The County Manager is responsible to the Board of Commissioners for the proper and efficient administration of the affairs of Ben Hill County government.
Among his duties are the following:
- To ensure that the governing board's policies are carried out
- Assist in developing those policies and other goals
- Provide administrative leadership to the departments of county government
- Develop and present an annual budget
- Strive for efficiency, effectiveness and innovation in the delivery and funding of services
Need to get in touch with the County Manager?
O.D. Netter, Jr., Chairman
The DABHC's primary goal is to serve our community through a variety of services. Our office operates as a regional hub of information and support for the GA Appleseed Heir's Property Project, USDA StrikeForce Center, the Joint Land Bank, The Revolving Loan Fund and Economic Development. Our holistic approach to Economic Growth is a community wide effort and we look forward to working with you.
Ben Hill County has multiple organizations who missions encompass the growth of the county’s economy and the success of our business sector. While each entity has a different perspective, operates within a different structure, and leverages different resources, we work collaboratively to ensure that an individual or a company seeking business assistance is directed to the most relevant source. Resources such as the county's incentive programs and most overlooked tax credits.
More information is available on the Development Authority's website.
Need to get in touch with someone in the Development Authority's office?
Cindi Dunlap, Elections Supervisor & Chief Registrar
The Board of Elections provides the following services for Ben Hill County Residents
The Board of Elections registers all eligible citizens to vote, provides free voter IDs, and maintains districting maps for Ben Hill County and the City of Fitzgerald. We also conduct all Federal, State, and County-wide elections, maintain election results and uphold election laws regarding registration and voting.
To register to vote you must:
- Be a citizen of the United States
- Be a legal resident of the Ben Hill County
- Be at least 17 1/2 years of age to register and 18 years of age to vote
- Not be serving a sentence for conviction of a felony involving moral turpitude
- Have not been found mentally incompetent by a judge
Any registered VOTER with questions regarding their provisional ballots may contact your local elections office. You may also contact the Georgia Secretary of State's Office at 1-844-537-5375.
March 2023 Sample Ballot
You can access Election forms here: Election Forms
How-to Guide: Registering to Vote
To Check Your Provisional status:
Email: Elections@benhillcounty-ga.gov
Fax Number is (229)-922-0314
Toll Free Number is (888) 423-0314
