Forward Rabun moves Ahead

Forward Rabun is one step closer to becoming a reality.  At their recent meeting, the Rabun County Board of Commissioners approved first reading of an ordinance to establish Forward Rabun, which would consolidate the Development Authority of Rabun County, the Rabun County Chamber of Commerce, and the Tourism Development Authority.  Rabun County Attorney Allen Stockton gives details. “Forward Rabun is basically what they are looking at putting all of the Development Authority, the Chamber, and the Tourism Development Authority under, kind of one, umbrella and getting them working in one direction instead of having three independent bodies that were not always necessarily on the same track.  The ordinance that we had the first reading on, I guess it is really a misnomer to call it Forward Rabun because it is basically just a revamping of an ordinance we already have on the books for the hotel and motel taxes. The reason we call Forward Rabun is that they will handle that. The hotel and motel tax has to be spent on tourism and development. The ordinance that we are doing is just how that is collected, the method by which it is collected, and the amount that is collected.  We’ve already got that actually on the books, this is just kind of a better mousetrap, we’re just trying to build a better mousetrap.” The plan is to house the new Forward Rabun in the recently renovated building on Highway 441 South. The Rabun County Board of Commissioners will hold a second reading on the ordinance at their next meeting later this month.