Living Jackson Magazine

A legend in her own right

By Kelli Teresa O'Clare

When it comes to dedication to community and pure “tell it like it is” attitude, there is one name that consistently tops the list in the realm of Jackson County government: Jackson County Board of Commissioners (BOC) Chairman Pat Bell.

Known for her fire for getting things done and being totally unafraid to serve up a good dose of honesty, Bell’s history with the people of Jackson County and leadership of the BOC have made her something of a legend in her own right.

Married to Jefferson High School science teacher John Bell; mother to one son, Greg Bell; and proud grandmother to Hannah Bell, Bell is invested in this community both personally and politically. Therefore, Bell was well versed in the goings-on of Jackson County before becoming chairman of the BOC.

She spent 23 of her 30 years with the University of Georgia Extension Service as director in Jackson County, becoming only the second woman ever to serve as county extension director. As such, she dealt with issues such as the organization of 38 4-H programs for the county, acted as the county home economics director, and also was recognized for her work with the Statewide Beautification Program, helping make our county the beautiful place we live in and enjoy today.

In fact, Bell attributes her love for this county and determination to make it better to the community interaction she experienced through the extension service.

“I love this area, and I feel like I’ve raised half the kids in this county,” Bell said. “I’ve learned so much from all of the children I have worked with.”

Her experience with the community led Bell to become more involved with government. After her first term as a Jackson County BOC commissioner ended in 2000, she ran and won as state representative. She lost the 2002 election, and decided she was out of politics. However, as the 2004 election approached, Bell recognized that things were not as they should be.

“I got mad,” she said.

Having worked with the youth of this area for some 30-plus years, Bell said she was not happy with the direction the county seemed to be moving in. So, knowing the way to fix her unease was to jump in and get involved, she ran for chairman of the BOC and won with 80 percent of the vote.

Perhaps the largest adjustment she made upon assuming the office was the instigation of a more open government, an attempt to unify the group and get as many citizens as possible involved in county government. On a more concrete level, she was instrumental in the first talks about roads from Braselton to Commerce paralleling I-85, and is proud to say the first, and largest, change she set her sights on was the revamping of the county budget.

In her years of working as a state representative and county commissioner, Bell had established a reputation for fiscal accountability. She was part of the BOC that was responsible for getting Jackson County out of debt and also helping the county to enjoy the lowest tax rate in the state at that time. As state representative, she helped provide tax relief for the people of Georgia and understood the responsibility she held as a steward of the taxpayers’ money.

“The way I figure it, the citizens of Jackson County put me here to include them as much as possible and to spend their money as wisely as possible,” Bell said.

And it’s that awareness of her role and her responsibility that has made Pat Bell an asset to the Jackson County community, not only from a governing standpoint, but also as a member of this area. Her community service has been recognized on both the local and national level, resulting in an impressive list of awards.

That list of awards includes the Extension Service National Distinguished Service Award, the Chamber Community Leadership Award, the UGA Community Public Service Award, and being honored as a UGA Kellogg Fellow, to list a few.

She helped organize such local and regional events as Agriculture Day, Teachers’ Day, Children’s Day and Vet Day. She was instrumental in creating the local Regional Evening School and the Mentoring Program and served on the board of directors of the Jackson County Boys and Girls Club.

Among the many awards and staggering lists of achievements, one stands out more clearly among the rest for Bell: the cleaning up and restoration of Hurricane Shoals.

What today is a beautiful, peaceful natural water park was neither in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Instead of the family picnic and recreation center it now is, some people misused the shoals by dumping refuse and creating hazards.

With the help of local volunteers Bell undertook a massive clean-up project to clear the shoals of debris and make it the beautiful park we have today.

Scott Buffington, a longtime resident of Jefferson and one of the young 4-H volunteers who helped Bell with the cleanup, said that dozens of dump trucks were sent from the shoals full of trash that had been cleaned from the area. Since then, Hurricane Shoals has been recognized as one of our finest county parks and is a source of joy for many.

Throughout her career as a public servant Bell has been active in helping stop private landfills and private sewer systems. She is also focusing on the future by trying to solve the problem of a new solid waste disposal contract now, even though the current contract is only in its eleventh year of a 20-year agreement. Bell said this issue of waste disposal is of utmost relevance to our growing county as each community member generates an estimated seven pounds of trash per day.

Also looking ahead, Bell said four other main issues will be the focus of the Board’s efforts: the current transportation plan will be revised, the I-85 parallel roads will continue to be expanded to benefit the growth of industry, another water source will be investigated, and the county government and BOC will continue working closely with the Chamber on economic development.

But for now, Pat Bell’s run as our County BOC chairman is improving the county. She has proven to be every bit as candid and genuine as she promised, and her veracity has become the standard she is known for. Self-effacing to a fault, she constantly deflects self-recognition despite the long list of accomplishments to her name, and lets herself be defined by her actions rather than self-promotion.

“I’ve never been good at all of this promotion and speaking about myself. If you really want to know about me, don’t ask me. Talk to the people who know me and who have worked with me,” she said.

So we’ll let her actions and one of those who know her best speak for her.

“I’ve known her as a student, and I’ve known her through our mutual community service, and I can honestly say she’s one of the top four or five people in community service to Jackson County,” Buffington said. “She cares so much and is doing a terrific job.”

Kelli O’Clare, a senior majoring in journalism at UGA, is the circulation assistant at the Jefferson Library.