Keeping a sizeable county running smoothly requires a lot of forethought, proactivity and careful planning. When our residents see things happening in Bryan County - transportation improvements, new buildings, public amenities upgrades, etc. - those projects have all been in the works for years before the public sees the plans in motion.
As county leaders, we must anticipate many things, including - but not limited to - population growth, residents’ needs, necessary updates and expansions, the addition of facilities as well as new and improved roads, and other new infrastructure. Those are things that must be thought about, budgeted and planned for, and solidified years before they actually come to fruition. Because of that, there’s always a lot of activity going on behind the scenes that most residents don’t learn of until years later. Basically, we strive to be proactive, not reactive.
This can be a tedious process, as it’s tough to predict with 100 percent accuracy what Bryan County will look like 5, 10 or even 20 years down the road. But trying to envision it and manage the growth is what will ensure our residents still want to live here two decades from now.
In order to do this, it takes a very dedicated team, and we’re proud that Bryan County’s has one of the best. Our department heads are highly qualified, well-trained and prepared to do what it takes to keep our county moving in the right direction. They make things look easy, but I can assure you, running a county is far from simple. Our staff deserves much of the credit for how smoothly the government of Bryan County runs. Issues are often tackled and squared away before the public is even aware an issue has arisen.
Our staffers come from diverse backgrounds and have worked around the nation, honing their skills and fine tuning their abilities, which has benefited us greatly. Our department heads undergo rigorous training and most hold advanced degrees, such as master’s, doctorate’s and even law degrees. Their education comes in very handy when cultivating complex, multifaceted projects, such the Unified Development Ordinance, which we expect to implement soon. It has been several years in the making but will all be worth it when the plan is in place and, by determining how the local landscape develops, we can ensure the continuation of wellc ontrolled, organizational growth in the community.
We certainly are leaps and bounds ahead of where Bryan County was even 10 years ago. Things have advanced and improved at an impressive pace, and we’re not expecting this trend to fade any time soon. Our county has a bright future and it’s not purely by happenstance. Years of exceptional planning and anticipation have us in a great spot right now, and we intend to keep on moving in this positive direction as long as folks want to call Bryan County home.
Infinger is chairman of the Bryan County Commission.