Hall County Board of Commissioners Chairman Richard “Dick” Mecum resided over his last commission meeting on Thursday.
Mecum, who had previously served as Hall County Sheriff from 1980-1992, says the reason he ran for the office of Hall County Commission Chairman was because he wanted to get the county’s finances straightened out.
“The thing that I found was (Hall County) spending too much money, too much debt,” Mecum said. “And so basically we just reduced the spending.
“People knew, people in Hall County knew there was something seriously wrong. The county was in a really bad financial position, but they didn’t understand what it was or what taking place and that’s pretty much what I heard when I was running for this four years ago.”
According to Mecum, the debt in Hall County went from $7.5 million in 2006-07 to $75 million in 2011-12.
Under Mecum, the county has paid off $20 million of that debt which has led to a substantial increase in Hall County’s financial rating with S&P.
Mecum has also turned the landfill, recycling center and South Hall sewer system, which were all previously losing money, into money-making entities for the county.
Apart from his time as Hall County Sheriff and Commission Chairman, Mecum served as U.S. Marshall for the Northern District of Georgia from 2002 to 2010 and carried a top security clearance from the FBI.
He earned his Bachelor's in Business Administration from the University of Georgia and went on to earn his Master's in Public Administration from Brenau University. Prior to college, Richard served as a Quartermaster and Signalman in the U.S. Navy.
“The citizens of this county have elected me to four different terms,” said Mecum referring to his three terms as sheriff and one as commission chair. “And I really do appreciate that.”
A small reception was held in Mecum’s honor before Thursday’s Hall County Board of Commissioners meeting.
Mecum says he has no immediate desire to pursue any further political endeavors. He plans to spend more time with his family of which he has eight children and 13 grandchildren as well as to explore some of his hobbies.
“I do enjoy reading,” Mecum said.
