Union County Government
Union County was created on Dec. 3, 1832, and is governed by a sole County Commissioner, who is elected county-wide and serves a four-year term. The Commissioner serves on a full-time basis and supervises all non-elected County Departments. For more information on Union County Government and Departments visit www.unioncountyga.gov/home.htm.
City of Blairsville Government
The City of Blairsville is governed by a Mayor and five-person City Council, each who are elected city wide and serve staggered two-year terms. The Mayor is elected by city-wide voters and works part-time. All City Council members serve on a part-time basis.
The County Commissioner and the City Council hold regular meetings as follows:
Union County is served with robust, redundant and reliable fiber optic networks that provide outstanding broadband capabilities for technology-oriented business. IT services available locally include wireless Internet (802.11x),
fiber-optic (Ethernet & SONET), DSL, various levels of broadband
(T-1, T-3, etc.), and dial-up. Union County boasts multiple
Certificated Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs) providing middle-mile
transport.Strong last-mile Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
operate within the footprint of Union County. Most of these networks can deliver
VoIP, IPTV and other IT-based products. Union County providers offer
middle-mile transport via redundant underground fiber to multiple POPs
including Atlanta (56 Marietta), Chattanooga, Charlotte, and others.
• BalsamWest FiberNET, LLC
is a middle-mile transport provider offering open access to its
underground, redundant fiber-optic (SONET) network with connectivity to
several major southeastern POPs and multiple ISPs. BalsamWest is a
privately-held company owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
and Drake Enterprises offering data transport at Atlanta and
Washington, D.C. metro pricing schedules.
• Blue Ridge Mountain EMC.NET is a major local Internet Service Provider
(ISP) operating fiber-optic (underground and redundant), DSL, wireless (802.11x), and dial-up ne
tworks, and offering bundled middle and last-mile Internet services.
• Windstream Communications (see "Landline" section above.)
Other companies provide dial-up Internet service in the Union County area including Dnet and PeoplePC.
Electric Power
Electric power is distributed in Union County by the Blue Ridge Mountain Electric Membership Corporation,
with headquarters in Young Harris, 9 miles east of Blairsville. Blue
Ridge Mountain EMC is a Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) distributor
covering a 1,150 square-mile service area which includes three counties
in north Georgia and two counties in western North Carolina. Blue Ridge
Mountain EMC is constantly expanding, committed to quality, low-cost
electric service and offers a full range of electrical engineering and
industrial energy management programs.
Water
A site within Union County could be served by one of two primary water systems:
Sewer
Sewer service is available within the City of Blairsville. Capacity is 0.4 MGD, expanding to 1.0 MGD.
Wireless (Cellular)
Excellent Wireless (cell) telephone service is available from either AT&T or Verizon Wireless
throughout the Blue Ridge, Blairsville, Young Harris, and Hiawassee
area. Numerous cellular towers serve customers in the area. Both
providers operate sales outlets across the region.
Landline
Landline telephone service for Union County is provided by Windstream Communications, which offers direct-dial digital service and a DMS 100 switch located in Blairsville. Windstream Communications offers trained service technicians to maintain almost any business system sold. Windstream Communications cooperates with all other long-lines systems. Trunks and other facilities are available upon request.
