By Kaitlin Hoskins, News Editor
On Tuesday, December 19, the Etowah County Commission approved a measure to allow Chief Administration Officer Shane Ellison to finalize a three-year agreement with TextMyGov that will allow county officials to communicate with residents through texting.
Ellison said he was able to negotiate a 33 percent reduction in the monthly rate and a 50 percent cut in the setup fee.
TextMyGov could be used to remind people that their property taxes and boat and vehicle registrations are due, or that their driver’s licenses need to be renewed, as well as information on sudden changes to courthouse hours, but the program will not be used to disseminate weather information or updates.
Commissioner Jamie Grant stressed that it needs to be used solely for county government notifications, adding, “We want to make sure to use it properly, not where people will ignore it.”
Ellison said he doesn’t think that will be a problem, especially since the service will not be used to send out weather information or updates, as that is the duty of the Emergency Management Agency.
No set time-frame for when the program will start was given.