Bulloch County Commissioners have once again voted to challenge a proposed annexation of private property into the City of Statesboro, marking the third such objection since 2023. However, for the second time, the county's challenge has been derailed by a failure to submit the necessary paperwork within the required timeframe.
The latest annexation proposal involves approximately 102 acres off Old Register Road and Highway 301 South, slated for a significant residential development featuring 1,100 student and family housing units. Citing concerns over traffic congestion and strain on infrastructure, the Bulloch County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution objecting to the annexation at its June 17, 2025 meeting. The objection was filed under Georgia law (O.C.G.A. 36-36-113) and drew upon input from the Bulloch County Board of Education, which has expressed worries about the increased burden on school capacity and associated costs.
According to a letter from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) addressed to Bulloch County Chairman David Bennett and Statesboro Mayor Jonathan McCollar, the county's petition for annexation arbitration was deemed incomplete due to missing documentation verifying the delivery of the notice of annexation and objection.
Crucially, the DCA pointed out that the county's complete petition for arbitration was not received until June 30, 2025, past the 45-day deadline following the county's initial receipt of the city's annexation notice on May 12, 2025. While the county did submit additional information after being notified of the incomplete petition, the DCA stated that this occurred after the statutory deadline.
"The untimely submission of a complete petition for annexation arbitration renders the request for arbitration void," the letter from Juli Yoder at the DCA stated, effectively ending the county's attempt to challenge this particular annexation through the state's arbitration process.
This marks the second time Bulloch County has seen its annexation challenge rejected due to procedural errors. In April of 2023, the county challenged the annexation of a Bel-Air project, a proposed $40 million development on Beasley Road. That challenge was also dismissed by the DCA due to a failure to receive necessary strikes from all involved parties within the allotted time.
Adding to the history of annexation disputes, there was also a prior instance where a proposed annexation for the Burkhalter Villager, a 714-acre development, was avoided altogether when the developer and property owner rescinded their annexation request after the county commission voted to challenge the annexation in August 2024.
The repeated challenges and procedural setbacks highlight the ongoing tensions between Bulloch County Commissioners and the City of Statesboro regarding the annexation of unincorporated land for development. While the county consistently raises concerns about the impact on infrastructure, schools, and traffic, navigating the state's annexation arbitration process has proven to be a hurdle.
According to Dal Cannady, Bulloch County Communication Director there will be an action item on the Commission agenda for their Tuesday, July 15, 2025 meeting to formally withdraw the counties objection. With this turn of events the path appears clear for the City of Statesboro to move forward with the process.
