McDuffie County Board to consider $2 million school gym renovation award; recent meetings await minutes
McDuffie County residents have several government meetings to track this week, with the most consequential item coming up July 21 when the Board of Commissioners considers awarding $2 million for a school gymnasium renovation funded through the CDBG-DR program.
None of the county's recent committee and board meetings have published minutes yet, so outcomes from those sessions are not available. What follows is based on the published agendas.
Board of Commissioners — July 21
The Board of Commissioners has the busiest upcoming agenda. Items scheduled for discussion or action include:
- **Award of $2 million for CDBG-DR school gymnasium renovation** — the largest dollar item on any current agenda.
- **Variance application for 3630 Bethany Court, Dearing** (parcel 0065D031, R-2 zoning) to allow construction of a storage structure on a parcel without an existing primary structure. The Planning Commission took up the same variance request at its July 7 meeting; minutes from that session are not yet published.
- **Temporary one-day alcohol license** for the 32nd Annual Blind Willie McTell Festival.
- **Use of Government Center Grounds** for the Camellia City Festival on Oct. 24, 2026.
- **Verida DHS Subcontractor Agreement for FY27.**
Rock House Preservation Advisory Committee — July 7
This committee met to discuss old and new business. Agenda items included parcels for acquisition, a road update, an RFP, and a grant submittal. No minutes have been published, so it is not yet known what actions were taken on any of these items.
Planning Commission — July 7
The Planning Commission's only new business item was the variance request for 3630 Bethany Court in Dearing, the same item now appearing on the July 21 Board of Commissioners agenda. The parcel is zoned R-2. Minutes are not yet published.
Land Bank Authority — July 9
The Land Bank Authority was scheduled to approve meeting minutes from May 14, 2026, and review May and June bank statements. The agenda also included an update on funding, with no specifics provided, and an update on tax properties — none were reported. No property sales or acquisitions were listed.
Board of Assessors — July 10
The Board of Assessors was scheduled to consider several property assessment and exemption items, including:
- A homestead exemption recommendation retroactive to 2025, pertaining to James Bridges.
- Approval of the WinGAP 2026-2027 annual membership invoice.
- Conservation use land values approval list.
- Forest Land Protection Act land use values approval list.
- 2026 real property notice of assessment approval list.
Minutes are not yet published, so it is not known which items were approved.
Coming up
- **July 21 — Board of Commissioners:** The $2 million CDBG-DR school gymnasium renovation award and the 3630 Bethany Court variance are the items most likely to affect residents directly. The meeting also covers festival licensing and grounds use for community events later this year.
Residents seeking confirmed outcomes from the July 7, 9, and 10 meetings should watch for published minutes, which were not available as of this report.