Culprit(s) responsible for damaged sign at entrance to Habersham government campus still at large

The investigation into the damage to a portion of the Habersham County sign at the corner of Jacob’s Way and Toccoa Highway continues.

The sign was damaged overnight Friday, and the damaged part was “temporarily removed Saturday morning for evaluation and repair,” county spokesman Rob Moore said Saturday.

Monday morning a statement was issued by commission chairman Ty Akins in which he provided new information on the damage while decrying what happened.

Aikins said the sign “had been tagged with spray paint (and those) responsible for the damage used an expletive regarding taxes and also took aim at one of our county commissioners. It is a sad day in our county when someone protesting taxes causes damage to a sign purchased and maintained with tax money.”

‘As commissioners, each of the five of us speaks and votes our conscience in what we believe is best for our citizens,” the statement continues. “We don’t always agree, but we do respect each other. We work together and communicate regularly to try and make the best decisions we can. This senseless act is completely out of line and something we as a community should condemn.”

The county still does not have a cost estimate for repairing the sign but expects to have one this week once it’s determined whether it can be repaired of if replacement parts will be required.

Anyone with information about those responsible for the damage is asked to call the sheriff’s office tip line at (706) 839-0525.

(Habersham County picture showing the sign as it appeared late Saturday afternoon after the damaged portion had been removed.”