A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government , or capital city of a county or civil parish . The term is in use in five countries: Canada , China , Hungary , Romania , and the United States . An equivalent term, shire town , is used in the U.S. state of Vermont and in several other English-speaking jurisdictions.
41-461: Cordele is a city in and the county seat of Crisp County , Georgia . The population was 11,165 at the 2010 census , and 10,220 in 2020. Cordele calls itself the watermelon capital of the world. Cordele was incorporated on January 1, 1888, and named for Cordelia Hawkins, eldest daughter of Colonel Samuel Hawkins, the president of the Savannah, Americus and Montgomery Railway . In November 1864,
82-526: A Superior Court and Sheriff (as an officer of the court ), both located in a designated "shire town". Bennington County, Vermont has two shire towns; the court for "North Shire" is in the shire town Manchester , and the Sheriff for the county and court for "South Shire" are in the shire town Bennington. In 2024, Connecticut , which had not defined their counties for anything but statistical, historical and weather warning purposes since 1960, along with ending
123-638: A citizen of the United States , and a resident of Georgia for two years and their senatorial district for one year (preceding the election). The highest position in the Senate is the President of the Senate, a position currently held by Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones . The second-highest position is president pro tempore, currently held by Senator Butch Miller . As of February 2023 , the Georgia State Senate
164-410: A county seat may be an independent city surrounded by, but not part of, the county of which it is the administrative center; for example, Fairfax City is both the county seat of Fairfax County, Virginia and completely surrounded by Fairfax County, but the city is politically independent of the county. When the county seat is in the independent city, government offices such as the courthouse may be in
205-646: A county was the magistrate , who oversaw both the day-to-day operations of the county as well as civil and criminal cases. The current number of counties mostly resembled that of the later years of the Qing dynasty . Changes of location and names of counties in Chinese history have been a major field of research in Chinese historical geography, especially from the 1960s to the 1980s. There are 1,355 counties in Mainland China out of
246-544: A fertilizer factory, and other small manufacturing outfits. By August 1930, Cordele housed the Crisp County Hydroelectric System, the first county-owned electric system. Located on the Flint River , the hydroelectric plant continues to operate, and the resulting Lake Blackshear has attracted residents to its waterfront properties. On April 2, 1936 , a tornado struck Cordele, killing 23 people. Cordele
287-506: A fun and silly virtual trip to a small town in America each week, in which the hosts improvise scenes inspired by local newspaper stories. Cordele hosts an annual Watermelon Festival each June. In 1968 a Titan I missile was erected by the Rotary Club of Cordele at the intersection of I-75 and U.S. 280 East. Cordele is home to Crisp Motorsports Park , a 3/8-mile asphalt oval. It is home to
328-725: A middle school, and a high school. The district has 266 full-time teachers and over 4,337 students. The Cordele Inland Port is operated by a private company, Cordele Intermodal Services, which offers rail service via the Heart of Georgia Railroad and Georgia Central Railroad , from their rail ramp in Cordele to the Georgia Ports Authority in Savannah . Two class I railroads CSX and Norfolk Southern pass through Cordele. Shortline Railroad, Heart of Georgia currently interchanges with CSX in downtown Cordele. County seat In Canada ,
369-563: A three-fifths vote of the members in each chamber. Special sessions in Georgia may span a maximum of 40 days. The Georgia State Senate consists of 56 members, each representing a single-member legislative district of equal size with the others. State senators serve a term length of two years, with elections being held in even-numbered years. Senators officially assume their positions on the second Monday in January following their election. To serve in
410-568: A total of 2,851 county-level divisions. In Taiwan , the first counties were first established in 1661 by the Kingdom of Tungning . The later ruler Qing empire inherited this type of administrative divisions. With the increase of Han Chinese population in Taiwan, the number of counties also grew by time. By the end of Qing era, there were 11 counties in Taiwan. Protestant missionaries in China first romanized
451-593: Is a section of Middle Township , an incorporated municipality. In some states, often those that were among the original Thirteen Colonies , county seats include or formerly included "Court House" as part of their name, such as Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia . Most counties have only one county seat. However, some counties in Alabama , Arkansas , Georgia , Iowa , Kentucky , Massachusetts , Mississippi , Missouri , New Hampshire , New York , and Vermont have two or more county seats, usually located on opposite sides of
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#1732855848908492-403: Is located north of the center of Crisp County at 31°57′51″N 83°46′38″W / 31.96417°N 83.77722°W / 31.96417; -83.77722 (31.964178, -83.777277). U.S. Route 41 passes through the city as Seventh Street and leads north 9 miles (14 km) to Vienna and south 20 miles (32 km) to Ashburn . U.S. Route 280 (16th Avenue) crosses US 41 in the center of
533-607: Is subordinate to the state constitution, the United States Constitution , and federal law. Like most upper houses in the United States, the Senate has the exclusive power to confirm various appointments made by the Governor of Georgia , and to try cases of impeachment brought by the House. The Senate is often considered a springboard for those ultimately seeking higher office; all of the state's most recent governors have served in
574-607: The Georgia General Assembly , in the U.S. state of Georgia . The Georgia State Senate and the lower house of the General Assembly, the Georgia House of Representatives , comprise the bicameral legislature of the state. Together, the Senate and the House maintain authority under Article III. of the 1983 Constitution of Georgia to enact laws "necessary and proper for the welfare of the state", although state law
615-596: The Georgia State Senate , the City of Cordele is represented by Sen. Carden Summers . In the Georgia House of Representatives , the City of Cordele is represented by Rep. Noel Williams Jr. In the United States House of Representatives , the City of Cordele is represented by Rep. Sanford Bishop . To the west of Cordele town centre and located on Route 280 is the large Georgia Veterans State Park , which lies on
656-723: The People's Republic of China . Xian have existed since the Warring States period and were set up nationwide by the Qin dynasty . The number of counties in China proper gradually increased from dynasty to dynasty. As Qin Shi Huang reorganized the counties after his unification, there were about 1,000. Under the Eastern Han dynasty , the number of counties increased to above 1,000. About 1400 existed when
697-539: The Sui dynasty abolished the commandery level (郡 jùn), which was the level just above counties, and demoted some commanderies to counties. In Imperial China, the county was a significant administrative unit because it marked the lowest level of the imperial bureaucratic structure; in other words, it was the lowest level that the government reached. Government below the county level was often undertaken through informal non-bureaucratic means, varying between dynasties. The head of
738-438: The U.S. Census Bureau , Cordele has a total area of 10.2 square miles (26.5 km), of which 10.2 square miles (26.3 km) is land and 0.077 square miles (0.2 km), or 0.82%, is water. Cordele has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfa ), with mild winters and hot, humid summers. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 10,220 people, 3,874 households, and 2,453 families residing in
779-515: The United States , a county is an administrative or political subdivision of a state that consists of a geographic area with specific boundaries and usually some level of governmental authority. The city, town, or populated place that houses county government is known as the seat of its county. Generally, the county legislature, county courthouse, sheriff's department headquarters, hall of records, jail and correctional facility are located in
820-411: The provinces of Ontario , Quebec , New Brunswick , Prince Edward Island , and Nova Scotia have counties as an administrative division of government below the provincial level, and thus county seats. In the provinces of Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia the term "shire town" is used in place of county seat. County seats in China are the administrative centers of the counties in
861-727: The Senate include the President pro tempore (who is elected by all members of the Senate), as well as the Majority Leader, Majority Whip, and Majority Caucus Chair (each of whom are elected by the majority of what is currently the Republican caucus). The minority party is headed by the Minority Leader, who is elected by the minority party caucus. The current salary for state senators is $ 17,342. The Majority Leader and Minority Leader earn an additional $ 400 per month. The presiding officer of
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#1732855848908902-427: The Senate is the president of the Senate. A president pro tempore , usually a high-ranking member of the majority party, acts as president in case of the temporary disability of the president. In case of the death, resignation, or permanent disability of the President or in the event of the succession of the president to the executive power, the President pro tempore becomes President. The Senate also has as an officer,
943-562: The Senate, an individual must have attained the age of 25. The person must also be a qualified voter who has resided in the state of Georgia for at least two years. Unlike most states, senators are not required to have lived in their districts for a specific period of time before running. The formal President of the State Senate is the Lieutenant Governor of Georgia , who is elected statewide every four years. Other important figures in
984-596: The State Senate. The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly , with the lower house being the Georgia House of Representatives . Both bodies are constitutionally required to convene annually at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta . The General Assembly begins each yearly session on the second Monday in January. From that date of convention, sessions last for 40 legislative days. The General Assembly may call for special sessions by
1025-616: The annual pre-season race known as SpeedFest, which is sanctioned by the Champion Racing Association (CRA) organization and run in late January. The event features a 125-lap race for the CRA Jegs All-Star Tour (crate late models) and a 200-lap race for the ARCA/ CRA Super Series (super late models). The Crisp County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of four elementary schools,
1066-612: The area that is now Cordele served as the temporary capital of Georgia. During the last days of the Confederacy , Georgia's war governor Joseph E. Brown used his rural farmhouse to escape the wrath of Sherman's March to the Sea . During that time, the farmhouse, which Brown called "Dooly County Place," served as the official capital for only a few days. It was replaced in 1890 by the Suwanee Hotel, located in what became downtown Cordele. The hotel
1107-483: The city and leads east 29 miles (47 km) to Abbeville and west 31 miles (50 km) to Americus . Interstate 75 passes through the east side of the city, with access from exits 99, 101, and 102, and leads 65 miles (105 km) north to Macon and 103 miles (166 km) south to the Florida state line. State Route 300 leads from the south side of the city 37 miles (60 km) southwest to Albany . According to
1148-562: The city. Cordele has the unfortunate distinction of being one of the highest rated cities or towns with regards crime. With a Total Crime Index of 1 making it safer than only 1% of US cities. One's chance of becoming a victim of any crime here is one in fifteen in any given year. Five citizens of Cordele are elected to serve as the City Commissioners. The current Cordele City Commissioners are: Jeanie Bartee, Wesley Rainey, Royce Reeves, Vesta Beal Shephard, and Chairman John Wiggins In
1189-432: The county seat is the entire county. Ellicott City , the county seat of Howard County, Maryland , is the largest unincorporated county seat in the United States, followed by Towson , the county seat of Baltimore County, Maryland . Likewise, some county seats may not be incorporated in their own right, but are located within incorporated municipalities. For example, Cape May Court House, New Jersey , though unincorporated,
1230-491: The county seat, though some functions (such as highway maintenance, which usually requires a large garage for vehicles, along with asphalt and salt storage facilities) may also be located or conducted in other parts of the county, especially if it is geographically large. A county seat is usually an incorporated municipality . The exceptions include the county seats of counties that have no incorporated municipalities within their borders, such as Arlington County, Virginia , where
1271-420: The county. Examples include Harrison County, Mississippi , which has both Biloxi and Gulfport as county seats, and Hinds County, Mississippi , which has both Raymond and the state capital of Jackson . The practice of multiple county seat towns dates from the days when travel was difficult. There have been few efforts to eliminate the two-seat arrangement, since a county seat is a source of civic pride for
Cordele, Georgia - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-495: The eastern edge of Lake Blackshear. This facility includes campgrounds, a resort hotel, and a golf course. There are also interesting displays of preserved military aircraft and helicopters and army tanks and other fighting vehicles. These displays are open to public viewing during daylight hours Cordele was featured in the eighteenth episode of the Small Town News Podcast, an improv comedy podcast that takes listeners on
1353-611: The independent city under an agreement, such as in Albemarle , or may in be enclaves of the county surrounded by the independent city, such as in Fairfax . Others, such as Prince William , have the courthouse in an enclave surrounded by the independent city and have the county government, the Board of Supervisors, in a different part of the county, far from the county seat. The following counties have their county seat in an independent city: Bedford
1394-475: The secretary of the Senate. As of January 2023 , the majority and minority leadership is as follows: According to the state constitution of 1983, this body is to be composed of no more than 56 members elected for two-year terms. Current state law provides for 56 members. Elections are held the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years. Senators must be at least 25 years old,
1435-764: The state's area, has no borough government or borough seat. One borough, the Lake and Peninsula Borough , has its borough seat located in another borough, namely King Salmon in Bristol Bay Borough . In Louisiana , which is divided into parishes rather than counties, county seats are referred to as "parish seats". In New England , counties have served mainly as dividing lines for the states' judicial systems. Rhode Island has no county level of government and thus no county seats, and Massachusetts has dissolved many but not all of its county governments. In Vermont , Massachusetts , and Maine county government consists only of
1476-570: The term as hien . When Taiwan became a Japanese colony in 1895, the hierarchy of divisions also incorporated into the Japanese system in the period when Taiwan was under Japanese rule. By September 1945, Taiwan was divided into 8 prefectures ( 州 and 廳 ), which remained after the Republic of China took over. There are 13 county seats in Taiwan, which function as county-administered cities , urban townships , or rural townships . In most of
1517-416: The towns involved, along with providing employment opportunities. There are 33 counties with multiple county seats in 11 states: Alaska is divided into boroughs rather than counties; the county seat in these case is referred to as the "borough seat"; this includes six consolidated city-borough governments (one of which is styled as a "municipality"). The Unorganized Borough, Alaska , which covers 49% of
1558-607: The use of county seats in particular, will fully transition with the permission of the United States Census Bureau to a system of councils of government for the purposes of boundary definition and as county equivalents. Two counties in South Dakota , Oglala Lakota and Todd , have their county seat and government services centered in a neighboring county. Their county-level services are provided by Fall River County and Tripp County , respectively. In Virginia ,
1599-415: Was an independent city from 1968 to 2013, while also being the county seat of Bedford County . Bedford reverted to an incorporated town, and remains the county seat, though is now part of the county. The state with the most counties is Texas, with 254, and the state with the fewest counties is Delaware, with 3. Georgia State Senate Minority The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of
1640-514: Was destroyed by a fire in late 1994 and was rebuilt. Cordele was founded in 1888 by J.E.D. Shipp of Americus . The town was located at the junction of two major railroads – the Savannah, Americus & Montgomery line, and the Georgia Southern & Florida . As the railroads brought more people and business to the newly settled territory, Cordele experienced phenomenal growth. Before 1905 Cordele
1681-518: Was located in southern Dooly County , 9 miles (14 km) from the county seat in Vienna . With Cordele's continued progress, many in the community felt the need for a seat of government to be closer than Vienna. Crisp County was formed in 1905 by taking a portion of southern Dooly County, and Cordele became its county seat. By 1915, Cordele was home to several industries including an ice-making plant, mills for processing cotton products into cloth and oil,