PEARSON, Ga. (WALB) – The City of Pearson has decided to hand over the water and sewer system to Atkinson County.

The takeover is effective immediately.

City Attorney Jerome Adam says the agreement went through multiple revisions, with several agencies involved, and was ultimately in the best interest of the city.

“When everybody works together, the citizens win, because the people of Pearson also live in Atkinson County. This is a good thing for everybody,” he said.

The county will hold an emergency called meeting on Thursday, Sept. 4, to pass a resolution for the county takeover of Pearson’s water and sewer system.

Repeated boil water advisories have plagued the city, prompting state and county leaders to draft a proposal that would put the county in charge of repairs and operations.

The decision was made at a 6 p.m. city council meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 3, to discuss the proposal.

Pearson has been ineligible for state funding due to missing financial audits dating back to the 2019 fiscal year. A county takeover would unlock immediate access to state funds for critical repairs.

“We have to wash my child’s hair with bottled water because he is bad about ingesting it, and we’re just not going to risk it,” said Amy Morris, Pearson resident.

With audits incomplete since 2019, residents question where the city’s money is going. Amy recalls when her grandfather, former Mayor Ellis Morris, published financials in the paper to provide transparency.

“It gave an account of all the city accounts, their balances, their debts, their disbursements, everything that came out of the account is all located here in this spreadsheet,” Amy said.

Pearson’s water and sewer system first broke ground in 1998 under the leadership of former Mayor Ellis Morris. The system carries his name, and residents say he would be disappointed in how it’s been mishandled, urging the city to turn it over to the county before it’s too late.

“It isn’t reflective of the people that live here. It wasn’t his reflection of his vision for Pearson, and it’s just not in great condition. He will be very disappointed because it was a big accomplishment for the City of Pearson,” Amy said.

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