SAVANNAH, Ga. () — Dozens gathered to watch as nine members of the Chatham County Board of Commissioners and Chatham County coroner, David Campbell, were sworn in on Thursday.

Chatham County Commission Chairman Chester Ellis swore in to his second term during the inauguration ceremony. He highlighted the commission’s accomplishments over the last four years.

“From January 1, 2021, until January 2nd, 2025, this commission has brought in this county $1.7 billion,” Ellis said.

Now, Ellis is looking ahead to the board’s goals for the next four years.

“We’ll be building a brand-new emergency operations center,” he said. “In that operations center, we will be purchasing a 911 center.  We will be purchasing the up-to-date equipment that will help us to answer all of the 911 calls.”

Another priority included adding additional fire hydrants in Chatham County. Ellis said the goal is to get every house within 1,000 feet of a hydrant.

“And the reason that came about is because there was a fire out on Chevis Road and the closest fire hydrant was a mile and a half away,” he said. “So, you know what happened to that house.”

The commission has also partnered with the City of Port Wentworth and Habitat for Humanity to purchase 18 acres of land.

“And of that 18 acres of land, 11 acres, we will build housing so that we can put in workforce housing that is now obtainable for the workers here,” Ellis said.

Out of the first 600 workers hired at the Bryan County Hyundai Plant, Ellis said 347 are Chatham County residents. He said that this is just the beginning of what lies ahead for the county

“We’re going to get there by working together,” Ellis said. “Together we stand, divided we fall.”

The first commission meeting of the year will take place on Jan. 10 at 9:30 a.m.