City of Ball Ground

What City of Ball Ground does

The City of Ball Ground is a municipal government entity incorporated in 1882 in Cherokee County, Georgia, located on the northern edge of the Atlanta metropolitan area. It serves approximately 3,500 residents and local businesses through core public services including water and sewer utilities, solid waste collection, police protection, parks and recreation, building permits and inspections, business licensing, planning and zoning, and municipal court services. The City is governed by an elected Mayor (currently Dennis Nelson) and a six-member City Council, with day-to-day operations managed by City Manager Palmer Rogers; the organization employs between 11 and 50 people and operates out of City Hall at 215 Valley Street.

The City's revenue model is diversified across tax and fee streams typical of small municipalities: an operational property tax millage rate of 5.0 mills (raised from 4.707 mills in July 2020), a 5% franchise fee on cable/video gross revenues, monthly water/sewer/sanitation service charges, a $4.00 monthly stormwater utility fee, a 3.483-mill fire district tax remitted to Cherokee County, business occupation tax certificates, and a range of one-time building, planning, and zoning fees. The FY 2020-2021 operating budget totals $3,732,040, with $1,932,419 in cash on deposit as of May 2020. The City also secures external capital through grants and loans, including a $425,000 GEFA Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan and a $100,000 Georgia DNR reimbursement grant for the Roberts Lake land conservation project.

On the technology side, the City operates a GIS-based mapping portal on the ArcGIS platform (ballground.maps.arcgis.com), an online water billing system via JustInter, online citation payment through ezcourtpay, a RecDesk-based community facility reservation portal, and the It's My Town mobile app for resident notifications and concern reporting. Building inspections are delivered through a third-party contract with SAFEbuilt Georgia, LLC, and GIS services are supported under a three-year agreement with InterDev. Strategic service delivery is structured through intergovernmental agreements with Cherokee County (fire services, code enforcement, inmate housing, elections, E-911), Cherokee County Water and Sewer Authority (industrial pre-treatment enforcement), and the Georgia Municipal Association (vehicle leasing).

Name

City of Ball Ground

Legal name

City of Ball Ground, Georgia

Website

https://cityofballground.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1882

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The City of Ball Ground is a municipal government in Cherokee County, Georgia, serving approximately 3,500 residents and local businesses with core public services including water and sewer utilities, police, parks, building permits, and business licensing, funded by property taxes, utility fees, and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Government Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIACAF

Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Local/Municipal Government Administration

SECONDARYBPAIACAI

Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Local/Municipal Government Administration

SECONDARYBPAIACAE

Planning, Zoning, Permitting & Code Enforcement

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Local/Municipal Government Administration

Keywords

• Municipal government services
• Water and sewer utilities
• Parks and recreation services
• Building permits and inspections
• Business licensing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Ball Ground

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Taxes: Operational property tax millage rate of 5.0 mills for general city operations
2. Franchise Fees: 5% franchise fee on cable and video service gross revenues from state franchise holders
3. Utility Service Fees: Water, sewer, and sanitation services billed monthly; stormwater utility fee of $4.00 per month
4. Business Licenses: Occupation Tax Certificates for new and existing businesses
5. Building and Planning Fees: Various fees for building permits, inspections, rezoning, variances, annexations, and plan reviews
6. Fire Tax: 3.483 mill fire district tax collected and remitted to Cherokee County for fire services

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The City of Ball Ground provides core municipal services to approximately 3,500 residents and local businesses within its jurisdiction, including water and sewer utilities, solid waste collection, police protection, parks and recreation (notably Roberts Lake Park), building permits and inspections, business licensing, and municipal court services. The City supplements physical services with digital channels such as the official "It's My Town" mobile application, online water bill payment, GIS-based city maps, and the RecDesk facility reservation portal.

Product overview

City of Ball Ground is a municipal government entity providing core public services including water and sewer utilities, police protection, parks and recreation facilities, building permits and inspections, business licensing, and municipal court services. The city operates city hall, community centers, sports fields, and manages public infrastructure including Roberts Lake Park and trail systems. The city provides digital services through its official mobile app (It's My Town), online bill payment portals, and GIS mapping tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water and Sewer Services Municipal water distribution and wastewater collection services provided to city residents and businesses, with monthly billing, service applications, and automatic draft options.
• Police Department Services Municipal law enforcement including patrol, investigations, community policing, and animal control delivered via agreement with Cherokee County.
• Parks and Recreation Operation and maintenance of city parks including Roberts Lake Park with hiking trails, Calvin Farmer Park, sports fields, tennis and pickleball courts, and community events.
• Building Permits and Inspections Issuance of building permits, plan reviews, and inspection services delivered in partnership with SAFEbuilt Georgia, LLC following the 2020 outsourcing of inspection operations.
• Business Licensing (Occupation Tax Certificate) Issuance and renewal of business licenses and occupation tax certificates for new and existing commercial establishments operating within city limits.
• It's My Town Mobile App Official city mobile application that lets residents view city events, receive notifications, report concerns to city officials, and access city information.
• Online Bill Payment Web-based portal for viewing and paying water bills through JustInter.net and citations through ezcourtpay.com.
• City Maps (GIS Portal) Interactive geographic information system mapping portal providing spatial data, city maps, and planning information to staff and the public.
• RecDesk Community Portal Online reservation platform for booking city facilities such as the community center and parks, including for veteran memorial brick purchases.

Quantifiable outcome

• Roberts Lake Park trail system completed and opened
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cherokee County Marshal's OfficecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 11 June 2020Municipal Services Agreement for code enforcement services within city limits. City adopted Cherokee County Building and Animal ordinances to enable enforcement.
• American National Red CrossminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 June 2020Facility Use Agreement allowing Red Cross to use City Community Center and City Gym as emergency shelter during disasters.
• Cherokee County Board of CommissionerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2020CDBG Cooperation Agreement for community development block grant activities covering fiscal years 2021-2023 (October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2023) with automatic renewal.
• Cherokee Multi-Agency Narcotics SquadminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 November 2019City participates in Memorandum of Understanding for joint narcotics enforcement operations with Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.
• Cherokee Office of Economic DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 August 2019Annual funding agreement with annual payment of $5,000 plus $1,000 GIS contribution to Cherokee Office of Economic Development on February 1 each year.
• InterDevcoreTechnology or Integration · 8 August 20193-year GIS services agreement with 4% annual escalator: Year 1 $29,120, Year 2 $30,285, Year 3 $31,496. Also engaged for Stormwater Utility Data Collection Project at $20,175.
• Cherokee County Board of CommissionerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 August 2019Multiple intergovernmental agreements including: Service Delivery Strategy Agreement, Fire Services Agreement, Inmate Housing Agreement, MHz Radio System Agreement, Elections Agreement, and Code Enforcement through County Marshal's Office.
• Cherokee County Water and Sewer Authority (CCWSA)coreTechnology or Integration · 8 August 2019Agreement for CCWSA to perform Industrial Pre-treatment Inspection and Compliance Enforcement for city's sewage system. Also service area map agreement for water and sewer service delivery.
• Georgia Municipal Association (GMA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 11 July 2019GMA Direct Leasing Program used for vehicle purchases (2019 Ford F-250, 2020 Ford Explorer Police Vehicle, electronic message board). Provides competitive leasing rates for city equipment.
• Mauldin & Jenkins, LLCcoreOthers · 10 January 2019City auditor providing annual financial audit services. Issued unmodified 'clean opinion' audit report for year ended June 30, 2019.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• City of Dawsonville, Georgia: Dawson County seat in the north Georgia foothills; provides comparable municipal services and is similar in scale and growth profile to Ball Ground.
• City of Cumming, Georgia: Forsyth County municipal government in the north-metro Atlanta area; provides the same municipal service suite and is comparable in regional economic context, though larger in population.
• City of Jasper, Georgia: Pickens County seat in the same north-metro Atlanta foothills region, offering the same core municipal service set; comparable as a similarly-sized regional peer serving a rural-to-suburban community.
• City of Canton, Georgia: Cherokee County seat and largest city in the county, providing similar municipal services (utilities, police, planning, parks) to a substantially larger population; directly comparable as a neighboring municipal government in the same regulatory and economic environment.
• City of Milton, Georgia: North Fulton County municipal government serving a similar north-metro Atlanta foothill community; comparable in service mix (utilities, public safety, parks) and growth dynamics.

Direct peers

• City of Holly Springs, Georgia: Cherokee County city offering comparable municipal services including water/sewer, police, parks and recreation, and building permits; serves as a directly comparable small-city peer in the same county.
• City of Woodstock, Georgia: Cherokee County municipal government providing the same suite of core services (utilities, public works, police, planning/zoning, parks); comparable in service scope and growth-stage dynamics, though larger in scale.
• City of Nelson, Georgia: Small adjacent city in Cherokee County providing core municipal services including utilities, planning, and public safety; directly comparable as a neighboring small-municipality peer.
• City of Waleska, Georgia: Small Cherokee County city providing comparable core municipal services to a similarly small population; directly comparable as a small-town Georgia municipal peer.

Others

• Cherokee County Government: The county government with which the City has multiple intergovernmental agreements (fire services, code enforcement, CDBG, elections, planning); relevant as the principal partner/overlapping jurisdiction rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BallGround
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cityofballground

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about City of Ball Ground