How the city works · Gilmer County
Ellijay Government
Ellijay is a mayor-council city: an elected mayor and a five-member city council run the city, with city hall at 197 North Main Street. The county layer is a three-member board of commissioners that governs all of Gilmer County from Ellijay.
The public meetings are the fastest way to understand both layers, and both post their agendas ahead of time.
The city
A mayor-council city
The council
- Five council members, elected by ward and at large, set policy and pass the city budget.
- The council meets on a regular public calendar the city posts.
- Council seats are part-time; the mayor and council set policy, the clerk runs the books.
The administration
- City Hall at 197 North Main Street houses the city offices.
- Planning, zoning, permits, and the downtown public spaces run through the city.
- The city website, ellijay-ga.gov, posts agendas, minutes, and contact numbers.
The county
The three-member commission
Gilmer County is governed by a three-member board of commissioners: a chairman and two post commissioners, elected countywide. The county runs the schools, the sheriff and courts, the parks and recreation system, the tax office, and the county services that the city does not.
County offices sit at 1 Broad Street in Ellijay, a block from the square, and the commission meets on a posted monthly schedule. Agendas and video are public, and the county's site, gilmercounty-ga.gov, is the reliable source for meeting dates.
Straight answers
How it affects a resident
In practice the split is simple: the city runs the downtown and city services inside the limits, the county runs everything countywide, and your address decides which bucket you are in. Zoning questions start at city hall if you are inside the limits and at the county planning office if you are not.
The moving to page walks the address check, and the Ellijay guide ties it all together.
An editorial guide, not a listings site. Updated September 13, 2026. Real-estate guidance on this page is provided by Rob Dietrich, REALTOR® with eXp Realty, LLC.