City Council

The corporate powers of the government of the City of Dahlonega are exercised by the Dahlonega City Council. The Dahlonega City Council is responsible for enacting ordinances, resolutions, and regulations governing the City. Forty-nine specific powers of the city are enumerated in the City Charter, including the following: levy and collection of property taxes, license fees, franchise fees, beer and wine taxes, miscellaneous permit fees, hotel/motel taxes, and sales taxes.

Contact the Mayor & Council
Use the link above to send an email message to the mayor and council members.

Department Contacts

Roman Gaddis
Roman Gaddis
Post 1
(706) 300-6555 Send Message

Roman Gaddis, Post 1
Elected 2014

Councilman Gaddis is a native of Dahlonega/Lumpkin County, therefore, his interest in the City of Dahlonega is strong and runs deep. He enjoys being an active member of the community, and he is somewhat of a local celebrity as a musician playing mandolin with the local band Ugly Cousin.

Presently he serves as an active member of the University of North Georgia Alumni Association Board as well as a Sigma Chi Fraternity Chapter Advisor.

Councilman Gaddis brings immense knowledge, skill, and talent to the City of Dahlonega as he holds a BBA in Finance from the University of North Georgia and a Master of Education in Instructional Design and Development from the University of Georgia.

As Executive Director of Technology for Dawson County Schools and former Global Product Specialist for Pearson/PowerSchool, his professional experiences paired with his zest for innovative technologies aids in creating strategic plans for development and growth within Dahlonega.

Ross Shirley
Ross Shirley
Post 2
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Ross Shirley Post 2
Elected 2022

Ross graduated from North Georgia College (now UNG) and was commissioned as a 2LT in the US Army field artillery branch, where he served three years of active duty and several more in the Georgia National Guard. He worked as an analyst and supervisor at Georgia Power Company for 32 years prior to his retirement.

He and his wife Evelyn have lived in Dahlonega for 6 years. They live just a short walk from the square and enjoy the amenities associated with living close to the downtown section of Dahlonega. They own a short-term rental property. He serves on the board of directors for the North Georgia Cadet Corp Association. Leisure activities include visiting with family and friends, travel, and outdoor activities such as boating, fishing, and hunting. They have two children and three grandchildren.

Ryan Reagin
Ryan Reagin
Post 3
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Johnny Ariemma
Johnny Ariemma
Post 4
(706) 429-5418 Send Message

Johnny Ariemma, Post 4
Elected 2020

Councilman Ariemma is a long-time resident of Dahlonega, nearly 26-years. Both he and wife Catherine of 34-years raised their daughters in Dahlonega and the Lumpkin County School System and are active in the community. As an entrepreneur and businessman, Ariemma had the opportunity to retire from the corporate world nearly two decades ago. This allowed him to invest in Dahlonega. His property holdings include several commercial properties, including city businesses consisting of a hotel and private villas for overnight guests, and an event facility. This is Ariemma’s second time to serve on the council.

Ariemma is a graduate of Northwood University with a BBA in Management / Computer Science and Finance. His work career has been primarily in the Automotive Refinishing industry. In 1995 he co-founded and was a principal owner of Single Source Inc, which is a national distributor for automotive refinishing products. Councilman Ariemma is currently active as a board member for the St. Vincent DePaul Society, providing much assistance to the needy of our community. As the founder of the Michigan Epsilon chapter of Phi Delta Theta international fraternity, councilman Ariemma is also the Chapter Advisory Board chairman and chapter advisor for the newly chartered Phi Delta Theta chapter at the University of North Georgia.

When the councilman is not riding motorcycles across the US and Canada, his love and passion are for his growing family (he just became a grandfather), and historic preservation and keeping Dahlonega’s historic properties maintained. His practical business sense and love for Dahlonega provide a well-needed point of view on City Council.

Daniel Brown
Post 5
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Lance Bagley
Lance Bagley
Post 6
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Lance and his family moved to Dahlonega in 2018. Lance first passed thru Dahlonega in 1989 while completing Ranger School. His middle daughter and son-in-law are both UNG alumni, so his family has been frequent visitors to Dahlonega throughout the years. They knew they wanted to live in the Gold City, so they found the opportunity to move to Dahlonega during a transition between jobs.
Lance is a graduate of the United States Military Academy and has an MBA from the University of Oregon. He is a former Army infantry officer and Airborne Ranger. Over the past 30 years, he has worked in numerous leadership positions in sales, operations, and customer management and is currently a global sales director. Since 2018, his family has started two businesses in Dahlonega, a Bed & Breakfast and a retail store in the historic square. Lance is an active member of the Dahlonega Sunrise Rotary, and in his spare time, he enjoys volunteering at The Holly Theater and other events throughout Lumpkin County. He is proud to serve on the City Council to continue to make Dahlonega a great place to live, work, play, and visit.

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