The Sumter County Board of Commissioners met on April 8. John Morris addressed the Commissioners during citizens comments in the aftermath of Morris vs. Sumter County, a lawsuit that aimed to force the County to maintain roads in a subdivision by Lake Blackshear.

According to FindLaw, the ruling states that: “Ultimately, the undisputed facts of this case show that the County maintained the roads at issue from 2010 to 2019, using public funds, and that the roads were designated as county roads on GIS maps for 18 years, which maps were created using data provided by the County and were intended to be relied upon by government officials. These facts, as well as the other evidence in this case, demonstrate that the County treated the roads as its own such that the County will be deemed to have impliedly accepted the dedication of the roads.”

Morris referenced a resolution by the County in June 15, 2020, instructing the GIS’s manager to change the Sumter County road map resulting in Statham Lake Front and Selma Lane changing from county maintained and county owned to private. “I’m just requesting that, given the recent decisions and rulings that have been handed forth, that that be amended and reversed, and then I would request that, if that is reversed, which it should be, that that is transmitted up to basically the DOT to be included in their road map, so you get your mileage, road mileage, and everything like that.”

Morris noted further changes he requested reversed based on the recent ruling. “Lakefront Road was changed by the County from a green sign to a blue sign, I request that it be changed back to the green sign as the original was.”