City veto halts Dalton State plan to operate convention center, county says $12M in decade savings lost

Chair Javin Jensen told attendees that county staff and Dalton State had been negotiating for Dalton State to manage the Dalton Convention Center as an educational facility during weekdays while preserving trade-center events on weekends.

"We actually came to an agreement for Dalton State to take over the Dalton Convention Center," Jensen said, but he added the city of Dalton and the trade center board vetoed the proposed agreement today. Jensen estimated the move would have saved roughly $12,000,000 combined for the city and county over a 10-year period.

Jensen clarified the county had not been asking for a firm yes-or-no vote from the city but had requested legal review and input on negotiable terms. He described the veto as "very unfortunate" and said the county had kept the city in the loop throughout the summer while working with the Board of Regents and Dalton State officials.

No further county action on the convention-center proposal was recorded at the noon session; Jensen presented it as new information to explain pressures on county finances rather than as a final policy outcome.