Meet Steven Rogers: Running for Cherokee County Board of Commissioners District 4

Steven Rogers is running for Cherokee County Board of Commissioners District 4. A Towne Lake resident, cybersecurity engineer, and deeply rooted community volunteer, Rogers is a familiar face in this area. He has spent 22 years with Scouts BSA and seven years with the PTSA, including two years as Vice President at Booth Middle School and four years running Spirit Wear sales at Etowah High School. As North Georgia CAN evaluates candidates ahead of the May 19 primary, we asked Rogers where he stands.

Putting the Public Back in Public Service

Rogers anchors his campaign in a straightforward idea: county government should treat residents as the priority, not an afterthought.

"My top priority is to put the 'public' back in public service," he said. "As a local guy and your neighbor, I believe the Board of Commissioners should be a place where residents are the priority."

His first concrete action would be submitting an ordinance to end what he calls the "Life Tax" in Cherokee, removing the county sales tax on basic necessities including baby food, formula, diapers, feminine hygiene products, and elderly care supplies.

"Public service should be about serving the people's needs," he said. "By providing immediate tax relief on basic necessities, we can use this as our starting point to get a government that finally reflects the values of the neighbors it represents."

Overdevelopment and the Flooding Risk Nobody Is Talking About

When we asked Rogers what problem is not getting the attention it deserves, he pointed to something he has watched unfold across Cherokee County.

"One critical issue being ignored is the direct link between overdevelopment and the increasing risk of flooding," he said. "In Cherokee, we've seen what happens when the rain has nowhere to go."

Rogers watched what Hurricane Helene did to Asheville and has seen flooding issues emerging around Woodstock already. That combination of close-to-home observation and a regional wake-up call sharpened his focus on what Cherokee County's own development patterns are setting up for the future.

He pointed to specific examples of developers clearing land and altering terrain in ways that remove the natural protections the landscape provides.

"When developers are allowed to 'move mountains' and clear-cut the old trees that have protected our soil for generations, they aren't just changing the view, they are creating an environmental hazard," he said. "Every acre of forest replaced by asphalt increases runoff."

For Rogers, this is personal as much as it is policy.

"Your home is your biggest investment and your sanctuary," he said. "It shouldn't be put at risk because a developer wanted to squeeze a few more units onto a hillside."

As Commissioner, he would push for stricter environmental impact studies and require developers to maintain significant natural buffers. "Protecting our 'common good' means ensuring that progress in one area doesn't lead to a flooded basement or a washed-out road in another," he said.

Why This Matters for Cherokee County

Residents across Cherokee County have watched rapid development reshape the landscape over the past decade. A Commissioner who connects the dots between developer decisions and neighborhood flooding risk, and who is ready to submit ordinances on day one to deliver direct relief to families, is exactly the kind of representation District 4 needs.

Learn more about his campaign at www.electstevenrogers.com.

NGA CAN will publish our endorsements for the May 19 primary by May 16. Stay tuned.