Johnny B. Basler

District 5 Commissioner
Henry County Board of Commissioners

District V Commissioner Johnny Basler is a longtime Georgia resident having lived in Henry County since 1976, after moving from DeKalb County. Commissioner Basler attended Henry County public schools and graduated from Stockbridge High School in 1979. He married his wife, Sonya, in 1988 and together they have a nine year-old daughter, Madison.

As a small business owner, Commissioner Basler has established deep roots in the county with two successful businesses. He has owned and operated Basler Hauling since 1998, which specializes in transporting dirt, sand and gravel. He and his wife, Sonya, purchased Biscuits and Brunch in December 2003 and together they run the popular Stockbridge restaurant.

He was elected to the Henry County Board of Commissioners in 2006 for a four-year term, and has been instrumental in several important SPLOST and DOT projects in the past two years, most recently celebrating the groundbreaking for the much anticipated Fairview Recreation Center, scheduled to be completed by the Fall of 2010. Other accomplishments under his tenure include the opening of a police substation in Fairview, the purchase of 122 acres in Kelleytown to be developed into a passive park, the completion of the Fairview and Thurman Roads intersection, the paving of Ford Drive, and improvements at Hearn and Austin Roads, among others.

He is one of the first Henry County Commissioners to receive the advanced certification with the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) for which he successfully completed 96 credit hours of advanced classes.

Commissioner Basler’s passion is music and he has worked with many well-known Nashville entertainment groups. Prior to 1987, he played drums professionally for several years in a variety of bands, most recently with Timeless Highway from 2001 to 2006, while holding various positions with other companies, including Kraft Foods and AAA Cooper.

He is an active member of Glen Haven Baptist Church in McDonough and the Stockbridge Masonic Lodge.

Community Improvement Initiatives

• Efforts to reduce crime in District 5 are working - The opening of a Henry County Police precinct on Fairview Road and increases visibility in the area and it allows officers to stay within the district to file paperwork, giving them more time to patrol their zones. This, coupled with adding 3 Police officers per shift, has resulted in a 25% decline in the crime rate from 2003 to 2007.
• A Recreation Center will be built in the Fifth District under SPLOST III - This center will feature indoor basketball courts and a walking track, as well as several exercise and activity rooms to make participating in Parks & Recreation programs more convenient for citizens.
• Park Land has been purchased for Kelleytown area - The 122 acres tentatively named Old Kelleytown Park is located adjacent the Kelleytown Fire Station and will first be developed as a passive park, offering lakeside walking trails, as well as a playground and picnic pavilions. The Master Plan for the park calls for the construction of both baseball and football fields and possibly bike paths to be constructed at a later date.
• To view the Town Hall presentation regarding the property located at 761 Clark Drive and to Review New Projects within District 5, click here {PDF}.

Road Projects

• Thurman at East Atlanta - The preliminary plans for this SPLOST III project have been completed by Henry County DOT and are currently in review. The project involves cutting the hill down on Thurman to improve stopping sight distance as well as signalization.
• Fairview Widening project - This is a top priority for Commissioner Basler, who has been working to get this project moved out of Long-range and into the TIP (6-year short-range plan). For the portion of the project from Thurman to Cook Road, which is designated as a SPLOST III project, the survey and design are in progress. It involves converting Fairview Road from two lanes to a four lane divided highway from Thurman Road to Cook Road, and includes the widening of Anvil Block road. Construction could begin on this project as early as 2010.
• Paving of Ford Road - Construction is scheduled to begin in November 2008 by Henry County DOT.
• Austin Road/Hearn Road Intersection – Work is to begin in October 2008 on this Henry County DOT project, which involves the realignment of the southern leg of this intersection and converting it into a 4-way stop.
• Highway 138 at Highway 155 - GDOT is expected to put this project out to bid in October 2008, with construction to begin by end of the year.
• Highway 138 at Hemphill - The preliminary plans for this SPLOST III intersection improvement project were completed by Henry County DOT and right-of-way acquisition is underway. Improvements include realignment of Hemphill on the west side, raising the grade of Hemphill on the east side to improve sight distance, and turn lanes with signalization. Construction is expected to begin in summer 2009.
• Panola at East Atlanta – The design for this Henry County DOT project is in review.
• Reagan Road Culvert – The culvert replacement construction is nearing completion and Henry County DOT will complete the roadway construction on either side of the new culvert immediately thereafter.

District 5: Monthly SPLOST Report (PDF)
District 5 Map (PDF)

District 5 News

Henry County Leadership Honored by Local Chapter of the NAACP Henry County District V Commissioner Johnny Basler and Planning and Development Services Division Continue Reading...

Henry First Initiative Marks One Year of Putting Local Businesses First One year ago, the Henry County Board of Commissioners implemented a new program to help local bus Continue Reading...