HR1708: HR1708 W.D. "Don" Ballard Memorial Highway; Newton County; dedicate

This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives honors William Donaldson "Don" Ballard, a Newton County attorney who served in the Georgia House from 1957 to 1970 and later in the Georgia Senate, and who was elected mayor of Oxford in 2004. The resolution recounts his service in the U.S. Navy during World War II, his legal work for Newton County and several of its cities, his legislative committee leadership, and his contributions to Oxford's city government. The operative part of the resolution designates the section of State Route 81 between East Clark Street and West Richardson Street in Newton County as the W.D. "Don" Ballard Memorial Highway. It directs the Georgia Department of Transportation to put up and maintain signs marking the highway, and it directs the Clerk of the House to send copies of the resolution to Ballard's family and to the Department of Transportation.

• Dedicates the portion of State Route 81 between East Clark Street and West Richardson Street in Newton County as the W.D. "Don" Ballard Memorial Highway.
• Directs the Georgia Department of Transportation to erect and maintain signs marking the memorial highway.
• Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to distribute copies of the resolution to Ballard's family and the Department of Transportation.
• Recites Ballard's biography and public service as the basis for the memorial designation, with no other legal effect.

The designation directly involves the Georgia Department of Transportation, which must install and maintain signage, and Newton County, where the highway segment is located. It also serves as a tribute to the family of William Donaldson "Don" Ballard.

The resolution has no regulatory or funding effect beyond requiring the Department of Transportation to post signage; its main real-world impact is a permanent, publicly visible tribute along State Route 81 in Newton County recognizing Ballard's decades of public service.

• The preamble (whereas clauses) details Ballard's Navy service, legal career, and elected offices, including the Georgia House from 1957 to 1970 and the Georgia Senate for District 45.
• The first resolving clause designates the named stretch of State Route 81 in Newton County as the W.D. "Don" Ballard Memorial Highway.
• The second resolving clause authorizes and directs the Department of Transportation to erect and maintain signs for the dedication.
• The third resolving clause directs the Clerk of the House to send copies of the resolution to Ballard's family and the Department of Transportation.

1. 2026-03-19House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-03-18House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-03-16House Hopper (House)

• Tim Fleming (R, HD-114)Primary sponsor

• highway naming
• Newton County
• memorial resolution
• Georgia Department of Transportation