Tolls, Trains and Arteries
Tommy Malcom thinks interbasin transfers of water should be allowed in Georgia only in extreme circumstances such as severe drought.
Hank Huckaby thinks that such transfers of water from one basin to another would not take place in ideal circumstances, but he thinks the state Environmental Protection Division is doing a good job of protecting the interests of the state’s sending and receiving water basins.
Kirk Shook thinks all options need to be kept open and that House District 113, which he wants to represent, could sell water in the future as a way of producing revenue.
Shook thinks there is too much governmental bureaucracy making it difficult to build facilities such as the planned Hard Labor Creek Reservoir in Walton County, but he notes that taxpayers are “on the hook” for the decision by the two counties to go forward with the project.
Malcom thinks the state needs more reservoirs, but he is concerned about the costs of the Hard Labor Creek project. He said he would not interfere with the project’s progress if he wins the Republican primary and then the November general election.
Huckaby said, if he is elected to represent Oconee County as well as the parts of Clarke, Morgan and Olgethorpe counties that make up the 113th District, he will work to secure funding from the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority to help pay for the Hard Labor Creek Reservoir.
These are among the answers that the three candidates in next week’s Republican primary gave in response to five questions I sent to them on Sunday night. I received the written responses this afternoon.
I asked each of the candidates to state his position on interbasin tranfers and to indicate what role he would play as a legislator regarding the Hard Labor Creek Reservoir project.
I also asked each to state his position regarding any future request by the Oconee County Board of Education for an increase in compensation and to state his policy regarding any future requests for changes in the enabling legislation that controls the form of government in the county.
Finally, I asked each of the candidates to identify the most pressing transportation needs of Oconee County and to indicate how he would go about assisting the county in meeting those needs.
Huckaby said the current compensation for the members of the Oconee County BOE at $1,800 is too low, that the way the BOE went about seeking an increase in that amount last year was a problem, but that he would support a request for an increase in the future “if the process is transparent and there is adequate opportunity for public input.”
Malcom said “Public service is not supposed to be a money maker” and that he would support a request for increased funding for BOE members only after teachers and other workers “are adequately supplied.” He said he did not think adequate funding for other workers is likely to happen “any time soon.”
Shook said he would introduce legislation for a salary increase for the BOE members only if there were “a citizen initiative to affirm the request.” He said the BOE members were underpaid but that work on the board is “a public service.”
Bob Smith, who is retiring as District 113 representative, last year refused to introduce legislation for a salary increase for the BOE, though he did draft legislation that would have made the change.
The BOE members have decided to forego all compensation for the upcoming year because of budget shortfalls.
Shook said that he believes that “citizens should be allowed to propose ballot initiatives and legislation of their own” but that he would work with local elected officials to ensure that the Board of Commissioners “is responsive to the needs of the citizens.”
Malcom said he would want requests by the Board of Commissioners for changes to the local enabling legislation to be unanimously approved before he would take them to the legislature and that he would want the local officials to “conduct a public informational and input process” before making a request of him for a change.
Huckaby also said the current process “has generally worked well” and that “the government closest to the people best reflects the desires, needs and values of the community.”
Huckaby said the most pressing transportation need of Oconee County “is the upgrading of Georgia 316 to a limited access corridor.” He said that the highway at present is unsafe and that improvements “will be important to the quality economic development desired” in the county.
He said he also is concerned about traffic on Mars Hill road and Daniells Bridge. Huckaby said that light rail needs to be considered as part of the transportation mix and that he supports a sales tax increase to fund transportation needs.
Shook said “We should look at privatization efforts, toll lanes, etc., when discussing possible solutions” to transportation problems. He advocated following “a market-based approach” in which “private funding sources” will seek to participate in transportation projects “in an effort to make a profit.”
Malcom listed the Oconee Connector and Mars Hill road upgrade, improvements to SR 316, and the U.S. 441 bypass around Bishop as top transportation needs for the county.
“When I look at a map of Oconee County, I see our road network as critical corridors just like the heart’s arteries,” Malcom said.
If none of the three candidates receives a majority in the July 20 primary, the top two candidates will go into a runoff on Aug. 10.
In November, the Republican winner then will face Suzy Compere, running unopposed in the Democratic primary next week.
Only 987 persons had participated in early voting as of the end of the day today. In the July 2006 primary, 4,145 persons voted in Oconee County.
The exact wording of the questions I asked and the responses from the three candidates are on my Box.net site.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
Huckaby Raises Nearly 5 Times Combined Total of Other Candidates in Oconee County House Race
Big Loans Part of Story
Hank Huckaby, one of three Republicans running to replace retiring Bob Smith in the Georgia House of Representatives, has raised $95,507 for his campaign so far, which is nearly five times what the other two candidates have raised together.
More than half of the amount of money Huckaby raised came from a loan of $50,000 that he made to the campaign, but he raised $39,050 in contributions of more than $100 and $6,457 in contributions of $100 or less.
Kirk Shook from Crawford in Oglethorpe County raised $14,304, with $5,000 of that coming from two loans he made to his campaign. He raised $5,450 from contributions of more than $100 and $3,854 from contributions of $100 or less.
Tommy Malcom raised $5,824 for his campaign, but $4,624 came from a loan he made to his campaign. He raised $500 in contributions of more than $100 and $700 in contributions of $100 or less.
Huckaby, Malcom and Shook will meet in the July 20 Republican primary. If no one gets a majority, the two top candidates will meet in the August 10 runoff.
The winner of that contest will then face off against Democrat Suzy Compere of Bostwick in Morgan County, who is running unopposed in the July 20 Democratic primary.
As of the June 30 filing deadline, Compere had not raised or spent any money in her campaign, according to her finance report.
Huckaby has spent $34,457, leaving him his $50,000 loan and another $11,050 to spend.
Shook has spent $6,454, leaving him his loan of $5,000 and another $2,850 to spend.
Malcom has spent $4,624, which is the amount of his loan. He had $1,200 left to spend on June 30.
Huckaby received $2,400–the maximum amount allowed for a primary for the state General Assembly–from Claire Frazier of Mineral Bluff, Adolphus Frazier of Mineral Bluff and WMG enterprises of Athens. He received $2,000 from Donald Leeburn of McDonough.
Huckaby received contributions of $1,000 from 10 donors, one of whom was former Gov. Zell Miller.
Shook received his largest contribution of $2,000 from American Federation for Children in Arlington, Va.
Malcom’s only contribution of more than $100 was $500 from Marvin Green of Bishop.
The campaign statements were due on July 8 and covered the period through June 30. They were filed electronically and are available for viewing on the web site of the State Ethics Commission.
Huckaby’s figure is just slightly higher than the amount of money Smith reported having raised at the end of his last campaign in 2008, when he was unopposed in both the primary and the general election.
As of Friday, 641 persons had voted in Oconee County using the early procedures. That was up from 414 a week earlier.
Carole Amos, administrative assistant at the Oconee County Board of Elections and Registration, told me at the end of the day today that another 55 people voted at the Watkinsville office of the Board of Elections today.
Starting this week–the sixth of early voting--a second voting location is operating at the Civic Center. Amos did not have a figure for voting today at that site.
In July of 2008, when 6,989 persons voted in Oconee County, 90 percent voted in the Republican primary. Four earlier, when 6,130 persons voted, 88 percent voted in the Republican primary.
In 2006, however, when 4,245 persons voted in Oconee County, only 65 percent voted in the Republican primary.
This is the first year when local Board of Commissioner and Board of Education races will be held at the same time as the major state races, rather than with the national presidential contest.
The 113th District is spread across four counties, with Oconee County making up 58 percent of the district by population, Clarke making up 24 percent, Olgethorpe 12 percent, and Morgan 6 percent.
All of Oconee County is part of the 113th, while none of the other three counties falls only in the 113th District.
Huckaby and Malcom are from Oconee County.
Saturday, July 03, 2010
No Independents File for Oconee County Offices, Giving Two Republicans Automatic Reelection
Finances Reported Too
Oconee County Post 2 Commissioner John Daniell and Oconee County Board of Education Post 3 member Kim Argo will be unchallenged not only in the July 20 Republican primary but also in the general election in November, they learned yesterday.
No one filed as an independent to run against them–or anyone else in the county. Independent filing closed at noon on Friday.
Former Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Russell Lee, who had inquired about procedures for filing as an independent, did not do so in the end.
So the only choice that voters who ask for the Republican ballot on July 20 will have to make is between Tammy Gilland and incumbent Margaret Hale in the Post 3 BOC race and between incumbent Mack Guest and Mark Thomas in the Post 2 BOE race.
Democrats will have only the name of Carter Strickland before them at the local level. Strickland has filed to run for the Post 2 BOE slot, but he will have no competition in the Democratic primary.
Local Republicans also will get to select from among three candidates for the 113th District Seat in the Georgia House, being vacated by the retirement of Bob Smith. Hank Huckaby, Tommy Malcom and Kirk Shook are running for that slot. Oconee County makes up the majority of that district.
Suzy Compere will be on the Democratic July 20 primary ballot for that House seat, but she will be unopposed.
As of 4:45 p.m. Friday, 414 voters had cast their ballots in early voting, which was in its fourth week. The figure had been 301 by the end of the previous week and 198 at the end of the second week. In the first week, 129 persons voted.
In the July 2008 primaries, 6,989 persons voted. In July of 2006, only 4,145 voted. In July of 2004, 6,130 voted.
In 2008, the BOC and BOE designated the Post 2 and Post 3 slots as having terms of only two years to move toward staggered terms of board members. So the 2006 figure are probably closer to what can be expected in terms of turnout this year.
On Wednesday, the candidates filed their campaign financial statements, and Gilland reported taking in $13,080 since January and spending $10,504. In addition, she reported $980 of in-kind contributions. She had reported having taken in $4,685 in the first three months of the year.
Gilland’s contributions included a loan of $2,087 she made to herself and $4,408 in contributions of less than $100, which are not reported by name.
She received $350 from Greg Daniels, $250 from Tim and Carla Burgess, and $250 from Martee and Foy Horne, all from UGA, and $250 from Scott and Beth Norris of Motel Enterprises. Gilland’s early money also came from UGA personnel.
Hale reported raising only $7,736 for the year, and $5,836 of that had been raised before the second quarter filing period. Hale reported spending $7,406. She listed only one contribution of more than $100. That was from Jay Staines of Staines Properties, who gave $150
Guest reported raising $5,121, all in the last three months, and spending $3,048. Guest reported receiving $500 from Jack Davis and $250 from Benson’s, Inc. The remainder was in contributions of $100 or less.
Thomas reported raising $5,648 with another $727 in in-kind contributions. Thomas reported receiving $500 from James Harrison of Harrison & Harrison, $500 from Charles Upchurch of Upchurch Realty, $500 from Marvin Green, no occupation listed, $300 from Mike Power of Power Building Products, $250 from Max Brown of Land Headquarters, Inc., $200 from Charles Baugh, retired, and $200 from himself.
On Wednesday at 11:18 p.m., shortly after I filed my blog of that date, I received an email message from Jay Hanley, chairman of the Oconee County Republican Party, and pictured above.
“I wanted to address what may be a misunderstanding on the questioning at the GOP Forum,” Hanley wrote. “Questions were submitted by audience members and not screened in advance by me or my board. Blake did have some questions of his own prepared to fill time when he ran out of audience questions.”
The reference is to Blake Giles, editor of The Oconee Enterprise and moderator of the forum, which was held on June 17.
“The first question on the conservatism that you've written extensively about was submitted by an unknown audience member not by Blake or me,” Hanley said.
The first question Giles asked of the candidates for the BOC, BOE and House contests was “Are you a Conservative Republican.” Giles prefaced that each time by saying “We’re asking this of all the candidates.”
Giles did not say who “we” was or who determined that it be the first question asked of all of the candidates. He also did not offer any indication that the question had come from the audience.
Hanley continued by saying that “The party is bound to qualify any candidate who signs the oath required by state party rules, which simply states, ‘I do swear or affirm my allegiance to the Georgia Republican Party.’ In other words, if the chair of the Democratic party wanted to run as a Republican and he signed the oath, he would be qualified.”
Pat Hayes, Oconee County elections director, confirmed for me on Thursday that the Republic Party in Oconee County handled qualifications for candidates this year and that it was allowed to and did use an oath of allegance.
She handled the single qualification for Strickland and would have required a similar loyalty statement from Strickland for the Democratic Party had the party given her one to issue.
I encouraged Hanley to put this comment to me on by blog, saying I thought it helped explain how little control the parties have over the candidates in Georgia, but Hanley did not do so.
I told him in addition I would make use of the information he gave me to further explain party control and am including it here for that reason.
Oconee County Post 2 Commissioner John Daniell and Oconee County Board of Education Post 3 member Kim Argo will be unchallenged not only in the July 20 Republican primary but also in the general election in November, they learned yesterday.
No one filed as an independent to run against them–or anyone else in the county. Independent filing closed at noon on Friday.
Former Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Russell Lee, who had inquired about procedures for filing as an independent, did not do so in the end.
So the only choice that voters who ask for the Republican ballot on July 20 will have to make is between Tammy Gilland and incumbent Margaret Hale in the Post 3 BOC race and between incumbent Mack Guest and Mark Thomas in the Post 2 BOE race.
Democrats will have only the name of Carter Strickland before them at the local level. Strickland has filed to run for the Post 2 BOE slot, but he will have no competition in the Democratic primary.
Local Republicans also will get to select from among three candidates for the 113th District Seat in the Georgia House, being vacated by the retirement of Bob Smith. Hank Huckaby, Tommy Malcom and Kirk Shook are running for that slot. Oconee County makes up the majority of that district.
Suzy Compere will be on the Democratic July 20 primary ballot for that House seat, but she will be unopposed.
As of 4:45 p.m. Friday, 414 voters had cast their ballots in early voting, which was in its fourth week. The figure had been 301 by the end of the previous week and 198 at the end of the second week. In the first week, 129 persons voted.
In the July 2008 primaries, 6,989 persons voted. In July of 2006, only 4,145 voted. In July of 2004, 6,130 voted.
In 2008, the BOC and BOE designated the Post 2 and Post 3 slots as having terms of only two years to move toward staggered terms of board members. So the 2006 figure are probably closer to what can be expected in terms of turnout this year.
On Wednesday, the candidates filed their campaign financial statements, and Gilland reported taking in $13,080 since January and spending $10,504. In addition, she reported $980 of in-kind contributions. She had reported having taken in $4,685 in the first three months of the year.
Gilland’s contributions included a loan of $2,087 she made to herself and $4,408 in contributions of less than $100, which are not reported by name.
She received $350 from Greg Daniels, $250 from Tim and Carla Burgess, and $250 from Martee and Foy Horne, all from UGA, and $250 from Scott and Beth Norris of Motel Enterprises. Gilland’s early money also came from UGA personnel.
Hale reported raising only $7,736 for the year, and $5,836 of that had been raised before the second quarter filing period. Hale reported spending $7,406. She listed only one contribution of more than $100. That was from Jay Staines of Staines Properties, who gave $150
Guest reported raising $5,121, all in the last three months, and spending $3,048. Guest reported receiving $500 from Jack Davis and $250 from Benson’s, Inc. The remainder was in contributions of $100 or less.
Thomas reported raising $5,648 with another $727 in in-kind contributions. Thomas reported receiving $500 from James Harrison of Harrison & Harrison, $500 from Charles Upchurch of Upchurch Realty, $500 from Marvin Green, no occupation listed, $300 from Mike Power of Power Building Products, $250 from Max Brown of Land Headquarters, Inc., $200 from Charles Baugh, retired, and $200 from himself.
On Wednesday at 11:18 p.m., shortly after I filed my blog of that date, I received an email message from Jay Hanley, chairman of the Oconee County Republican Party, and pictured above.
“I wanted to address what may be a misunderstanding on the questioning at the GOP Forum,” Hanley wrote. “Questions were submitted by audience members and not screened in advance by me or my board. Blake did have some questions of his own prepared to fill time when he ran out of audience questions.”
The reference is to Blake Giles, editor of The Oconee Enterprise and moderator of the forum, which was held on June 17.
“The first question on the conservatism that you've written extensively about was submitted by an unknown audience member not by Blake or me,” Hanley said.
The first question Giles asked of the candidates for the BOC, BOE and House contests was “Are you a Conservative Republican.” Giles prefaced that each time by saying “We’re asking this of all the candidates.”
Giles did not say who “we” was or who determined that it be the first question asked of all of the candidates. He also did not offer any indication that the question had come from the audience.
Hanley continued by saying that “The party is bound to qualify any candidate who signs the oath required by state party rules, which simply states, ‘I do swear or affirm my allegiance to the Georgia Republican Party.’ In other words, if the chair of the Democratic party wanted to run as a Republican and he signed the oath, he would be qualified.”
Pat Hayes, Oconee County elections director, confirmed for me on Thursday that the Republic Party in Oconee County handled qualifications for candidates this year and that it was allowed to and did use an oath of allegance.
She handled the single qualification for Strickland and would have required a similar loyalty statement from Strickland for the Democratic Party had the party given her one to issue.
I encouraged Hanley to put this comment to me on by blog, saying I thought it helped explain how little control the parties have over the candidates in Georgia, but Hanley did not do so.
I told him in addition I would make use of the information he gave me to further explain party control and am including it here for that reason.
Friday, July 02, 2010
Oconee County Board of Education Chairman Weeks Said New Board Member Can be a Critic
Idea Didn’t Float
The Oconee County Board of Education is willing to consider someone who is critical of the Board and critical of School Superintendent John Jackson when it evaluates candidates who apply for appointment as the Post 5 member, according to Board Chairman David Weeks.
The Board did not change its procedures for filling the vacant seat and reject Carter Strickland, the sole person who asked for the job under the original rules set up by the Board, because Strickland publicly criticized the Board and Jackson, Weeks said.
Weeks now says that the procedures he proposed to the Board for filling the Post 5 vacancy on May 19 should be seen as a kind of trial balloon.
Weeks said the public spoke out asking that the application process be opened to the public, and that is why the Board decided to abandon the procedures approved by the Board on May 19 and pass over Strickland at its June 14 meeting.
The fact that Strickland is a Democrat and all the Board members, including Weeks, were elected as Republicans had nothing to do with that decision, Weeks said.
I had asked Weeks to sit down and explain to me what the Board is looking for now that it has opened up the competition to anyone interested. At the June 14 meeting Weeks had listed five “qualities” that the Board will be looking for when it evaluates candidates.
We talked for about 45-minute on Thursday afternoon at Barberitos in Five Points in Athens. That is one of six local restaurants Weeks owns, including another Barberitos and a Mirko restaurant in Watkinsville and a Barberitos on Epps Bridge parkway.
I started by asking Weeks to explain each of the five qualities he listed at the June 14 meeting and which are on the Board of Education web site.
Weeks said many people misunderstand that the five Posts on the Oconee County Board of Education are not districts. The Board is looking for someone who is concerned about the entire system, not a particular school or part of the county, Weeks said.
The Board also wants someone who has a “team philosophy,” though Weeks said that did not mean that the person has to have the same opinions on issues as other Board members.
The ideal candidate will understand that she or he will have to make decisions that will not always be supported by everyone and has to be willing to “take heat” for those decisions, according to Weeks.
People also misunderstand that the Board of Education does not make decisions about appointments of principals or teachers or operation of the system, Weeks said. The Board works through the superintendent, Weeks said, and it is important that any new board member understand that.
Applicants must also be able to stay in communication with other board members, since the Board needs to be able to assemble and make decisions quickly, according to Weeks.
Post 5 BOE member Tom Breedlove resigned on May 10, and at the specially called meeting on May 19, Weeks, Post 2 incumbent Mack Guest, Post 3 member Kim Argo, and Post 4 member Mike Hunter agreed to invite the four candidates who had filed to run in the July 20 primary for the two open positions on the Board to apply for the Post 5 position instead.
That meant that Guest and Argo, along with Weeks and Hunter, were inviting Guest and Argo, along with Carter Strickland and Guest challenger Republican Mark Thomas, to apply for the Post 5 opening.
Ultimately, only Strickland, who filed as a Democrat to run against the winner of the Guest-Thomas contest, said he was interested in dropping out of the race and assuming the Post 5 opening.
At candidate forums held June 3 and June 9, Strickland criticized the Board and Superintendent Jackson.
At the June 3 forum, in response to a question posed to the candidates about Superintendent Jackson, Strickland said “if we can get rid of him without having to pay him, let’s get rid of him.”
At the June 9 meeting, again in responding to a question, Strickland accused the Board of “ineffective leadership,” though he said that criticism did not apply to all the Board members. He didn’t elaborate.
I asked Weeks how open the Board is to appointing someone who is critical of it, who is critical of Jackson, and who is a Democrat. I also asked him if Strickland’s comments or party had led the Board to reject him.
Weeks said the Board is willing to accept a critic and that Strickland was passed over because the public told the Board to open up the process, not because of what he said or his party affiliation.
At the time of our meeting, Weeks said, only three persons had applied for the Post 5 position. Weeks said he is hoping for about 10 times that number by the time the application window closes on July 15.
Screening will begin in August, with a Post 5 member being selected in late September or early October, according to the posted schedule.
Weeks told me Stuart McGarity, Gregory Zengo and Glenn Townsend had applied for the position. The Board of Education office was closed on Friday, so I could not confirm the list there.
I did talk with Glenn Townsend, 1030 Twin Oaks trail, and with Gregory Zengo, 1021 Oaklake trail, by telephone today, and each confirmed that he had applied. I was not able to reach McGarity.
During the interview, Weeks said he didn’t think the Post 5 position could have been filled through an election by the citizens even if Breedlove had resigned prior to the April 30 qualifying deadline for the July 20 primary.
Terrell Bentson, attorney for the Board, confirmed that in an email message sent to Weeks after our interview. Weeks forwarded the message to me.
According to Bentson, the Georgia Constitution, which defines the composition of the Oconee County Board of Education, stipulates that “Any vacancy occurring in the membership of the Board of Education of Oconee County, for any cause whatsoever, shall be filled by the majority vote of the remaining members of the Board of Education.”
+++
The video of my interview with Weeks is on the Oconee County Observations channel of Vimeo. I edited out the front and back of the conversation, which had more to do with my difficulty in getting the camera set up correctly than with the Board of Education.
The Oconee County Board of Education is willing to consider someone who is critical of the Board and critical of School Superintendent John Jackson when it evaluates candidates who apply for appointment as the Post 5 member, according to Board Chairman David Weeks.
The Board did not change its procedures for filling the vacant seat and reject Carter Strickland, the sole person who asked for the job under the original rules set up by the Board, because Strickland publicly criticized the Board and Jackson, Weeks said.
Weeks now says that the procedures he proposed to the Board for filling the Post 5 vacancy on May 19 should be seen as a kind of trial balloon.
Weeks said the public spoke out asking that the application process be opened to the public, and that is why the Board decided to abandon the procedures approved by the Board on May 19 and pass over Strickland at its June 14 meeting.
The fact that Strickland is a Democrat and all the Board members, including Weeks, were elected as Republicans had nothing to do with that decision, Weeks said.
I had asked Weeks to sit down and explain to me what the Board is looking for now that it has opened up the competition to anyone interested. At the June 14 meeting Weeks had listed five “qualities” that the Board will be looking for when it evaluates candidates.
We talked for about 45-minute on Thursday afternoon at Barberitos in Five Points in Athens. That is one of six local restaurants Weeks owns, including another Barberitos and a Mirko restaurant in Watkinsville and a Barberitos on Epps Bridge parkway.
I started by asking Weeks to explain each of the five qualities he listed at the June 14 meeting and which are on the Board of Education web site.
Weeks said many people misunderstand that the five Posts on the Oconee County Board of Education are not districts. The Board is looking for someone who is concerned about the entire system, not a particular school or part of the county, Weeks said.
The Board also wants someone who has a “team philosophy,” though Weeks said that did not mean that the person has to have the same opinions on issues as other Board members.
The ideal candidate will understand that she or he will have to make decisions that will not always be supported by everyone and has to be willing to “take heat” for those decisions, according to Weeks.
People also misunderstand that the Board of Education does not make decisions about appointments of principals or teachers or operation of the system, Weeks said. The Board works through the superintendent, Weeks said, and it is important that any new board member understand that.
Applicants must also be able to stay in communication with other board members, since the Board needs to be able to assemble and make decisions quickly, according to Weeks.
Post 5 BOE member Tom Breedlove resigned on May 10, and at the specially called meeting on May 19, Weeks, Post 2 incumbent Mack Guest, Post 3 member Kim Argo, and Post 4 member Mike Hunter agreed to invite the four candidates who had filed to run in the July 20 primary for the two open positions on the Board to apply for the Post 5 position instead.
That meant that Guest and Argo, along with Weeks and Hunter, were inviting Guest and Argo, along with Carter Strickland and Guest challenger Republican Mark Thomas, to apply for the Post 5 opening.
Ultimately, only Strickland, who filed as a Democrat to run against the winner of the Guest-Thomas contest, said he was interested in dropping out of the race and assuming the Post 5 opening.
At candidate forums held June 3 and June 9, Strickland criticized the Board and Superintendent Jackson.
At the June 3 forum, in response to a question posed to the candidates about Superintendent Jackson, Strickland said “if we can get rid of him without having to pay him, let’s get rid of him.”
At the June 9 meeting, again in responding to a question, Strickland accused the Board of “ineffective leadership,” though he said that criticism did not apply to all the Board members. He didn’t elaborate.
I asked Weeks how open the Board is to appointing someone who is critical of it, who is critical of Jackson, and who is a Democrat. I also asked him if Strickland’s comments or party had led the Board to reject him.
Weeks said the Board is willing to accept a critic and that Strickland was passed over because the public told the Board to open up the process, not because of what he said or his party affiliation.
At the time of our meeting, Weeks said, only three persons had applied for the Post 5 position. Weeks said he is hoping for about 10 times that number by the time the application window closes on July 15.
Screening will begin in August, with a Post 5 member being selected in late September or early October, according to the posted schedule.
Weeks told me Stuart McGarity, Gregory Zengo and Glenn Townsend had applied for the position. The Board of Education office was closed on Friday, so I could not confirm the list there.
I did talk with Glenn Townsend, 1030 Twin Oaks trail, and with Gregory Zengo, 1021 Oaklake trail, by telephone today, and each confirmed that he had applied. I was not able to reach McGarity.
During the interview, Weeks said he didn’t think the Post 5 position could have been filled through an election by the citizens even if Breedlove had resigned prior to the April 30 qualifying deadline for the July 20 primary.
Terrell Bentson, attorney for the Board, confirmed that in an email message sent to Weeks after our interview. Weeks forwarded the message to me.
According to Bentson, the Georgia Constitution, which defines the composition of the Oconee County Board of Education, stipulates that “Any vacancy occurring in the membership of the Board of Education of Oconee County, for any cause whatsoever, shall be filled by the majority vote of the remaining members of the Board of Education.”
+++
The video of my interview with Weeks is on the Oconee County Observations channel of Vimeo. I edited out the front and back of the conversation, which had more to do with my difficulty in getting the camera set up correctly than with the Board of Education.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Oconee County Republican Candidates Not All Pure Republicans, Voting History Shows
Some Cross Over in Primaries
While all the Oconee County candidates in competitive contests in the July 20 Republican primary have declared not just that they are Republicans but that they are Conservative Republicans, an analysis of voting files for 2004, 2006 and 2008 shows several have flirted with the Democratic party, some as recently as in February of 2008.
Tammy Gilland, seeking the Post 3 position on the Board of Commissioners, voted in the Democratic presidential primary in February of 2008, in the Democrat primary and primary runoff in 2006, and in the Democratic presidential primary in March of 2004.
In sum, Gilland voted as a Democrat as often as she voted as a Republican in the last three elections.
Mack Guest, the incumbent Post 2 member of the Oconee County Board of Education, also voted in the Democratic presidential primary in both 2008 and 2004, but he voted in the Republican primaries at the state and local levels.
Hank Huckaby, seeking to represent the county in the Georgia House of Representatives, voted in the Democratic presidential primary in 2004, but he has voted as a Republican in six primaries since, including in the 2008 presidential primary.
At the June 17 candidate forum, sponsored by the Oconee County Republican Party and by the Oconee Regional Republican Women, moderator Blake Giles, with Oconee County Republican Party Chairman Jay Hanley at his side, asked each candidate to declare if she or he was a Conservative Republican.
All did so.
Giles also asked Guest and challenger Mark Thomas how they would vote in the state school superintendent race and Huckaby, Tommy Malcom and Kirk Shook how they plan to vote in the governor’s race. Malcom and Shook also are running for the 113th House seat.
And he asked incumbent BOC Commissioner Margaret Hale and Gilland if they were members of the Oconee County Republican Party and of the Oconee Regional Republican Women. Hanley certainly had the ability to know in advance how the two candidates were going to answer at least the Republican Party part of the question.
Individuals can join the Republican Party by simply filling out a form and paying a $20 annual membership fee. Being a member is completely voluntary and has no impact on voting choice, or, as Hale’s answer indicated, on being a candidate.
Gilland said she was a “new member” of both groups.
Hale said she was not a member of either, though “I do support the local Republican Party and will join after the election.”
Hale has voted as a Republican in seven of the eight primaries or primary runoffs in 2004, 2006 and 2008. She did not vote in the August primary runoff in 2006.
None of the candidates has a perfect voting record. Guest, Huckaby and Malcom did the best, missing only two of the 14 elections in the three years.
Public records show who voted–but not how they voted–as a necessary step in preventing voter fraud. In Georgia, where voters do not register by party and publicly ask for either the Republican or the Democrat ballot before voting, that information also is public, again to provide a mechanism to check against fraud.
Candidates can request a list of registered voters, as can individual citizens. That record indicates the name, address, and registration number for each voter as well as the ballot the voter selected in the most recent primary.
The Georgia Secretary of State also has available on the official web site the historical records of voting by year, though these records contain only the county of each voter, his or her registration number, and the elections in which that voter participated during the year. The record also indicates which ballot was selected by the voter in the primaries that year.
I purchased, with my own funds, the Oconee County voter list in the autumn of 2008 for a graduate class I teach each year at the University of Georgia. As part of that class, I downloaded the voting history files to show students how to use the available records to validate samples drawn for public opinion surveys.
I did not have access to these same files from Oglethorpe County, so I could not check on the voting history of Shook, who lives there.
I have summarized the records for the other candidates for the 113th House seat as well as for Kim Argo, incumbent Post 3 BOE member who is unopposed on the July 20 Republican primary ballot, and for John Daniell, incumbent Post 2 commissioner, who also is unopposed in the Republican primary.
These are viewable in this table stored on Box.net.
Daniell selected the Republican ballot in six of the primaries in 2004, 2006 and 2008. No vote is recorded for him for the 2008 presidential primary or for the 2006 August runoff.
Argo voted in the 2008 Democratic primary, but she has voted in six Republican primaries and missed a runoff in the three years for which I examined the records.
Daniell and Argo did not participate in the June 17 GOP forum, since neither has opposition in the primary.
At that forum, moderator Giles asked Gilland and Hall if they would support making the BOC election nonpartisan. Both said they would not.
“You need to know exactly who you are electing. What Party we represent,” Gilland said.
“The system that we have now works very well,” Hale said.
Giles did not ask this of the House candidates, who would be the ones who would need to introduce any such change to the Georgia legislature, which would have to approve before the change could go into effect.
At the beginning of the forum, Giles said the questions he was asking had been submitted to him by the audience and he was adding some of his own. He didn't indicate which were which.
The Republic Party might find it easier to enforce a conservative orthodoxy if the county had more people who identified as Democrats and a stronger Democratic Party. Candidates who were not so conservative might be willing to run as a Democrat if they had a chance of being elected.
With the Republicans being so dominant in the county at present, however, Democrats are probably the ones who would gain from nonpartisan elections.
Which is why the question was relevant at the GOP forum.
While all the Oconee County candidates in competitive contests in the July 20 Republican primary have declared not just that they are Republicans but that they are Conservative Republicans, an analysis of voting files for 2004, 2006 and 2008 shows several have flirted with the Democratic party, some as recently as in February of 2008.
Tammy Gilland, seeking the Post 3 position on the Board of Commissioners, voted in the Democratic presidential primary in February of 2008, in the Democrat primary and primary runoff in 2006, and in the Democratic presidential primary in March of 2004.
In sum, Gilland voted as a Democrat as often as she voted as a Republican in the last three elections.
Mack Guest, the incumbent Post 2 member of the Oconee County Board of Education, also voted in the Democratic presidential primary in both 2008 and 2004, but he voted in the Republican primaries at the state and local levels.
Hank Huckaby, seeking to represent the county in the Georgia House of Representatives, voted in the Democratic presidential primary in 2004, but he has voted as a Republican in six primaries since, including in the 2008 presidential primary.
At the June 17 candidate forum, sponsored by the Oconee County Republican Party and by the Oconee Regional Republican Women, moderator Blake Giles, with Oconee County Republican Party Chairman Jay Hanley at his side, asked each candidate to declare if she or he was a Conservative Republican.
All did so.
Giles also asked Guest and challenger Mark Thomas how they would vote in the state school superintendent race and Huckaby, Tommy Malcom and Kirk Shook how they plan to vote in the governor’s race. Malcom and Shook also are running for the 113th House seat.
And he asked incumbent BOC Commissioner Margaret Hale and Gilland if they were members of the Oconee County Republican Party and of the Oconee Regional Republican Women. Hanley certainly had the ability to know in advance how the two candidates were going to answer at least the Republican Party part of the question.
Individuals can join the Republican Party by simply filling out a form and paying a $20 annual membership fee. Being a member is completely voluntary and has no impact on voting choice, or, as Hale’s answer indicated, on being a candidate.
Gilland said she was a “new member” of both groups.
Hale said she was not a member of either, though “I do support the local Republican Party and will join after the election.”
Hale has voted as a Republican in seven of the eight primaries or primary runoffs in 2004, 2006 and 2008. She did not vote in the August primary runoff in 2006.
None of the candidates has a perfect voting record. Guest, Huckaby and Malcom did the best, missing only two of the 14 elections in the three years.
Public records show who voted–but not how they voted–as a necessary step in preventing voter fraud. In Georgia, where voters do not register by party and publicly ask for either the Republican or the Democrat ballot before voting, that information also is public, again to provide a mechanism to check against fraud.
Candidates can request a list of registered voters, as can individual citizens. That record indicates the name, address, and registration number for each voter as well as the ballot the voter selected in the most recent primary.
The Georgia Secretary of State also has available on the official web site the historical records of voting by year, though these records contain only the county of each voter, his or her registration number, and the elections in which that voter participated during the year. The record also indicates which ballot was selected by the voter in the primaries that year.
I purchased, with my own funds, the Oconee County voter list in the autumn of 2008 for a graduate class I teach each year at the University of Georgia. As part of that class, I downloaded the voting history files to show students how to use the available records to validate samples drawn for public opinion surveys.
I did not have access to these same files from Oglethorpe County, so I could not check on the voting history of Shook, who lives there.
I have summarized the records for the other candidates for the 113th House seat as well as for Kim Argo, incumbent Post 3 BOE member who is unopposed on the July 20 Republican primary ballot, and for John Daniell, incumbent Post 2 commissioner, who also is unopposed in the Republican primary.
These are viewable in this table stored on Box.net.
Daniell selected the Republican ballot in six of the primaries in 2004, 2006 and 2008. No vote is recorded for him for the 2008 presidential primary or for the 2006 August runoff.
Argo voted in the 2008 Democratic primary, but she has voted in six Republican primaries and missed a runoff in the three years for which I examined the records.
Daniell and Argo did not participate in the June 17 GOP forum, since neither has opposition in the primary.
At that forum, moderator Giles asked Gilland and Hall if they would support making the BOC election nonpartisan. Both said they would not.
“You need to know exactly who you are electing. What Party we represent,” Gilland said.
“The system that we have now works very well,” Hale said.
Giles did not ask this of the House candidates, who would be the ones who would need to introduce any such change to the Georgia legislature, which would have to approve before the change could go into effect.
At the beginning of the forum, Giles said the questions he was asking had been submitted to him by the audience and he was adding some of his own. He didn't indicate which were which.
The Republic Party might find it easier to enforce a conservative orthodoxy if the county had more people who identified as Democrats and a stronger Democratic Party. Candidates who were not so conservative might be willing to run as a Democrat if they had a chance of being elected.
With the Republicans being so dominant in the county at present, however, Democrats are probably the ones who would gain from nonpartisan elections.
Which is why the question was relevant at the GOP forum.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
BOC Candidates in Oconee County Differ More Than Forums Suggested
Fear of Forums vs. Fear of Wet T-Shirts
While the three forums for candidates for Post 3 of the Oconee County Board of Commissioners highlighted agreement between the two candidates seeking the office, a close examination of their stands on important questions before the commission shows significant disagreements.
Incumbent Commissioner Margaret Hale is opposed to interbasin transfers of water, saying Oconee County must protect its water resources “for the future of our area.”
Challenger Tammy Gilland says interbasin transfers are being used in the state and will continue to be used in the future and should be allowed in the future “only if the effects on the donor basin and its economy and ecology have been thoroughly researched and discussed.”
Hale said she agrees with “the concept” of requiring developers to do mitigation in Oconee County for damage to streams and wetlands in the county and said the county can tell the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of that preference.
Gilland said she is in favor of telling the Corps to “first consider the Upper Oconee River Watershed,” which is current Corps policy, but “I do not feel we should solely restrict mitigation to Oconee County.”
Gilland is opposed to impact fees, which is a charge on new development to pay for the construction or expansion of off-site capital improvements that are necessitated by and benefit the new development.
A citizen committee has recommended that the county hire a consultant to develop a program for consideration in the county.
Hale is willing to study impact fees further.
Hale says the county should purchase Elder Mill when the owner decides to sell. Gilland says the county and interested citizens should work together to “develop a strategic plan” for funding purchase of the mill “through public and private means.”
Hale (left) said she is concerned about the debt the county has assumed as a result of the decision to partner with Walton County on the Hard Labor Creek reservoir and wants to find a way to pay that debt solely through the Utility Department, not by all citizens of the county.
Hale and Chuck Horton voted against the Hard Labor Creek decision, while Commissioner Jim Luke and Commission Chairman Melvin Davis, along with former commissioner Don Norris, voted in favor.
Gilland (right) said “I support the HLC Reservoir” and said that water customers “may experience an increase in water rates” to pay for the reservoir “but the long term benefits provided by the HLC Reservoir will be worth it.”
Water rates will increase on July 1 to help pay down the debt for the unbuilt reservoir.
These disagreements surfaced in written responses from the two candidates to 15 questions I posed in an email message on Tuesday evening. The two Republicans meet in the July 20 primary.
Hale sent me her written answers on Wednesday, and Gilland sent hers on Thursday.
Some of the questions had been covered in the June 3 forum sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, the June 9 forum organized by Russ Page and me on behalf of citizen groups, and the June 17 forum sponsored by the Oconee County Republican Party and by the Oconee Regional Republican Women.
When the question had been asked, I sought clarification or elaboration.
Other questions simply had not been asked in any of the forums.
Gilland gave general responses to a number of the questions, suggesting that disagreement might be even greater between the two candidates had she responded more specifically.
I asked if the candidates favored or opposed the designation of Elder Mill, Elder Mill Bridge and the Athens line as Regionally Important Resources by the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission.
Gilland said “I am in favor of the concept of protecting resources that are considered not only important to Oconee County but to the region as well” but never indicated if she supported the classification for these three.
Hale said “I do not have a problem with these three areas being designated.” She said she was concerned about the impact of the designation of the rail line, which runs through the county, since the designation “could potentially impact land owners surrounding the tracks.”
The nomination of the three resources was made by citizens, and Commissioner Luke and Chairman Davis raised strong concerns about the Athens line designation when the nominations were presented to the commission. Davis did not vote against the designation at the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission.
I asked what the two candidates proposed be done with the roughly $4.2 million in unspent 2003 SPLOST funds that had been set aside for the courthouse and other governmental facilities.
Gilland said some of the money will be needed for renovation work at the Government Annex and left it at that.
Hale said the money should be allocated to renovation at the Annex.
I asked the two candidates if they would be willing to discuss modifications to the enabling legislation for the county that might create districts for at least some commissioners, might alter the number of commissioners, might change elections to nonpartisan, might change the pay for commissioners or might change the terms of office of commissioners.
Hale said districts might result in fighting among commissioners now focusing on the whole county, that the “number of commissioners currently is right,” and that she does not support nonpartisan elections for commissioners.
Hale said that she does not like the way pay was handled by the previous board, which stipulated compensation in the enabling legislation and tied it to state salaries, but “I feel that the board is compensated sufficiently for their work.”
Hale said she is not opposed to term limits but feels “the citizens are the best judge of that decision.”
Gilland said she has not heard concerns “voiced by residents about the structure of the commission, payments of commissioners or their terms of service.” She said she is open to discussion but “I do not think any of these are of major concern to our citizens.”
At present, the four commissioners are spread around the county. Hale lives in the south. Horton lives east of Watkinsville. Luke lives in the north near Bogart. And John Daniell lives near North High Shoals. Gilland lives close to North High Shoals as well.
Hale said she is supportive of studying a program of Transfer of Development Rights, which another citizen committee recommended be given further consideration by the BOC, “when the budget and economy turn around.”
The committee proposed the further study be done while development was stalled by the economy so a plan, if approved, could be put in place before new development pressure build. A TDR program would allow land owners in designated sender areas to sell the right to develop to land owners in designated recipient areas. The purchaser could use the new rights for such things as higher density development.
Gilland said she would be willing to consider the committee proposal “once I understand the upfront costs involved” in hiring a consultant.
I asked the two candidates for their position on construction of a southern loop that would link the current Oconee Connector Extension, also know as Jennings Mill Parkway, with the current Daniells Bridge road via a new flyover behind Home Depot.
Gilland said only the project is “several years down the road” and first attention should be given to the “Oconee Connector Extension, widening of Mars Hill road, and routine maintenance of existing roads.”
Hale said “At this time the Daniells Bridge Road infrastructure could not support this additional fly over.” She said that any proposal for a flyover “would have to incorporate improvements for safety on Daniells Bridge Road” before she would support it.
The county has listed the flyover as its top priority behind the widening of Mars Hill Road with the Madison Athens-Clarke Oconee Regional Transportation Study (MACORTS). Chairman Davis represents the county on MACORTS.
Hale committed to work with citizens along Barber Creek “to secure funding” to build a monitoring and warning capability to track discharges from the proposed Rocky Branch sewage treatment plant.
Gilland said she would “commit to meeting with citizens along Barber Creek to learn about the type of monitoring and warning system they would like in place.”
Hale said she would be pleased to be a member of a committee I am forming to help the county develop policy for its web site and “would be happy to bring recommendations back from this committee back to the board.”
Gilland said she “would be willing to help facilitate a discussion among the committee and the county’s Information Technology Department about the county’s web site.”
The web site is controlled at present by Chairman Davis, Administrative Officer Alan Theriault, Finance Director Jeff Benko and Commission Clerk Gina Davis. The IT Department is not involved in decisions about content, Theriault told me earlier this month.
It isn’t surprising that Gilland would have less formed answers than Hale on the issues covered by my questionnaire. Gilland has not been a regular attendee of BOC meetings during the last year and a half, when these issues have been before the board.
Hale is completing her 10th year as a board member.
In fact, on at least two of the 15 issues where Gilland and Hale are in agreement, Gilland’s position has moved toward agreement as the campaign has progressed and she has gained more knowledge about the issue.
Both candidates agree that the “next logical step” for the county as it considers future space needs for administrative and judicial offices is to assess what those needs really are.
On May 5, in an interview with WGAU’s Tim Bryant, Gilland said it already is clear that “the space we’re currently in is just too small. We’ve grown, and we’ve got to look at other space.”
She said the BOC is looking at space surrounding the courthouse and “at some property further down on (US) 441.”
In response to a question I posed to the BOC on April 20, all the commissioners except Chairman Davis denied that they are looking at any property at the present.
At the June 9 forum, Gilland said “I think we are still in the discussion stage on moving the courthouse.”
Gilland and Hale both said they would propose no change to the reorganization ordinance passed by the BOC in August of last year that made Theriault and Benko report to the full board rather than just to Chairman Davis. Neither proposed any additional changes.
When moderator Tim Bryant from WGAU asked a similar question of Hale and Gilland at the June 3 candidate forum sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, Gilland did not answer. She said she wanted to ask some questions first, including whether the problems the ordinance was designed to fix “could have been more effectively addressed internally rather than have a change of government.”
She was asked the same question at the June 9 candidate forum, and she also did not give a firm answer. Only at the June 17 forum did she say she supported the changes. She said she had come to the conclusion based on conversations with citizens who indicated they were happy with the changes made.
Hale and Gilland also committed to using membrane filtration or a comparable technology for the proposed Rocky Branch sewage treatment plant that would discharge into Barber Creek and to building sufficient holding ponds to hold water when the creek is flooding. The project is currently on hold because of the downturn in the economy.
The one significant area on which the two candidates have disagreed during the campaign has been on collaboration with Clarke County on regional development.
Gilland is strongly in favor of this, and Hale is strongly opposed.
But even in this case Gilland’s position has changed during the campaign. At the June 9 forum, she said “At this point in time I would not support a formal agreement or partnership with the two counties.”
The following night at a town hall meeting held by the Board of Commissioners and at the June 17 forum she stressed that she supported such an agreement in the future.
The two candidates also have background and stylistic differences, as responses to two questions posed at the GOP candidate forum on June 17 showed.
Moderator Blake Giles of The Oconee Enterprise asked the candidates “What makes you different from your opponent?” and “What has been the most difficult thing you have experienced on the campaign trail so far?”
Gilland’s responses were intense, and she said that her high energy will be beneficial to her and the rest of the county. She said the candidate forums were difficult for her because she likes to talk to people one-on-one.
Hale was folksy. She said didn’t mind the forums but really liked going door-to-door, even in the heat. She said she told her husband on one recent neighborhood walk that “we’re fixin' to have a wet t-shirt contest here” because of her perspiration.
Gilland said her volunteer work will be a big plus. Hale said she has focused on learning how to be a commissioner.
Gilland made it obvious that she sees her Clarke County experience as a positive and she feels voters will as well.
Hale made it clear that she does not agree on either count.
+++
I have put the questions I sent to the candidates and their answers on a single document that can be downloaded. I did not do any editing. What the candidates wrote, I pasted into the document.
+++
Getting people to the polls now is an important part of the campaigns.
As of Friday, only 301 voters had cast a ballot during the first three weeks of early voting. At the end of week two, 198 persons had voted, and at the end of the first week 129 votes had been cast. On June 1, the county had 22,203 registered voters.
+++
All three candidate forums are now available on the Oconee County Observations channel on Vimeo. Thanks to Sarah Bell, who recorded the first video.
While the three forums for candidates for Post 3 of the Oconee County Board of Commissioners highlighted agreement between the two candidates seeking the office, a close examination of their stands on important questions before the commission shows significant disagreements.
Incumbent Commissioner Margaret Hale is opposed to interbasin transfers of water, saying Oconee County must protect its water resources “for the future of our area.”
Challenger Tammy Gilland says interbasin transfers are being used in the state and will continue to be used in the future and should be allowed in the future “only if the effects on the donor basin and its economy and ecology have been thoroughly researched and discussed.”
Hale said she agrees with “the concept” of requiring developers to do mitigation in Oconee County for damage to streams and wetlands in the county and said the county can tell the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of that preference.
Gilland said she is in favor of telling the Corps to “first consider the Upper Oconee River Watershed,” which is current Corps policy, but “I do not feel we should solely restrict mitigation to Oconee County.”
Gilland is opposed to impact fees, which is a charge on new development to pay for the construction or expansion of off-site capital improvements that are necessitated by and benefit the new development.
A citizen committee has recommended that the county hire a consultant to develop a program for consideration in the county.
Hale is willing to study impact fees further.
Hale says the county should purchase Elder Mill when the owner decides to sell. Gilland says the county and interested citizens should work together to “develop a strategic plan” for funding purchase of the mill “through public and private means.”
Hale (left) said she is concerned about the debt the county has assumed as a result of the decision to partner with Walton County on the Hard Labor Creek reservoir and wants to find a way to pay that debt solely through the Utility Department, not by all citizens of the county.
Hale and Chuck Horton voted against the Hard Labor Creek decision, while Commissioner Jim Luke and Commission Chairman Melvin Davis, along with former commissioner Don Norris, voted in favor.
Gilland (right) said “I support the HLC Reservoir” and said that water customers “may experience an increase in water rates” to pay for the reservoir “but the long term benefits provided by the HLC Reservoir will be worth it.”
Water rates will increase on July 1 to help pay down the debt for the unbuilt reservoir.
These disagreements surfaced in written responses from the two candidates to 15 questions I posed in an email message on Tuesday evening. The two Republicans meet in the July 20 primary.
Hale sent me her written answers on Wednesday, and Gilland sent hers on Thursday.
Some of the questions had been covered in the June 3 forum sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, the June 9 forum organized by Russ Page and me on behalf of citizen groups, and the June 17 forum sponsored by the Oconee County Republican Party and by the Oconee Regional Republican Women.
When the question had been asked, I sought clarification or elaboration.
Other questions simply had not been asked in any of the forums.
Gilland gave general responses to a number of the questions, suggesting that disagreement might be even greater between the two candidates had she responded more specifically.
I asked if the candidates favored or opposed the designation of Elder Mill, Elder Mill Bridge and the Athens line as Regionally Important Resources by the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission.
Gilland said “I am in favor of the concept of protecting resources that are considered not only important to Oconee County but to the region as well” but never indicated if she supported the classification for these three.
Hale said “I do not have a problem with these three areas being designated.” She said she was concerned about the impact of the designation of the rail line, which runs through the county, since the designation “could potentially impact land owners surrounding the tracks.”
The nomination of the three resources was made by citizens, and Commissioner Luke and Chairman Davis raised strong concerns about the Athens line designation when the nominations were presented to the commission. Davis did not vote against the designation at the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission.
I asked what the two candidates proposed be done with the roughly $4.2 million in unspent 2003 SPLOST funds that had been set aside for the courthouse and other governmental facilities.
Gilland said some of the money will be needed for renovation work at the Government Annex and left it at that.
Hale said the money should be allocated to renovation at the Annex.
I asked the two candidates if they would be willing to discuss modifications to the enabling legislation for the county that might create districts for at least some commissioners, might alter the number of commissioners, might change elections to nonpartisan, might change the pay for commissioners or might change the terms of office of commissioners.
Hale said districts might result in fighting among commissioners now focusing on the whole county, that the “number of commissioners currently is right,” and that she does not support nonpartisan elections for commissioners.
Hale said that she does not like the way pay was handled by the previous board, which stipulated compensation in the enabling legislation and tied it to state salaries, but “I feel that the board is compensated sufficiently for their work.”
Hale said she is not opposed to term limits but feels “the citizens are the best judge of that decision.”
Gilland said she has not heard concerns “voiced by residents about the structure of the commission, payments of commissioners or their terms of service.” She said she is open to discussion but “I do not think any of these are of major concern to our citizens.”
At present, the four commissioners are spread around the county. Hale lives in the south. Horton lives east of Watkinsville. Luke lives in the north near Bogart. And John Daniell lives near North High Shoals. Gilland lives close to North High Shoals as well.
Hale said she is supportive of studying a program of Transfer of Development Rights, which another citizen committee recommended be given further consideration by the BOC, “when the budget and economy turn around.”
The committee proposed the further study be done while development was stalled by the economy so a plan, if approved, could be put in place before new development pressure build. A TDR program would allow land owners in designated sender areas to sell the right to develop to land owners in designated recipient areas. The purchaser could use the new rights for such things as higher density development.
Gilland said she would be willing to consider the committee proposal “once I understand the upfront costs involved” in hiring a consultant.
I asked the two candidates for their position on construction of a southern loop that would link the current Oconee Connector Extension, also know as Jennings Mill Parkway, with the current Daniells Bridge road via a new flyover behind Home Depot.
Gilland said only the project is “several years down the road” and first attention should be given to the “Oconee Connector Extension, widening of Mars Hill road, and routine maintenance of existing roads.”
Hale said “At this time the Daniells Bridge Road infrastructure could not support this additional fly over.” She said that any proposal for a flyover “would have to incorporate improvements for safety on Daniells Bridge Road” before she would support it.
The county has listed the flyover as its top priority behind the widening of Mars Hill Road with the Madison Athens-Clarke Oconee Regional Transportation Study (MACORTS). Chairman Davis represents the county on MACORTS.
Hale committed to work with citizens along Barber Creek “to secure funding” to build a monitoring and warning capability to track discharges from the proposed Rocky Branch sewage treatment plant.
Gilland said she would “commit to meeting with citizens along Barber Creek to learn about the type of monitoring and warning system they would like in place.”
Hale said she would be pleased to be a member of a committee I am forming to help the county develop policy for its web site and “would be happy to bring recommendations back from this committee back to the board.”
Gilland said she “would be willing to help facilitate a discussion among the committee and the county’s Information Technology Department about the county’s web site.”
The web site is controlled at present by Chairman Davis, Administrative Officer Alan Theriault, Finance Director Jeff Benko and Commission Clerk Gina Davis. The IT Department is not involved in decisions about content, Theriault told me earlier this month.
It isn’t surprising that Gilland would have less formed answers than Hale on the issues covered by my questionnaire. Gilland has not been a regular attendee of BOC meetings during the last year and a half, when these issues have been before the board.
Hale is completing her 10th year as a board member.
In fact, on at least two of the 15 issues where Gilland and Hale are in agreement, Gilland’s position has moved toward agreement as the campaign has progressed and she has gained more knowledge about the issue.
Both candidates agree that the “next logical step” for the county as it considers future space needs for administrative and judicial offices is to assess what those needs really are.
On May 5, in an interview with WGAU’s Tim Bryant, Gilland said it already is clear that “the space we’re currently in is just too small. We’ve grown, and we’ve got to look at other space.”
She said the BOC is looking at space surrounding the courthouse and “at some property further down on (US) 441.”
In response to a question I posed to the BOC on April 20, all the commissioners except Chairman Davis denied that they are looking at any property at the present.
At the June 9 forum, Gilland said “I think we are still in the discussion stage on moving the courthouse.”
Gilland and Hale both said they would propose no change to the reorganization ordinance passed by the BOC in August of last year that made Theriault and Benko report to the full board rather than just to Chairman Davis. Neither proposed any additional changes.
When moderator Tim Bryant from WGAU asked a similar question of Hale and Gilland at the June 3 candidate forum sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, Gilland did not answer. She said she wanted to ask some questions first, including whether the problems the ordinance was designed to fix “could have been more effectively addressed internally rather than have a change of government.”
She was asked the same question at the June 9 candidate forum, and she also did not give a firm answer. Only at the June 17 forum did she say she supported the changes. She said she had come to the conclusion based on conversations with citizens who indicated they were happy with the changes made.
Hale and Gilland also committed to using membrane filtration or a comparable technology for the proposed Rocky Branch sewage treatment plant that would discharge into Barber Creek and to building sufficient holding ponds to hold water when the creek is flooding. The project is currently on hold because of the downturn in the economy.
The one significant area on which the two candidates have disagreed during the campaign has been on collaboration with Clarke County on regional development.
Gilland is strongly in favor of this, and Hale is strongly opposed.
But even in this case Gilland’s position has changed during the campaign. At the June 9 forum, she said “At this point in time I would not support a formal agreement or partnership with the two counties.”
The following night at a town hall meeting held by the Board of Commissioners and at the June 17 forum she stressed that she supported such an agreement in the future.
The two candidates also have background and stylistic differences, as responses to two questions posed at the GOP candidate forum on June 17 showed.
Moderator Blake Giles of The Oconee Enterprise asked the candidates “What makes you different from your opponent?” and “What has been the most difficult thing you have experienced on the campaign trail so far?”
Gilland’s responses were intense, and she said that her high energy will be beneficial to her and the rest of the county. She said the candidate forums were difficult for her because she likes to talk to people one-on-one.
Hale was folksy. She said didn’t mind the forums but really liked going door-to-door, even in the heat. She said she told her husband on one recent neighborhood walk that “we’re fixin' to have a wet t-shirt contest here” because of her perspiration.
Gilland said her volunteer work will be a big plus. Hale said she has focused on learning how to be a commissioner.
Gilland made it obvious that she sees her Clarke County experience as a positive and she feels voters will as well.
Hale made it clear that she does not agree on either count.
+++
I have put the questions I sent to the candidates and their answers on a single document that can be downloaded. I did not do any editing. What the candidates wrote, I pasted into the document.
+++
Getting people to the polls now is an important part of the campaigns.
As of Friday, only 301 voters had cast a ballot during the first three weeks of early voting. At the end of week two, 198 persons had voted, and at the end of the first week 129 votes had been cast. On June 1, the county had 22,203 registered voters.
+++
All three candidate forums are now available on the Oconee County Observations channel on Vimeo. Thanks to Sarah Bell, who recorded the first video.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Oconee County Board of Commissioners Candidates Differ, Agree at GOP Candidate Forum
Both Like Transparency
Oconee County Board of Commissioners candidates Tammy Gilland and Margaret Hale used the GOP Candidate Forum last week to showcase differences on approaches to regional development and similarities on views about the county courthouse and last summer’s redrawing of the county’s organizational chart.
Gilland once again said she favored cooperation between Oconee County and Athens-Clarke County on development.
Hale said the two counties already are working closely enough together and that the proposed regional plan is not good for Oconee County.
Gilland said she has come to the conclusion that the reorganization ordinance passed by the commissioners last August has worked.
Hale, who was a proponent of those changes, said the same.
Hale said she doesn’t feel that there is any need at this time to move the courthouse.
Gilland agreed.
Neither Hale nor Gilland said a move to a county manager form of government is needed.
“I do support regional economic development because Oconee County is not an island,” Gilland said. “We want to make sure Oconee County is at the table...I think it is very important that we remain competitive and that we work regionally with the communities in our area.”
“The regional economic development plan that was presented to the board for consideration,” Hale said, “talked about taking our economic office out of the county, merging it with Clarke County.” She said such a move ignored differences between the economic development offices of the two counties.
“I spent the last couple of weeks talking to a lot of people,” Gilland said. “They say the county government is running efficiently. It is transparent.”
“I see no need to change the government,” she added. “I know there is talk out there ‘that if you elect her, she is going to turn everything over. She is going to change the government.’ No, I’m not.”
“As far as moving the courthouse,” she said. “No.”
“I am glad the board moved toward transparency,” Hale said. “I can say as a commissioner that the information I receive is daily. It is on time. I know what’s going on. I don’t have to read an issue that’s in the paper.”
“I don’t see the need right now to move the courthouse,” she said. “If a decision comes that that has to be done, it will be done publicly.”
Local blogger Johnathan McGinty, who also writes a column for the Athens Banner-Herald, stirred the pot last week regarding the regional economic development proposal for Athens-Clarke and Oconee County.
McGinty, a proponent of the proposed regional development plan, in a June 18 posting on his blog Beyond the Trestle quoted Gilland as saying in an email to him that the argument that Oconee County would lose its economic development office is “a fear tactic” that isn't rooted in the reality of the existing proposals.
McGinty quoted Gilland as saying that she had spoken with several members from both the Athens-Clarke County Chamber of Commerce and the Oconee County Chamber of Commerce and that the location of the joint regional development office is negotiable.
The Oconee Athens-Clarke Regional Economic Development Task Force wrote on pages 8 and 9 of its May 21, 2008, report that it was proposing “merging the financial resources of the current economic development efforts of both counties...
“The merger of these bodies is an essential step to drive efficiencies, unify marketing efforts, re-engage at the state level, maximize individual skills, and provide a ‘one stop shop’ for state leaders and others interested in the region,” the report said.
“In order to develop a one-stop shop for business recruitment and development, the task force recommends that the new organization initially be physically co-located with the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce. As the organization matures, the board would decide if a different location or additional locations are needed.”
The GOP forum was the third such face-off of the candidates, and Gilland and Hale seem to have grown more comfortable sharing the podium and the questions.
In response to questions, Gilland presented herself as more cosmopolitan.
Hale presented herself as more folksy.
They shared a few personal stories, and they dealt with one issue explicitly that involved family. Each woman has a son and a daughter, though Hale’s children are grown while Gilland’s are still in school.
Moderator Blake Giles, editor of The Oconee Enterprise, asked, “Can you be fair and objective to all county government departments if you have a close relative employed in a specific county department.”
Hale’s daughter works for the Sheriff, and Hale answered by saying that the sheriff is an elected official who is answerable to the public, not to the Board of Commissioners. “He is in charge of the sheriff’s department,” she said.
“If I had a child that was working with a county department,” Gilland said, “it would be very hard for me to separate my motherly feelings from my professional feelings. I think my head would be telling me to go in one direction but my heart might be leading me to go into another.”
“If I found myself in a position where a family member that wanted to seek a position with the county,” Gilland said. “I think I would simply ask them to look elsewhere.”
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The full video of the GOP candidate forum is on the Oconee County Observations Channel of Vimeo.
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