Friday, October 27, 2000
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Friday, October 27, 2000 |
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Candidates look to Senoia's future By JOHN THOMPSON With less than two weeks to go before the Nov. 7 General Election, local politicians are gearing up to get their message to the public. In eastern Coweta County, voters will choose a county commissioner, a state representative and, in Senoia, two City Council members. During the last month, voters have had three forums to hear the different candidates give their visions for the future. This week, The Coweta Citizen Review will focus on the Senoia Council candidates and next week, we'll provide you the issues and positions in the County Commission and state representative races. Senoia voters will go to the polls Nov. 7 and replace councilmen Kyle Frank and Judy Belisle, who are not seeking reelection. Voters will choose between Sonny Duke, Pam Youngblood, Darren Ratajski and Ken Gordon. The top two vote getters will join the City Council in January. Lifelong Senoia resident Sonny Duke is seeking elective office for the first time. Duke said he has seen the town decline and grow and believes the town is now at a crossroads. "We've got to deal with the sewer and water problems," he said. Duke believes residents need to connect with the city sewer service if the city decides to start its dormant water plant back in operation. He also believes that zoning issues need to be handled with kid gloves. "This is a touchy subject for me. I know we have to have rules, but you should have a choice as to what you're going to do with your property," he said. Although not exactly a municipal matter, Duke said he is from the old school and believes discipline needs to be restored in the schools. Pam Youngblood is currently chairman of the city's Planning Commission and believes her experience makes her an ideal candidate for council. She has lived in the city for more than four years and is involved in her husband's electrical business. Youngblood is in favor of opening the city's water plant and said it would be a useful backup to the water the city is currently buying from the county. She was heavily involved in rewriting the city's zoning ordinances as a member of the Planning Commission and believes the city should work on preserving the historical flavor of the town. Ken Gordon served one term on the Senoia City Council and owns his own fence company. He vows that residents will always know where they stand with him on issues. "I vote my conscience," he said. Gordon has always been a big proponent of opening the city's water plant and did quite a bit of research during his tenure on the council concerning municipal sewer systems. "I want to make sure our sewer system is installed properly," he said. Other issues that Gordon sees as key are reopening the bridge on Bridge Street and repairing the fractious relationship between the city and county. Darren Ratajski is a civil engineer and said his experience will help the city during its building of the sewer system and analyzing whether to open the water plant. He also favors keeping the historic flavor of the city, especially in new zoning matters.
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