Friday, November 3, 2000
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Friday, November 3, 2000 |
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Voters head to the polls Tuesday By JOHN THOMPSON Coweta County residents head to the polls Tuesday with several key races to be decided. Perhaps the race that has drawn the biggest spotlight is the race between incumbent County Commission Chairman Vernon "Mutt" Hunter and challenger Marvin McKoy. Hunter has been involved in Coweta County politics for more than 40 years and is running on his record as commissioner for the last two terms. He points to the new water lines and road that have been paved and adds that the commission has cut the property tax rate for the last eight years. Hunter also adds that during his tenure, the commission raised the minimum lot size from eight-tenths of an acre to 1.6 acres, which has dramatically slowed the residential growth in the county. But McKoy sees things differently. The challenger runs his own engineering company and said it's time for a change. He cites the often contentious relationship between the county government and municipalities such as Senoia. The relationship between the county and Senoia caused Senoia Mayor Joan Trammell to endorse McKoy, which sent ripples out across the political lake. McKoy also believes the county does not need to function as the Airport Authority and would seek public input on a new Airport Authority, composed of citizens. Another hotly contested race has been the race for state House District 106. Incumbent Republican John Yates is seeking to win reelection against Griffin businessman and Democrat Lee Howell. Yates said people should vote for him because of his honesty, integrity and experience. "I am a member of what Tom Brokaw called "the greatest generation," one that believes in liberty, equality, morality, courtesy and other virtues. I have experienced a growth in the House from 36 Republicans to the present 78. I believe strongly in continuing until we reach parity with Democrats," he said. He also believes that priority should be given to technical school funding. "Unfortunately for our area, an irresponsible decision by Speaker Tom Murphy removed funding for the governor's number one recommendation for Griffin Tech, which is the best reason I can think of to vote Republican," he said. Howell believes it's time for a change and has delivered that message in numerous political forums and mailings. "We need, and should demand, to have a representative who is positive, progressive and pragmatic, one who is responsive and responsible, one who can deliver for all of us, because results, not platitudes or promises, are what matters," he said. Howell maintains that he can work well on both sides of the aisle, compared to the partisanship of Yates. He also wants to make sure that the growth coming to the south side is managed. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. In addition to local, state and national candidates, the ballot includes several constitutional amendments and referendum questions, and with heavy voter turnout expected Tuesday, election officials are encouraging voters to prepare ahead of time to reduce the time it takes to vote. Voters are urged to mark sample ballots and take them into the voting booth to speed the process. Coweta County's sample ballot is printed on page ** in today's Citizen Review. Explanations of the constitutional amendments and referendum questions, courtesy of the secretary of state's office, is on page **. Information also is available at the secretary of state'sweb page, www.sos.state.ga.us/. Information on constitutional amendments and referendum questions also is available at the secretary of state's information hot line, 888-265-1115.
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