Wednesday, May 9, 2001
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Wednesday, May 9, 2001 |
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5 candidates run for commission special election By DAVE HAMRICK
Five candidates will be asking for your vote June 19 in a special election to replace Post 3 Fayette County Commissioner Harold Bost, who resigned recently. Running for the post will be Scott Gilbert, of McBride Road, Fayetteville; Brian Scott Bischoff, of Massengale Road, Brooks; Charlie Mask, McBride Road, Fayetteville; Stephen D. Ott, of Jericho Lane, Fayetteville, and Peter Pfeifer, of Copperplate Lane, Peachtree City. The nonpartisan election will be conducted 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. June 19, with a runoff, if necessary, slated for July 10. In order to vote in this election, voters must be registered by May 21. Bischoff, 26, practices law in Fayetteville and also is entering his first campaign for elected office. Controlled growth in accord with the county land use plan will be a key issue in his campaign, said Bischoff. "Also, we're approaching 100,000 people, and we need to make sure the county and the commission look at tomorrow instead of just looking at today. We're building a new courthouse and a new jail because 15 years ago we didn't have the foresight to see this was going to happen," he said. Gilbert, 37, is a newcomer to Fayette County politics, and styles his candidacy as a campaign for "all the right reasons." "I believe in the philosophy that less government is the best government," he said. "I believe also that personal responsibility, as it applies to individuals, can replace some government functions. My policy will always include listening to concerned citizens and using my knowledge and consensus-building skills to achieve positive results." Gilbert is vice president of Southside Wrecker Service. Mask, 70, is no newcomer to political life in Fayette. A native of the county, he served on the County Commission in the late '80s. "We started a lot of programs that I'd like to continue to work with," said Mask, adding a priority would be to get water service to more areas of the county. "I want to help the homeless and needy people and work with the animal shelter," he added. Mask is a semiretired barber. Ott, 33, is a Fayetteville lawyer trying for political office for the first time. Controlled, planned growth is an important issue to Ott, he said, adding that as the county grows, it's also important to make sure the Sheriff's Department is well funded. "We need to make sure the sheriff has what he needs to make sure the county is a safe place," he said. Ott also called for more cooperation between Fayette and local cities. "A lot of resources are being used fighting each other that we could use instead to work together and find ways to serve the citizens," he said. He also called for more attention to recreation, and a system of evaluating county employees. Pfeifer, 53, said he wants to fight efforts by state and regional agencies to usurp local counties' power. "We need people in office who will fight against the effort to destroy or weaken local government," said Pfeifer, who is manager of Contract Product Group in Peachtree City. The Georgia Regional Transportation Authority and the new regional water board are two examples, he said. "Our Board of Commissioners unanimously stated that they would never give up their constitutional duty of local control of land use planning and zoning to either the ARC or the Transportation Authority. People can elect me with full assurance that I support this principle and that support for this stand will remain unanimous," he said. Pfeiffer ran unsuccessfully for County Commission several years ago. He also has worked in numerous campaigns and has served in numerous Republican Party offices.
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