Friday, October 31, 2003

Council races to be decided on Tuesday

By LINDSAY BIANCHI
Special to The Citizen

Voters across South Fulton County head to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in several key municipal and county elections.

In Union City, incumbents Joan Stewart and Helen Turner are looking to return to the City Council.

But three candidates are challenging the incumbents and may give “The Progressive City” a new viewpoint Tuesday. The challengers are Alissa King, 26, a free-lance journalist; Vertisha Hardwick, 40, a legal secretary and

Odell Mashburn, 76, retired.

In Fairburn, Edna Lyons, 48, a homemaker has thrown her hat in the ring along with Ron Alderman, 61, a real estate broker, and Mario Avery, 38, to challenge the three incumbents; Marion Johnson, Harvey Melear and Frankie Arnold.

The races in both the cities are for at large council posts.

Voters will also decide who will head up the Fulton County Commission. Chairman Mike Kenn vacated the post earlier in the year to accept a job with a transportation consulting group and several candidates are vying for the chairmanship of the state’s largest county.

The candidates are Democrat Mitzi Bickers, 37, a pastor and vice president of a construction company; Democrat and former Commissioner Karen Webster, 43, consultant; Republican Milton Farris, 59, president of an alternate energy company and Republican Karen Handel, 41, who was the Governor’s deputy chief of staff.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.