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Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2005
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Fayette Democratic legislators press for change to district voteBy J. FRANK LYNCH
The first of three public meetings planned to get feedback on a proposal to do away with at-large voting in Fayette County elections has been scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 22 at 10 a.m. at North Fayette Elementary School, 609 Kenwood Rd., Fayetteville. The discussion will piggyback the regular monthly meeting of the North Fayette Community Association, an organization of mostly black homeowners founded in 2001 out of concern they werent being fairly served by county government. Rep. Virgil Fludd of Tyrone, a Democrat from the 66th District and chairman of the countys seven-member legislative delegation, is a former president of the North Fayette Community Association. He said two more meetings are planned, one somewhere in south Fayette and another in Peachtree City, but details are still being worked out. While public opinion has yet to be heard on the issue, members of the county delegation continued to weigh in as the legislature opened this week. Fludd and fellow Democrats representing Fayette say that without district voting, the chances of a minority or female candidate winning countywide office are slim. Splitting the county into districts, they say, would help the odds for a minority candidate. Instead of five candidates voted on at-large countywide, each candidate would be elected solely by the voters from within his or her own district. The change would presumably apply to both County Commission and Board of Education races, Fludd and others say. This is one of the issues that I heard about the most while campaigning, said Rep. Roberta Abdul-Salaam of the 74th District, which starts northwest of Fayetteville and stretches north into Clayton County. I understand what the potential positives are to district voting, she said. There could be some better equality here, yes. But I also have to realize what the will of the people is. That sentiment is shared by the two Republican newcomers to the delegation, Rep. Dan Lakly of Peachtree City and Sen. Ronnie Chance of Tyrone. Both men say they willing to consider district voting, but stand firm against the idea of doing anything that doesnt reflect the desire of Fayette voters. Unless this is presented as the will of the people, I wont support it, Lakly said. Said Chance, I wasnt elected to tell the County Commission what they must do, especially when that decision will affect the people who elected me the most. Both Lakly and Chance said theyll be at the Jan. 22 meeting. There is uncertainty that the issue would be seriously considered by the legislature at large if all seven members of the Fayette delegation arent behind it. Democrats hold a 4-3 majority in Fayette, and thats enough for Fludd. If the local delegation supports it, the General Assembly will go along with it, Fludd argued. But Id hope the delegation would be unanimously behind it. Meanwhile, the president of the Fayette County branch of the NAACP expressed concern about the potential division a drawn-out angry debate might create. We want to do whats best for the community, said the Rev. Ed Johnson, pastor of Flat Rock AME Church. We want to make sure Fayette County remains progressive and harmonious for all our residents. We dont want this seen as setting boundaries, especially boundaries set by race. The NAACP hasnt taken a position on the matter, Johnson said, but he knew that intelligent discussions and an open mind would prove more productive for both sides. Said Johnson, You can get more bees with honey than you can with vinegar. |
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