Linda Wells, who convincingly won the Republican nomination for County Commission Post 4 in August, will face Democrat Bruce Bannister in the final leg of the 1998 election marathon Nov. 3.

Democrats have not fared well in Fayette elections in recent years, but this year's crop of challengers say they are eager to overturn that convention.

Bruce Bannister

A former city councilman (eight years) and mayor (four years) in East Point, Ga., Bannister said he believes in conservative spending, holding the line on taxes, controlling growth with a well-thought-out land use plan, protecting property rights, and the citizens' right to speak out at commission meetings.

He proposes increases in the local homestead exemption, reductions in commissioners' salaries and fines for ethics violations.

"I want to get rid of government against the people and bring back government for the people," said Bannister, a three-year resident of Tyrone. "Taxes are getting out of hand," he added.

Bannister said he wants to cut commissioners' salaries to $10,500 a year and do away with the practice of linking the salaries to those of Superior Court Judges.

Currently, commissioners get a raise every time judges do, and judges receive an automatic increase of 4 percent each October. Salaries Oct. 1 jumped from $14,719 to approximately $15,307. The commission chairman's part time salary increased from $18,734 to $19,483.

"They only meet twice a month. If we keep going by the judges' salaries they'll be making 25 or 30 thousand dollars one day. I think around $10,000 would be enough," said Bannister.

He also proposes a fine of $4,000 for any commissioner who votes on a rezoning petition in which he or she has a financial interest, "either through an undisclosed business relationship or a personal friendship," he said.

"It's time that the commissioners put the interests of Fayette County residents over their individual interests," said Bannister. He called for "less politics, less wasteful spending, more hard work."

Bannister said he doesn't agree with some commissioners who have recently called for an end to the county's Development Authority or a severe reduction of its budget. "If you want to have a quality, thriving business community, you've got to have one," he said. "If you don't, your taxes will go up."

Bannister received the Atlanta Journal/Constitution South Fulton Extra Community Service Award in 1984, and was appointed by Gov. Jimmy Carter to the advisory council for the Georgia Crime Information Center.

An Army veteran, he is retired after working for R&R Publishing Services.

"I think I've got the experience to do the job," said Bannister. "I'm interested in the community, and I enjoy helping people.

"I'm a conservative," he added. "Always have been. I'm not a national Democrat, just a local one."

Linda Wells

Executive director of the Fayette County Council on Battered Women, Wells says her "proven record of public service" and her willingness to make the tough decisions should convince voters to put her in office.

She served on the commission once before, 1993-96. "I have a proven record. Even people who don't agree with me will say 'Linda is honest. She tells you what she is going to do and does it,'" Wells said. "People are ready for an elected official who will give you honest answers and is capable of making the hard decisions.

Wells said Bannister's idea of fining commissioners for ethics violations is good as far as it goes, but she favors a more comprehensive approach to the issue, she said. "It just focuses on violations of rezonings," she said. "I don't think we should stop there."

She called for a comprehensive ethics ordinance that covers every aspect of commissioners' duties. "For instance, when services are performed for the county, the bidding procedures may not necessarily be handled," she said. "There's been some questionable behavior there, and that's just one example."

She is not opposed to Bannister's idea of reducing commissioners' salaries, Wells said, but said that's not a burning issue with her. "It's wonderful campaign rhetoric, but I don't see that it has any substance," she said.

To deal with Fayette's rapid growth, Wells proposes an immediate one-year moratorium on rezonings. The commission can't close the door on all rezonings or increases in population density, she said, but a moratorium will give planners a little breathing room. "It's got to increase in a rational fashion," she said.

Economic development is an important part of that planning, Wells said. She supports the Fayette County Development Authority's attempts to bring clean industry into the county, she said, but added the subject needs more discussion. "What is their role? I'm not sure the county is getting a good rate of return on its investment, so we may need to reassess what the county is getting," she said.

Wells said she also is concerned about the county's needs for new buildings and roads. "The citizens are going to have to be educated about our infrastructure needs and our capital improvement needs," she said.

A new jail is the most immediate need, she said, but road construction also is falling behind, and the county will soon have to deal with new federal rules on pollution of rainwater that drains over the county's yards, parking lots and roads. "These types of things are looming and we are not doing anything about it today," she said. "We are going to have to pay that price."