The Citizen posed several questions to candidates for the two posts being decided for the Fayette County Commission. The questions are as follows:

1. What’s your position on growth: Would you like to see Fayette County speed up development in the unincorporated areas or maintain its current, traditional “slow growth” plan? Explain if or how you would change the current approach to growth.

2. Compared to the current board’s rezoning record, will you vote for more or fewer or as about as many rezonings if you are elected? Explain how you would support or differ from the current board’s growth policies.

3. Do you support the extension or provision of sewer service in unincorporated Fayette County? Why or why not?

4. If you support the use of sewer, what is your responsibility for preventing overcrowded schools and overburdened roads?

5. Which road infrastructure improvements do you consider the most important?

6. Do you support the spending for the Kenwood park in north Fayette or would you like to see the project scaled back?

7. How will Fayette County be improved by your election?

The answers given by the candidates are keyed to the questions numbers above.

Greg Dunn - County Commission Post 5

1. My position on growth is to continue what I have done for the past seven and a half years, i.e., strict adherence to the land use plan and strict enforcement of our zoning ordinance.

Of course, some growth is inevitable but we, not the developers, must determine the extent and pace of that growth. We cannot allow outside interests to overdevelop our beautiful community and leave us to live with the impact of that growth.

I would change our growth approach even further by making it harder for cities to annex county lands and increase the density which we have meticulously planned and tenuously defended.

To that end I am working with the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia to change existing annexation laws to at least provide “an even playing field” for further annexation actions.

2. Since I am on the current board and am one of those responsible for having slowed our growth record (reduced residential building permits by 40 percent since becoming chairman) I would not change, but would continue what I believe is a trend which is absolutely critical to our future quality of life.

3. I do not support the extension of sewer services into the unincorporated county except where it is required by law and then only to avoid costly lawsuits which we would lose.

Our recent extension of the Peachtree City sewer to a development near the school complex at Redwine and Ga. Highway 74 was only done because current state law requires us to hook up a development within 500 feet of a sewer line if there is existing available capacity. That development was only a few feet from the sewer line. Of course, had a previous board not allowed the extension of sewer to that area it would never have been an issue.

I would not support the county providing its own sewer service to the unincorporated county. The lack of availability of sewer is the only reason we have been able to control density in the unincorporated county. If we allowed it, our zoning and land use would not be upheld by the courts any more than it has been anyplace else in the Atlanta metro area.

4. I have already stated that I do not support sewer in the unincorporated county. However, Mr. Maxwell, my challenger does! He has publicly criticized the County Commission for not permitting Heritage Christian Church to tie into the Peachtree City sewer system. They were several thousand feet from the existing sewer lines and therefore we were not required to allow it.

Had we done so, any and all future requests from developers would be challenged in court. How could we defend approving one request and not other similar requests?

Our board agonized over our decision. We would have liked to accommodate this wonderful congregation, but what would Fayette County become as one development after another with high density was permitted?

Mr. Maxwell said, in his Feb. 8, 2006 letter to the editor, he would “allow any church” to tie into the sewer system. As an attorney and sitting judge he, better than most, must realize what his promise would do to our community.

How can a lawyer/judge who aspires to be a commissioner possibly advocate a policy which discriminates one applicant from another based on their status?

If we could have figured out a legally defensible way to help the Heritage Christian Church, we would have. Mr. Maxwell knows he could never defend a policy which would favor one group of citizens above all others.

5. The road improvements I consider most important are those roads which bring our citizens to and from their jobs and shopping more quickly and easily. Most of our traffic problems are caused by commuters who are coming through the county to get to and from Atlanta (and the airport) and those trying to access our commercial establishments.

To that end, I believe that widening the roads/bridges on Hwy. 54/34 in Peachtree City and the bypass around Fayetteville are critical. Also critical is the completion of four lanes on Hwy. 54 from Interstate 85 to Hwy. 41 in Clayton County. We must move this traffic through our county and the adjoining counties as quickly and safely as possible.

Because of our detailed planning and your help passing the transportation SPLOST, for the first time in our history and in conjunction with all our cities we now have the collective will and the federal, state and local dollars to make our transportation plan a reality.

I now chair the Transportation and Air Quality Control Committee at the Atlanta Regional Commission (19 counties) and can assure you that we are no longer treated as an insignificant, small, Southern county with no ability to complete for attention and dollars.

From that position I have visibility and impact on all regional transportation plans in the metro area. This committee also recommends how all federal and state transportation dollars will be spent in the region every year.

It is essential that we continue to articulate our needs to the region rather than simply complain about traffic. It is not accidental that you see so much more road construction, resurfacing and bridge work occurring throughout our county. We cannot afford to give up our ever increasing impact on regional transportation planning and allocation of funding.

6. I do support the construction of recreational facilities in North Fayette. As you have probably heard, the costs of the park have escalated quite a bit since the commitment to build the facility was made. I am prepared to support Phase I at this time.

We have eliminated some of the minor facilities in Phase I and funds are available. Phase II facilities may have to be scaled back a bit or phased in more slowly.

However, the County Commission must eventually complete this project. All Fayette County citizens will require additional park facilities as our county continues to grow. This is the only highly populated area of our county with no recreational facilities. Eventually, we will have to provide another park facility in South Fayette as well.

7. If re-elected I will continue to operate with absolute integrity, will continue to adhere strictly to our land use and zoning plans, will continue to stabilize taxes and, of course, will continue to strive for total accountability of taxpayers’ money.

For me things are relatively simple. I obey federal, state and local law and expect all others to do the same. I thoroughly study and weigh both sides of every issue and then vote my conscience and I expect all others to do the same. I work tirelessly to treat all citizens with dignity and fairness and expect all others to do the same. I care deeply about this community and all of its citizens and I hope all other would do the same.

I must warn you, however, that any time anyone or anything threatens the welfare of our citizens or the quality of life in the community you may find me in disagreement or even conflict with them.

If you are looking for someone who will “go along to get along” or is too timid to fight for a just cause, I’m not your guy! If you want someone who is not intimidated by “special interests,” I am your guy. Despite what you’ve read or heard from my challenger, I do get along with most people most of the time.

I invite anyone who has any questions regarding my answers or who needs further details on any issue to please call me at 770-631-9630. More information on the above issues can also be found on my Web site, www.ElectGregDunn.org.

Eric Maxwell - County Commission Post 5

1. My position on growth is more fully discussed in my weekly Citizen’s Forum. I am for slow, quality growth. I wish I could stop growth; however, it can only be managed.

2. Rezonings by the current County Commission seem to be a matter of routine business. Rezonings should be the exception. I will vote for less rezoning than the current county commission chairman.

3. The answer is simple: NO county sewerage. I am on record, however, from time to time (i.e., The Heritage Baptist Church issue) an exception should be made on a case by case basis. I would have allowed the church to connect into the Peachtree City sewer system. I would not have sued Tyrone when Tyrone sought sewer from Fulton County.

4. Because of my answer above, this question is not applicable.

5. The road infrastructure improvement needed in numerous and in no particular order:

A. Ga. Highway 74 north from Tyrone to Interstate 85. Under Chairman Dunn, who brags that he is chairman of the Atlanta Regional Commission Traffic Department, Hwy. 74 has become more congested rather than less. Chairman Dunn was asleep at the wheel when Fairburn decided to overdevelop the I-85 interchange. Fayette County residents and more specifically citizens of Peachtree City and Tyrone will suffer endless hours of standstill traffic because of this development. A limited assess highway should have gone in place rather than the numerous curb cuts and stop lights. A little planning would have gone a long way.

B. The east and west Fayetteville bypasses are a must.

C. The TDK extension is a no-brainer.

6. I am in favor of Kenwood Park. The residents of North Fayette County have been ignored too long. I am concerned that the current County Commission may have over-committed. I now understand that the initial $10 million price tag has increased to $18 million. I would like to see the studies that show the projected utilization of this park. I think that we should maintain our current parks rather than over-commit. Port-a-johns at Kiwanis Field are unacceptable.

7. I will not be confrontational with other elected officials. I will listen to other points of view. I will not present an “it’s my way or the highway” attitude. I will not be condescending to others. I will treat others with respect. I will be fair to all concerned. I am going to do the right thing. It is time for a change!

Sam Chapman - County Commission Post 4

1. I feel that the growth strategy of the county is a good one, but as commissioners, we should lead not as overseeing dictators but as neighboring colleagues and friends with our cities. I was raised to lead with service above self and treat your neighbor as you would wish to be treated. If a city governing body tries to represent their constituents in a unanimous ruling, the county commission should not step in as a “big brother” and dictate how they should lead their citizens. They should, however, act from their experiences and contribute resources if needed to help them with their local projects.

2. When a citizen brings a request to the commission that requires courage, we as leaders should seek good counsel and know where we are going to finish before we start. This is the value of a land use plan. As a business person, it is not my practice to settle but to be proactive and to find a way to see clarity that will bring the best results for everyone. No one can tell someone how many projects will come before the commission, but what we can do is show and tell how we face decisions and overcome challenges. Reactive governing that should have been proactive brought on the recent lawsuits. We can only be successful when we show leadership during hard times. It is easy to lead when things are going well. I believe the citizens today are looking for more proactive rather than reactive government.

3. When I was a boy playing in Line Creek, jumping rocks and catching crawfish and salamanders, and sometimes digging enough worms to go fishing, my father and mother never worried about my safety because the water was clean and you could drink it. For my 2-year-old daughter, this will not be an option. Although Fayette County has wonderful green space that I would like to see preserved, when asked about sewer expansion in unincorporated areas, my general answer would be no. Sewer expansion in these areas has only been necessary when industry, hospitals, churches, and schools brought needed changes to bring a more even tax base for our citizens.

When asking me if I am for sewer, it is like asking me if I had only three things in life to wish for, what they would be: clean air, fresh water, and a county with no trash on the roadways. I feel that these values are what are most important to my friends and neighbors.

4. In 2004, our citizens voted to tax themselves to correct our current road conditions. Many tries have been made in the past, but the SPLOST had always failed. Our roadway projects will begin soon. The commission has been taking in revenue for almost two years and has collected over $10,000,000 in an account waiting for its direction. It takes a lot of money to bring change when it comes to bettering roadways and improving traffic movement. Our county has a very comprehensive long-range traffic plan, which will ease the pressures and make all of our commutes better. The biggest problem we face is that we have neighboring counties building four lanes and sometimes greater into our two-lane road system. Our school board is faced with many challenges in trying to remap their districts so that they may fill the empty classrooms in some of our schools. I pray for their courage to make these changes, for they will not come easy.

5. When you look around Fayette County the traffic problems we have are everywhere. To choose which problem to address first is not a simple question. As a commission, we must implement policies and procedures to allow citizens input to determine which needs are greater. Currently, no system exists to allow citizen involvement even if a road problem exists near their home. Residents today who have filed written complaints have no assurance that the problem will be resolved or even if it fell on deaf ears.

More projects need to be put in the capital improvement projects (CIP). Most citizens are unsure about what is going on, where it is happening, and when it will start.

Fayette County still has dirt roads, some of which have overwhelming support to be paved. For example “Old Road” just off Ga. Highway 85 would alleviate traffic and provide a better pass-through to one of our county’s business parks. Our top public roads specialist, Tony Hearn, has expressed an emergency concern for a bridge on Kenwood Road near the school which is so old it is built of wood pilings. Even after this bridge has failed numerous safety tests, our current commission has maintained this hazard for our school buses to continue to cross with our children.

The East West Connector needs to be identified and begun so that we recruit post-secondary education facilities and trade schools and increase our desirability for new business.

6. Any reader that has made it this far can see that the issues are mainly engrossed in the most unincorporated areas of our county. If you spend as much time as I do visiting with my friends and my neighbors who live here, the one thing that you will find is strong Southern values. The Kenwood Park is a 175-acre parcel of land on the north end of the county. As a person who has enjoyed almost every recreational facility and is very active in our community, with all forms of recreation, I believe that through my research, our recreation has something missing. Many counties nearby have equestrian recreation facilities that would be ideal for the largest park in our county. Because of its size, there are natural pastures from underground gas lines that have to be maintained by the gas company. Horse people tend to be affluent and have lots of money. This unique recreation would unify our county and people would have reason to come and visit the upscale developments in this area. Would Peachtree City, Tyrone, Fayetteville, Brooks, and Woolsey and unincorporated Fayetteville come and enjoy basketball, softball and other types of recreation found everywhere in our county? If this park could be largely equestrian-based, it would be a constantly used park all seven days of the week. Horses have to be fed, watered, and stabled and this would be the jewel that the commission once talked about before. I have already had in-kind interest and volunteer support that would alleviate much of the cost, so that it would not be a great burden on the county. Most stables in our area have long waiting lists of clients who want quality stables for their horses and are willing to pay “big bucks” to use it.

7. If I am elected, I will continue to follow the current land use plan as well as cooperate with and support local city projects. I will encourage meeting times to be different for city councils and the commissioners so that all elected officials can be more involved and aware of each others projects. I will respect all citizens of Fayette County and hear your concerns. The availability and affordability for citizens to remain in their homes will be spelled out in my platform of “Stop the Waste.”

The Sheriff’s Office will always be a respected, elected, controlling authority of our county’s public safety. The marshal’s office role will be identified and duplication of services will be eliminated.

Our county has the highest per capita average of seniors than any other county including our coastal areas. The support and the assurance that they are listened to and respected will never fall on deaf ears if you allow me to serve you.

I am doing all I can through my business, but the needs I have seen need to be addressed by good government for I and many other volunteers can not do it alone. My values and passion and energy will show through my leadership as I continue to serve you. I would humbly like to represent our citizens in a larger capacity if elected. I appreciate your time and consideration in reading my information. Please call your friends and neighbors and spread the good news that there is someone running that hears you. Vote Sam Chapman July 18th.

Jack Smith - County Commission Post 4

1. My position on growth is to continue the slow growth that has been the hallmark of Fayette County’s quality of life. It is imperative that the county’s infrastructure not be burdened at any faster rate than it already has been. The county land use plan is and has been a great tool used to ensure the inevitable growth is properly managed. I see no reason to make any radical departures from a system that has generally worked well so far.

2. Any rezoning request should follow appropriate procedures which include review by professionals at the staff level and a recommendation by the planning and zoning commission. From past performance, it is evident that people placed in those positions of trust have the best interest of the county at heart in their investigation, analysis and recommendation of a course of action. While it is impossible to say they are inerrant, it would take a substantial preponderance of evidence to cause me to override their recommendations, assuming, of course, they remain dedicated and perform in the manner to which we are all accustomed.

Given that background, I believe it impossible to answer the question as presented because each and every zoning application is unique and should be evaluated on its own merits; and any answer given would trivialize the important work done by the county’s professional staff and the planning and zoning commission.

3. I do not support the wholesale extension of city sewer to the unincorporated county. The original land use plan included the more dense development as being located within the various city confines because the cities were equipped (with sewer) to handle that type of development. I know of nothing that has changed that should alter the original premise.

With that said, I can envision two instances where exceptions to this position would be warranted:

A. State or federal law or regulations required the provision of sewerage; and

B. The withholding of sewerage, after exhausting all other alternatives, would result in an environmental hazard to the residents of Fayette County.

4. N/A - Extension, by the cities, of sewer to unincorporated Fayette County would be the equivalent of the land use plan committing “sewer-cide.”

5. The recent SPLOST was a negotiation between the cities and the county regarding the inclusion of specific projects and also an establishment of priorities for completion of those projects. Since the voters of the county, as a whole, approved the SPLOST, I believe the priorities have already been established and should generally be adhered to.

6. I support a scaling back of the Kenwood park project. I do not understand the purchase and establishment of the largest park in the county in a part of the county that is not central to the bulk of the population. Nor do I understand location of a park, whether for adults or children, where a necessary part of the project includes a police precinct. I think the voters should be outraged that the $17,000,000 cost of that park project, as evidenced by the consultant’s study of January 2004, was kept secret until recently.

7. I believe Fayette County would be better served by my election because of my educational qualifications, my proven leadership skills and my technical knowledge of government operations, grants and programs.

Fayette County can benefit greatly by placing someone in office who believes it is the duty of the commission to find solutions that work for the betterment of the community; someone who believes the answer “no” is not a solution, but only an admission of the inability to suggest an alternative; someone who believes in the inherent goodness of people and treats each and everyone, city and county residents, elected officials, constitutional officers and county employees, with the courtesy and respect they deserve; someone who believes there are possible solutions to runaway property tax assessments; someone who believes in a strong reliance on the professionally trained county manager and the elimination of any micromanagement that is bludgeoning both employee moral and productivity; someone who is convinced that the annexation fights can be eliminated with proper planning; someone who is committed to working toward establishment of a permanent, dynamic method of revenue sharing with the various cities to take the politics out of the calculation; someone who is cognizant of taxation for duplicate services and will work to permanently eliminate any instance of it within the county; someone who believes that having the lowest tax rate is meaningless when it takes an election year to free money for Tyrone’s recreation program (first time in years the county has contributed to that program or placed any emphasis on recreation programs at all); someone who still thinks all the citizens of the county are county taxpayers and the county services are for all of them, and not just for the citizens in the unincorporated county.

In short, it is time to change the status quo; it is time to replace the dead-end trail of crisis management with someone who has fresh ideas, and a vision of how to make it better. That someone is me.

Linda Wells - County Commission Post 4

1. I am a proponent of planned growth that keeps pace with the infrastructure and I have a history of following a strict interpretation of the land use plan. I do support rezonings that are consistent with that plan, but I have/will reject any proposal that overburdens existing infrastructure such as roads, water, schools, utilities and existing neighborhoods.

2. Since I am part of the current board, I can only state that my growth polices will remain unchanged. There is a saying that mirrors my philosophy: “If you pick apples from the tree today, do not expect to pick oranges from that tree tomorrow.”

3. No. The county has a policy of a minimum of one acre lots and this policy has often been challenged in the courts. Part of the reason the courts have consistently ruled in our favor is because we can justify a need for lots of that size based on the possibility the septic site may need to be relocated. History has shown that with sewer, greater density quickly follows. In addition, I am concerned that the courts could then decide that one-acre minimums was no longer defendable and thereby throw out our current land use plan. Such a situation could result in development that would far outstrip the capacity of our infrastructure.

4. n/a

5. I believe the Fayetteville bypass is the most important program for us to pursue; it will relieve the traffic within the city and facilitate movement in and out of the county. However, it is important to remember that all road and infrastructure improvements will be for naught if we do not adhere to a rational development plan. A road built to handle one-acre subdivisions would be woefully inadequate to handle subdivisions built at three times that density. Any significant change in development strategy from the Board of Commissioners could result in rendering all of our current infrastructure improvements obsolete.

6. There seems to be a misconception that the Kenwood Park is being built to accommodate a certain population of the county. The reality is that the park is being built to augment the recreational needs for all of Fayette County. We hired a consultant firm to assess the recreational needs for a growing population. There were public meetings, surveys were sent via water bills, and input was sought from various county individuals. The result of that survey indicated that certain recreational needs were lacking or would be lacking within the near future. As early as 1996 the county recognized an additional park would be needed and a search for an acceptable site was begun. After years of searching for an adequately sized parcel with reasonable accessibility, the Kenwood site was determined to be most suitable/affordable. Unfortunately after Hurricane Katrina construction costs, like many other commodities, have skyrocketed. This has resulted in an increase in the projected park costs. I support the continued development of the Kenwood Park site but only to the extent of the original budget. Any further development will have to be evaluated based on budgetary constraints and needs at that time.

7. That answer can be summed up with one word: Experience. With 18 years’ experience as a nationally certified interpreter for the deaf, 10 years as the director for the Fayette County Council on Domestic violence, a registered nurse and as an owner of my own business, I have learned the value of diversity, personal responsibility and determination. For our county to continue its quality lifestyle, we need leaders with vision, compassion and a willingness to make tough decisions. I believe that my 12 years as your commissioner have proven that I have those qualities. Additionally, unlike my opponents, I have no ties to developers or special interest groups.

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