7-16-12 Oconee BOC Posts 1 & 4 & BOE Chairman Races have some excellent candidates

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7-16-12 Oconee BOC Posts 1 & 4 & BOE Chairman Races have some excellent candidates

Becker.Article.Film.Clips.Citizen.Forums-7.9-10.12 http://oconeecountyobservations.blogspot.com/2012/07/oconee-county-citizens-turn-out-to.html .. GA Campaign 2012 Contributions Reports http://media.ethics.ga.gov/Search/Campaign/Campaign_ByName.aspx AVOC . July 14, 2012 . Oconee BOC Posts 1 & 4 & BOE Chairman Races have some excellent candidates . By Wendell Dawson, Editor, AVOC, Inc . Some important races for the county that have received minimal press coverage are for Board of Commissioners Posts 1 and 4 and School Board Chairman. We have some excellent candidates to choose from. AVOC will share some thoughts and information on those races. . School Board Chair 2012-both candidates are graduates of UGA . Michael Hunter (BSFR ’87), vice chairman of the Oconee County Board of Education, will face Tom Odom (BSED ’77, ’85 MED, ’90 EDS), a retired Oconee County principal, in July 31 balloting. Current Oconee County Board of Education . Mike Hunter is current vice-chairman of the Board. He is director of properties and facilities in the UGA Warnell School of Forestry. He has the support of the other board members and also has signs of support in areas all over the county, including rural areas. Getting along with the Board is an essential quality of a Chairman. . Mike Hunter, Vice-Chair of Oconee County Board of Education Lands and Facilities Manager – Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources . Tom Odom is a retired principal and administrator in the Oconee County School system. He has the support of many former teachers and students. He also has the support of the Oconee Rotary Club which has not always been a positive. Incumbent Chairman David Weeks and BOC Chairman Melvin Davis are also members of Rotary. Tom is very qualified as far as education and experience. He says he can work with the other board members even though they support Hunter. . Tom Odom, Retired Principal- Administrator . Post 1 –Board of Commissioners . Incumbent Jim Luke is seeking his third term on the Board. AVOC commends him for helping to bridle the Chairman a few years ago and helped create a more workable board. He has also been a strong proponent of keeping the tax millage low. . Jim Luke – BOC Post 1 . My biggest complaint about Jim is his vote (along with Melvin Davis and Don Norris) to get the county involved in the $ 353 Million Hard Labor Creek Reservoir. That project is costing large payments from the County’s struggling Utility Department (no revenue from the ghost or dormant subdivisions approved by the Board in recent years). Mr. Luke seems to have the support of the development community as well as county-wide support. AVOC thinks that HLC is a big mistake and Luke helped get us into it. 6-30-12 Oconee-Walton HLC Reservoir Project Has Many and Expensive Challenges Ahead http://www.avoc.info/info/article.php?article=4235 . Post 1 challenger, Sarah Bell, has never held elective office but did head up the Oconee County GOP in the late nineties. She came within 100 votes of defeating Melvin Davis for Chair in 2008. I don’t agree with Sarah on all issues but I think she will be fresh eyes on the Hard Labor Creek Reservoir project. The HLC project needs to be questioned and justified as we continue to sink ‘Big Bucks’ into it. . Ms. Bell is very community minded and wants very much to serve. She opposes excessive spending and additional taxes. She is opposed to and has actively campaigned against the T-SPLOST referendum for Transportation. I would not have done that or been as critical of GA DOT, which is critical to the County Road system. It seems that many citizens and elected officials agree with her position. On balance, I support and will vote for Sarah Bell for Post 1. . Sarah Bell Candidate for BOC Post 1 Post 4 of the Board of Commissioners is currently held by Chuck Horton who is running for Chairman. Two candidates are vying for that position, Tammy Gilland and Mark Saxon. . Tammy Gilland ran for Post 2 in 2010 against Margaret Hale. Some observers, including me, felt she was close to Melvin Davis and would support him in re-taking the powers he exercised before the board changed things in 2007.She is a native of rural Elbert County and participated in 4 H.Melvin Davis was the Extension Assistant Director for 4 H and she knew him in her 4 H career. She is also in Rotary Club with Mr. Davis. She has been involved in community matters in Oconee County including the schools and 4 H. . Questioned about her position on changing the Chairman powers back, she said she thought most folks liked it as it is now. She says that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”! She also says she can be independent of Chairman Davis if he is re-elected.!” I think she is well qualified for the position and has the ability to be her own person. She has considerable support from the University community. . Tammy Gilland, Post 4 Candidate . Mark Saxon is a retired Army Sergeant Major and presently works as Office Manager for Oconee Lending. He and his wife grew up in Oconee County. She is a science teacher at North Oconee High School. Mr. Saxon worked at North Oconee for three years. He seems to have the support of many in the development community and has signs of support all over the county. Mr. Saxon and his wife have connections to Melvin Davis through Mars Hill Church and are family friends. . Mr. Saxon is well qualified. He has few stated positions and has not been critical of the current board. If Davis is re-elected and Saxon wins, Saxon may be an ally at first but like Horton and Luke and the other commissioners will find himself in opposition down the road. . MARK SAXON, Post 4 Candidate VOTERS CAN VIEW MORE DETAILS ON THE CANDIDATES AT THESE SITES: . Becker.Article.Film.Clips.Citizen.Forums-7.9-10.12 http://oconeecountyobservations.blogspot.com/2012/07/oconee-county-citizens-turn-out-to.html .. GA Campaign 2012 Contributions Reports http://media.ethics.ga.gov/Search/Campaign/Campaign_ByName.aspx . Gilland & Saxon announce they'll run for Oconee Commission's Post 4 – ABH-1.25.12 http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2012-01-25/two-more-announce-theyll-run-oconee-commissions-post-4 . 1-31-12 Oconee County 2012 Commission Races will have competition http://www.avoc.info/info/article.php?article=4209 . 5-27-12 Oconee will have several contested local races this summer http://www.avoc.info/info/article.php?article=4228 . Sarah Bell Will Run for Board of Commissioners Post 1 http://oconee.patch.com/articles/sarah-bell-confirms-a-run-for-oconee-board-of-commissioners-chair . Luke to Run for Third Term as Oconee Commissioner http://oconee.patch.com/articles/luke-to-run-for-third-term-on-board-of-commissioners . Tammy Gilland Web Site http://votetammygilland.com/page1/gillandbio.html . Mark Saxon for BOC Post #4 http://www.marksaxon.com/News.html . Sarah Bell on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Sarah-Bell/395989430447990 . Board member, former administrator will contend for Oconee BOE chairman –ABH- 6.20.12 http://aroundhereonline.com/blog/2012/06/20/board-member-former-administrator-will-contend-for-oconee-boe-chairman/ . Mike Hunter for BOE Chairman- Facebook http://www.facebook.com/MikeHunterForBOEChairman