Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2008
BARROW JOURNAL
PAGE 3A
ELECTION 2008
Three Barrow races contested Tues.
— Chief Magistrate
Presidential contest brings out over 8,000 early voters
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
Barrow County voters will
decide three local contested
races next week as well as
voice their opinion in the
down-to-wire presidential
campaign between Republican
John McCain and Democrat
Barack Obama.
Contested races locally
include battles for sheriff, a
seat on the county commis
sion as well as the chief mag
istrate's office.
If early turnout is any indi
cator, the lines at the polls
could be long Tuesday. Barrow
County Election Supervisor
Kristi Royston said Monday
that 7,155 people took part in
the Early Voting process and
another 1,041 cast their ballot
Monday during the first day
of Advance Voting. Advance
voting continues this week at
the county annex building.
In the race for sheriff,
Republican Jud Smith faces
Democrat Jim Bonnemer.
Online:
See a sample ballot online
at www.barrowjournal.com
Smith won the Republican
nomination this summer
against Murray Kogod while
Bonnemer was unopposed in
the Democratic primary.
In the District 3 County
Commission contest,
Republican Steve Worley, who
defeated Tom Williamson in
the primary, faces Democratic
incumbent Bill Healan.
Chief Magistrate incum
bent, Republican June Davis,
will face Democrat Johnny
C. Smith.
All other Barrow County
races are uncontested.
There is also a contested
race for the State Senate
for the 47th District, a dis
trict which includes Barrow
County. Republican incum
bent Ralph Hudgens is being
challenged by Democrat Tim
Riley.
A district race that also
includes Barrow will be for
the U.S. Congress where
Democrat Doug Heckman
is challenging Republican
John Linder. Also running
for Washington for a U.S.
Senate seat are incumbent
Republican Saxby Chambliss
and Democrat Jim Martin.
Three Georgia
Constitutional Amendments
are also on the ballot along
with a judicial race for the
Court of Appeals.
The race that is generating
the most overall interest is
the one for President between
McCain and Obama. McCain
and Obama signs dot the land
scape in and around Barrow
County.
Georgia resident Bob Barr,
a former Republican, is also
on the presidential ballot as
the Libertarian Party’s nomi
nee.
SCHOOL BOARD
Lack of sewer holding up new school
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
With no county sewer line
in the works, a proposed new
middle school in Barrow
County remains on hold.
The Barrow County Board
of Education continued to dis
cuss the project at its meeting
Tuesday night, but took no
action.
The proposed middle
school is slated to be built
on Mulberry Road on land
donated by the Russell fam
ily.
School officials hope the
new school can open in the
fall of 2010 and are now
considering the installation
of a private sewer system to
accommodate the facility.
Assistant superintendent of
facilities Jake Grant told BOE
members Tuesday night that
he has meetings set up with
businesses that could install
a private sewer system. Grant
said a private sewer system
would cost an estimated
$400,000.
“The Russell family gave us
this land in good faith expect
ing sewer would be installed
for the area, not just the prop
erty,” board member Mark
Still said. “I think we need to
continue to explore this with
the county.”
Grant said he thought
the BOE should wait until
January, when a new board
of commissioners chairman
takes office along with several
new BOC members.
“Tell me again why we are
discussing this now,” BOE
member Lyn Stevens said. “Is
the only hold-up the sewer
deal on the part of the coun
ty?”
Grant said it was his under
standing that public sewer
would be available at the site,
but a deal had not yet been
reached with the county on
the matter.
“I am confident a private
system would work,” Grant
said.
BOE member Connie
Wehunt asked if the county
would allow another type of
sewerage system.
“It is a ‘suped up’ system,”
Grant said. “Of course, they
might not allow it.”
The EPD will have to
approve the plans for a private
sewer system. Grant said.
Grant also recommend
ed the BOE not withdraw
its application for the new
school. If it did, the earli
est construction could begin
on a new facility would be
July 2009. If the application is
not pulled, construction could
begin at any time.
ACCIDENT
Winder man killed Tuesday in motorcycle crash
BY SHARON HOGAN
A 41-year-old Winder man was killed
Tuesday afternoon in a motorcycle accident.
The accident occurred around 2 p.m. on
Georgia Highway 8 (Atlanta Highway) near
the Bankhead Highway crossing, according to
a report from the Athens post of the Georgia
State Patrol.
The man was heading east on a 1985 Honda
motorcycle when a 2001 GMC pick-up driven
by Harvey Bragg, 72, Winder, headed west
turned in front of the motorcycle.
The man was ejected from the motorcycle
and struck a 1999 Ford Contour driven by
Kathy Cannon, 20, Auburn, traveling west
behind the pickup truck.
A female passenger on the motorcycle was
critically injured and flown by helicopter to
Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta.
The GSP Specialized Collision
Reconstruction Team is investigating the acci
dent. Patrol investigators shut down the high
way for several hours on Tuesday afternoon to
investigate.
The patrol did not release the man’s name
pending the notification of family members.
Occupation: Law
Describe your back
ground: I have spent 28 years
in service to the citizens of
Barrow County. I retired
from the Winder Police
Department after 20 years of
service to seek the office of
Chief Magistrate. I have been
the Chief Magistrate for the
past eight years.
I have an Associate
Degree in Criminal Justice
Technology from Gwinnett
Technical College. I have
received Judicial Training
through the Institute of
Continuing Judicial Education
at the University of Georgia,
the National Judicial College
and the Council of Magistrate
Court Judges.
The Magistrate’s bud-
June Davis
get remains tight
for the next fiscal
year. What steps will
you take to stay at
or under budget in
2009?: I will continue
to conserve the tax
dollars of the citizens
of BarrowCounty as I
have in the past and
will try to stay at or
under budget.
The Magistrate’s case
load continues to increase,
yet there are limited funds
to hire a part time judge to
assist the Chief Magistrate.
What do you feel is the most
effective way to address this
issue?: The case load has
continued to grow and has
made many demands upon
the resources of the Court.
DAVIS
I pledge that
the magistrate
court will meet
the demands
for service. I
will at all times
serve the peo
ple of Barrow
County. All
citizens will
receive fair and
just treatment in this Court.
Why do you feel you would
be a better Chief Magistrate
than your opponent?: I have
dedicated myself to the office
of Chief Magistrate. I have
the experience and knowledge
to get the job done. I attend
training to stay abreast of any
changes in the law due to
legislative actions and court-
decisions.
Johnny C. Smith
Occupation: Retired U.S
Army CW-2; retired superin
tendent of Public Lands and
Buildings, Gainesville, Ga.;
and retired Barrow County
Board of Commissioners,
District 1.
Describe your back
ground: Bachelor’s degree
of arts in history and gov
ernment, Columbia College,
Columbia, Mo.; 12 years on
the Barrow County Board
of Commissioners; Chief
Warrant Officer United States
Army, retired; Vietnam veter
an; deacon at Christ the King
Baptist Church, Dacula; past
member of Public Safety and
Courts National Association
of Counties; and worked with
the Department of
Justice Civil Rights
Division on several
local and area cases.
The Magistrate’s
budget remains tight
for the next fiscal
year.
What steps will
you take to stay at
or under budget in
2009?:
1. (Remove any unnecessary
items from the budget.
2) Have personnel work
different hours based on the
work load.
3) trained personnel to work
in other assigned positions.
The Magistrate’s case
load continues to increase,
yet there are
limited funds
to hire a part
time judge to
assist the Chief
Magistrate.
What do you
feel is the most
effective way
to address this
issue?:
Present the Barrow County
Board of Commissioners with
justification and facts to verify
the need for a part-time job.
Why do you feel you would
be a better Chief Magistrate
than your opponent?:
I believe I am the best
administrator and have the
best qualifications.
SMITH
Barrow may seek suit on Bear Creek
BY MARK BEARDSLEY
Barrow County’s top elect
ed official served notice last
week that Barrow not only
opposes Jackson County’s
lawsuit over Bear Creek, but
will seek damages should
Jackson County prevail.
Doug Garrison, chairman
of the Barrow County Board
of Commissioners, sent a
three-page letter to Jackson
County Chairman Pat Bell
voicing strong opposition to
Jackson County’s suit over
Jackson County’s share of
the water from the regional
reservoir.
Jackson County owns 25
percent of the reservoir and
is entitled to 25 percent of its
water. However, the county
has sued the Upper Oconee
Basin Water Authority com
prising Jackson, Barrow,
Oconee and Clarke counties
over what that 25 percent
means.
The official “yield" of the
reservoir has been placed
at 58 million gallons per
day (mgd). Jackson County
believes that calculation is
flawed and has data from a
consultant claiming that the
yield is 24 mgd.
If Jackson’s figures are cor
rect, all parties’ stakes in the
505-acre lake are cut by more
than 50 percent and that, at
current usage, other member
counties are infringing upon
Jackson County's entitle
ment.
Garrison calculated that if
Jackson County’s figures are
used, Barrow County will
lose over $211 million ($400
million when adjusted for
inflation) in income over a
time he did not specify.
“Barrow County intends to
pursue collection of all such
lost revenue from Jackson
County,” he fumed, adding
that the figures are “not spec
ulative lost profits as they are
based upon current commit
ted contracts and will be cal
culated based upon prevailing
inflationary adjusters and will
be easily recoverable pursu
ant to a counterclaim that
Barrow County will bring
against Jackson County."
Jackson County is repre
sented by former Georgia
Attorney General Mike
Bowers in the case.
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