Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021
BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
PAGE 5A
Statham City Council candidate questionnaires
Debi Krause
Barnard Sims
BNJ: Please provide a
brief background/biog
raphy of yourself.
Krause: I have lived
in Statham for 33 years.
My husband Rudy and I
have been married for 47
years. We both attended
school in Augusta, where
we met and attended
Georgia Southern Col
lege.
I have worked in den
tistry as a certified dental
assistant, membership
and program specialist
with Northeast Georgia
Girl Scouts and recent
ly retired from Barrow
Chamber of Commerce
as VP of membership
services. I now work
part-time in marketing
for Golden Productions
at the Innovation Amphi
theater.
I served on the Barrow
County Board of Edu
cation for the past sev
en years. I serve on the
Ethics Committee for the
City of Statham. I cur
rently represent Statham
on the Barrow County
Historical Society Board
and serve on the Barrow
Ministry Village Board.
I attend Bethlehem
Church. I have one daugh
ter, Valerie Lancaster,
who teaches eight-grade
math at Westside Middle
School and is married to
Dr. Shane Lancaster, as
sistant principal at Bear
Creek Middle School. I
have two beautiful grand
children, Rachel and TJ.
BNJ: Why did you
decide to run for elec
tion, and what in your
background makes you
the most qualified can
didate for this seat?
Krause: I am running
for city council to serve
my community that has
provided me and my
family with a wonderful
place in which to live. I
have attended Statham
City Council meetings
for over a year and I
would like to see the city
council work together for
the equality of all citi
zens. In addition, main-
Debi Krause
taining a transparent gov
ernment that informs our
citizens of the projects
that are being met and
what projects are needed
for sustainable growth
within the confines of
our budget. Our city has
a very small budget in
which to work with. The
budget can be used as an
obstacle or a challenge. I
believe we must first fo
cus on our city’s needs
and continue to move the
city’s audits forward in
order to avail us with al
ternative funding for city
enhancements.
My background with
the chamber of com
merce in economic de
velopment will help me
contribute smart growth
strategies and strate
gic planning. My back
ground related to the
school board will help
me with contributing to
the budgeting process.
I have worked closely
with our legislators and
the Carl Vinson Insti
tute in Athens. Having
these contacts will help
me with connecting us
to people who can help
move our city forward.
My contribution on other
boards has helped me to
respect others’ points of
view and how they think.
I believe my background
qualifies me for a seat on
the Statham City Coun
cil.
BNJ: What should
the city’s approach to
the continuing growth
in population be? How
can the city best posi
tion itself to handle the
inevitable continued
growth?
Krause: We have been
experiencing growth in
Statham. The city has
a few subdivisions that
were approved prior to
the recession, and now
they are beginning home
construction. Our water
and sewer are in high
demand and we current
ly are not in a good sit
uation. We must expand
our water capacity. A
well is in the works for
Statham but we will still
need to expand our pond
to provide enough water.
The water situation will
be ongoing until we can
catch up with demand.
We currently are pur
chasing water from the
county. We will need to
work together with our
county, cities and legis
lators to help resolve this
crucial issue. We need
road improvements, and
in certain high-traffic
areas roads need to be
widened. Funding for our
police department needs
to continue, which is the
city’s No. 1 priority.
Smart growth plan
ning goals should be
determined. Plans have
been established where
development should go
now and are available at
city hall. We will need to
work with DOT with up
coming projects at High
way 211. Policies are
needed to preserve open
space, recreation, and
create tourism. We need
to work closely with the
county’s economic de
velopment director to
bring in industry that will
support our communi
ty’s needs, and we need
to investigate grants for
funding.
BNJ: Aside from
growth, what do you
consider to be the top
three issues the city is
facing and will face in
the coming years? If
elected, how would you
work to address those
issues?
Krause: Police pro
tection, water and sewer
expansion, roads and in
frastructure.
BNJ: Please provide a
brief background/biog
raphy of yourself.
Sims: My name is Bar
nard Sims, I am the re
tired owner of Barnard’s
Hair Salon in Statham.
I have been a barber in
the community for over
36 years. I am also the
author of my soon to be
published book, “The
Southern Awakening:
A Black Man’s Guide
to Liberating the Rural
South.” Part of that pro
cess is being willing to
serve as councilman for
the big city of Statham!
BNJ: Why did you
decide to run for elec
tion and what in your
background makes you
the most qualified can
didate for this seat?
Sims: I decided to run
for city council out of
a moral obligation to
serve my community in
a better capacity. Bar
bers have a hand on the
pulse of our communi
ties. The citizens of our
community are always
encouraging me to run
for some public office
because I am always
volunteering in some
capacity to serve the
citizens anyway. I work
with a nonprofit, Leap
for Literacy (founded
by Stan Tucker), which
encourages literacy and
helps children become
published authors them
selves. As a chess coach
through USCF (United
States Chess Federation),
I have also worked with
our local Boys and Girls
Club in Winder through
another nonprofit, Chess
& Community (founded
by Lemuel “Life” La-
Roche). I’ve also served
on the board of Diamond
Ministries Inc. (founded
by Adriane M. Brown),
whose mission is to as
sist survivors of domestic
violence. I am a graduate
and former cosmetolo
Bamard Sims
gy instructor at Athens
Technical College with
an associate degree in
Public Services, al
though it is my compas
sion for people that best
qualifies me to serve.
BNJ: What should
the city’s approach to
the continuing growth
in population be? How
can the city best posi
tion itself to handle the
inevitable continued
growth?
Sims: The city’s ap
proach to the continued
population should be an
approach that listens to
the public first. The city
can be in the best posi
tion to handle the inev
itable growth by being
mindful of all the con
stituents we are to serve
in the city. Not many
people would return to
a hairstylist or a barber
who never hear the cli
ent wanted. Therefore,
we have to start electing
people who are versed in
listening to the needs of
the community in order
to provide outcomes to
fit our town’s needs.
BNJ: Aside from
growth, what do you
consider to be the top
three issues the city is
facing and will face in
the coming years? If
elected, how would you
work to address those
issues?
Sims: The top priority
that I see that we need in
our town is a return to ci
vility. The past couple of
years, we have seen our
meetings become public
shouting matches. As a
result of that noise, the
civil discourse needing
to be heard gets drowned
out. This is not reflective
of the town or communi
ty I grew up in. We have
to challenge ourselves
to be better than that.
Because nowadays the
world is watching.
If we return to listen
ing to learn instead of
seeing who can respond
the loudest, only then can
we root out our second
hindrance to solutions,
which is misinformation.
Recently, we watched our
city council almost break
out into fist fights over-
sidewalks. Of course, we
have to restructure out-
budgets sometimes like
every other American is
doing right now in then-
homes. The difference
is my wife and I balance
our budget without it be
coming a national em
barrassment for our city
on the world wide web.
So,
#1 civility, is the key to
get to get to the
#2 accurate informa
tion we must have
#3 to clean our toxic
environment.
We need to start there
so we come together with
the truth communities
need to solve issues like
clean water, or increas
ing the pay/benefits of
police officers who serve
the public well. The po
lice don’t need a rocket
ship to jump the Grand
Canyon in Statham, but
I’ll bet each officer could
use an increase in pay,
plus benefits equal to or
better than our surround
ing cities to put into then-
pockets to serve and
protect their families as
well.
I, Barnard Sims, need
your vote to be your
voice in addressing those
issues and more as your
city councilman for the
city of Statham!
Lee Patterson
BNJ: Please provide a
brief background/biog
raphy of yourself.
Patterson: I’ve been
married for 33 years
and have two daughters
and five grandchildren
with one more on the
way. I have lived in Bar-
row County for 11 years
with last four being in
Statham. I attend Bethle
hem Church.
I have a degree in Busi
ness Management from
Kennesaw State Univer
sity with a minor in Mar
keting. I have worked 33
years in the insurance
industry and am current
ly employed as a region
al small group account
manager with Anthem
BCBS.
I have served on sev
eral finance committees,
including Rivers Hill
Church. I have served
the last two years on the
Statham tree/beautifica
tion and holiday commit
tees.
BNJ: Why did you
decide to run for elec
tion, and what in your
background makes you
the most qualified can
didate for this seat?
Patterson: I want to
bring my many years of
experience dealing with
individuals and business
es to Statham in order
to work with the coun
cils
cil and mayor to move
Statham forward.
In my 33 years in the
insurance industry, I have
helped numerous individ
uals, families and busi
ness owners to figure out
what they need and then
find a solution that best
fits that need.
I have also helped fam
ilies in solving issues that
they may encounter with
insurance carriers and
worked to help solve that
problem.
With this experience, I
can bring a willingness to
work for all citizens and
to help develop a vision
for Statham that will ben
efit all.
BNJ: What should
the city’s approach to
the continuing growth
in population be? How
can the city best posi
tion itself to handle the
inevitable continued
growth?
Patterson: Because
of the current water
and sewage system is
sues facing Statham we
need to have smart, con
trolled growth. Obvious
ly the one hurdle keeping
Statham from moving
forward is the completion
of past years’ audits.
Our current sewage
system right now cannot
handle any type of rapid
growth, and without the
grant money we cannot
move forward on fixing
this.
The best way the city
can handle future growth
is to hopefully have the
audits completed in the
near future and start to
receive grant money so
that these major issues
can be fixed. We also
need to look to become
water-independent so
that the money Statham
is spending to purchase
water from Winder can
be reinvested in our com
munity so that the infra
structure we do have can
be maintained and im
proved, which includes
upgrading our parks.
Statham has many young
growing families and we
desperately need to up
grade our parks for their
enjoyment. Also, for the
safety of our families,
we need to look to add
on additional sidewalks
so that more surround
ing neighborhoods have
a safe route to downtown.
BNJ: Aside from
growth, what do you
consider to be the top
three issues the city is
facing and will face in
the coming years? If
elected, how would you
work to address those
issues?
Patterson: Number one
would be water and sew
age. I would continue to
work with the council
and mayor to encourage
the continued goal to be
come water-independent.
Number two would be
crime. Crime is slowly
increasing and we need
to continue to support
and grow our police de
partment. We need to
provide our police with
the best available equip
ment. I would continue to
work with the mayor and
police to eventually have
our police available 24/7.
Our citizens’ safety is vi
tal to our community.
Number three would be
infrastructure as far as the
downtown business area.
We need to maintain it in
order to keep our current
businesses and to attract
new ones here. I would
work to develop a long
term vision for Statham
that would include attain
able goals and to create
plans to meet those goals.
As the saying goes, a city
always needs a vision,
and to achieve that vi
sion you need goals. And
to meet those goals, you
need a plan.
As my dad always said,
the true character of an
individual is not what
they do when people are
looking, it is what they
do when people are not.
RE-ELECT
SONNY MORRIS
Ward 1
Winder City Council
November 2,2021
Early Voting Begins
October 12
Meet Sonny Morris
Sonny has been a dedicated servant
as a city council member.
One who always cares for the citizens of
Winder first and foremost.
Dedicated and loving husband to
Janet Holliday Morris.
Proud father of Lisa Carter and Bart Morris,
and 5 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild.
Member of First Baptist Church of Winder.
My Vision for the Future
Represent the citizens of Winder with Honesty.
Support our Public Safety
Police and Fire Department
Support of Storm Water Projects
Improve all city streets and sidewalks
for the citizens
Continue to support the Public Schools
and Library
Support our Downtown Business Association.