Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 6A
FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS Thursday, Auguat 3, 2000
Jr Forsyth County News
liters Guide 2 000
Board of
Commissioners
District 4
Name: Marcie Kreager
Age: 48
Occupation: Business owner and
part-time nurse
I love Forsyth
County and have a
passion for the
future of our coun
ty. I have experi
ence in business,
finance, planning,
board management,
visioning. and
using research
-
facilities to determine future directions. 1
understand the local, regional and slate
government infrastructures and the
resources available to our commission. 1
have the time to devote to this position, no
conflicts of interest and no means by
which to profit from holding this office.
Name: John William Tanner
Age: 29
Occupation: Mortgage loan officer for
Sunshine Mortgage
Board of
Commissioners
District 5
Name: Ron Seder
Afle: 68
Occupation: Retired
"1
I have a proven
record of accom
plishments as a
Forsyth County
‘Commissioner
from 1992 through
1996 and as
Commission
Chairman in 1995
I and 1996. I had a
33-year IBM career
including executive and management
experience. I am a vice president of the
Lake I .amer Association and a member of
lite Governor’s Advisory Council for Tri-
Slate Water issues. I am a past board
member and board chairman of “The
Place." a charitable organization. I am a
past board member of the Federation of
Forsyth County Homeowners. 1 led a
church building effort and am a past
finance committee chairman for my
church 1 have a master of science degree
from Columbia University and I am an
Air Force veteran. 1 have affection for
•Forsyth County. I remain interested in
making positive contributions to our com
munity and I think I can best do that as a
Ftfrsyth County commissioner.
Name: Eddie Taylor
Aga:
Occupation:
I promise to pro
tect our tax money.
I will identify and
reduce wasteful
spending, ensure
accountability in
our government,
and phase out prop
erty taxes for our
senior citizens. 1
**< flk 1
believe my proven experience, ethics and
leadership are needed in our Forsyth
County commission. I will bring hack the
focus of the commission to the needs of
our citizens, not the needs of individuals.
A note to our readers
These questions and answers were pre
pared and published prior to the July 18
runoff. They are being repeated in order to
'i£mind our readers of positions held by
the candidates involved in the Aug. 8
1. Do you agree that more treated
wastewater should be discharged into
Lake tinier and, if not, how do you
propose handling the county’s future
sewage needs?
No. thcrc*should be no more waste
water into Lake Lanier. This is enormous
economic risk taking. The alternatives for
discharge of treated waste water include
continuing use of land application as well
as the potential of discharge into the
Chattahoochee River below the dam.
More technological solutions will have to
be developed to avoid further pollution of
Lake Lamer. There is even potential for a
regional final treatment center discharging
south of Atlanta We have to start think
ing on a regional scale on waste water
management.
I disagree with the dumping of waste
water into our lake. While as a commis
sioner, I cannot control other counties’
activities, that is the responsibility of
other agencies and county commissions. 1
do however think that we should start set
ting the example. As commissioner. I will
push to use the re-treated water as an
additional resource instead of a waste
byproduct. There arc many commercial
uses for this resource, including irrigation
and other commercial applications. I also
support the current commission in the
land application treatment facility.
1. Do you agree that more treated
wastewater should he discharged into
Lake Lanier and, if not, how do you
propose handling the county's future
sewage needs?
I do not agree with putting more treated
sewage into Lake Lanier as proposed by
Gwinnett County and some in Forsyth. It
will seriously impact the water quality,
recreational and aesthetic qualities of the
lake. Contrary to Gwinnett's claims, the
Lake Lanier Association can find no case
where treated sewage is returned to a lake
like Lanier without damaging water quali
ty. It must not be allowed to happen here
in our backyard!
I have been active in preserving Lake
Lanier for eleven years. As vice president
of the Lake Lanier Association and a
member of the Governor's Advisory
Council for Tri-Statc Waler Issues, I
believe I have an in-depth understanding
of the severe threats facing Lake Lanier.
Rather than accepting a flawed plan to
dump sewer waste into Lake Lanier, we
must turn to newer, modern and proven
alternatives for wastewater disposal such
as in irrigation and for industry processes.
I do not agree that treated wastewater
should be discharged back into our lake.
There arc alternatives we can use and
should investigate. We need to reclaim the
gray water and reuse for our lawns or treat
for potable use. The Hampton
Development is using a dual line system
to reclaim the gray waler and use for lawn
care presently. We need to continue with
our land application project and use that
treated water for large watering areas; i.c„
golf courses. California is trying to find
ways to reclaim all used wastewater and
treat for use of individuals, business and
communities. I believe we need to have a
true Lake Lanier Authority that has power
to make fines and have say as to how our
lake should evolve now and into the
future.
runoff.
Candidates were given a limit of 150
words for the answer to each question.
Any response in excess of 150 words was
edited to meet the word limit.
2. (liven the clean air restrictions
that have stopped many road-building
projects, how do you propose address
ing traffic problems in Forsyth
County?
We have to understand and route our
traffic more effectively. We could sepa
rate traffic that is passing through from
our local traffic. Today, we mix this traf
fic all together with our shopping, school
and local traffic. We must have a profes
sional traffic alternative study. SPLOST is
the logical source for funding but I would
also pursue federal DOT emergency relief
funding.
First we must fight in order to get the
road restrictions lifted. Second, we must
fight to get our fair share of state funding.
Until the restrictions are lifted. I will
require commercial developers to provide
cross casements and small access road, so
that our citizens will be able to avoid
using major roads to get from one shop
ping area to another I will encourage high
tech companies to locate in Forsyth
County so our citizens do not have to
drive out of the county for higher paying
jobs.
2. Given the clean air restrictions that
have stopped many road-building pro
jects, how do you propose addressing
traffic problems in Forsyth County?
Forsyth County traffic is one of our
greatest problems and a major detractor to
our quality of life. The stop-and-go traffic
on Hwys. 20. 141. and McFarland Road
- among many others need immediate
relief. In addition, many intersections in
the county must also be redesigned if we
arc to move traffic safely and more effi
ciently. The county needs to first fix these
roads and intersections before a single
dime is spent on putting in a few unneed
ed roads parallel to Ga. 400.
We must revise the 1995 Forsyth
County Master Transportation Plan and
scientifically and statistically determine
today's priorities. The funding for these
projects should come from federal, slate
and local dollars, in that order. If the fed
eral and state dollars remain tied up we
have an obligation to the citizens of
Forsyth County to use more local funds
and provide traffic relief immediately.
First we need to fight to get a seat and a
vote on the ARC board. If we are going to
be pulled into the metro county group we
need to have a voice and a say for our
county and it’s citizens. We need to iden
tify the top 10 problem traffic areas in the
county then start with #1 to fund and cor
rect then move on until we have complet
ed our congested areas in a maximum
four-year period. We do not need to be
building feeder roads along side Ga. 400.
We can’t get to Ga. 400 now so how can
feeder roads going along side Ga. 400
help solve our interior congestion prob
lems. There is money available and we
must work diligently with all agencies,
local, state and federal, to get the funds
we deserve for our county for the preser
vation of our quality of life.
3. There is a push toward denser zon
ing in land-use planning as a means of
reducing traffic and pollution. Should
the county change its land-use philoso
phies to encourage denser, mixed-use
zoning categories?
I would not rule out any alternatives in
land use if this is desired by the citizens,
however, I have deep concerns over den
sities. I know of some mixed-use condi
tions that can be very desirable; i.e., the
village concept with retail on the street
level and residential upstairs. This return
to an earlier time in our county might
have a future here. 1 have many questions
about the quality of life in high densities
at the end of a commuter rail line.
The push toward denser zoning in land
use planning and mixed-use zoning is
being pushed for by state agencies. The
way the state agencies are putting pres
sure on our county is by threatening to
reduce or cut off our slate road funds. I
believe this is a violation of our rights as
Forsyth County residents who elect offi
cials to make these decisions and repre
sent our citizens. I feel that as long as we
keep the denser and mixed-use zoning
located near the 400 corridor and where
there is adequate infrastructure to handle
these types of zoning. I would not neces
sarily oppose the zoning provided we
maintain our I acre per home overall den
sity requirements for the county.
3. There is a push toward denser zon
ing in land-use planning as a means of
reducing traffic and pollution. Should
the county change its land-use philoso
phies to encourage denser, mixed-use
zoning categories?
The Vision 20/20 Strategic Plan was
produced to address growth. Its creation
was steered by a broad-based group of cit
izens representing many diverse interests
in the county. The Master Land Use and
Development Plan which now guides
county development was based on the
strategic plan. I believe these plans arc the
foundation for growth management and
will rely upon them. In these plans, the
people of this county said in effect: “We
want less dense development." They said
it, I believe it. and 1 will work to achieve
their vision for their county.
The concept of denser, mixed-use
development delivering cleaner air is just
a theory and has not been scientifically
proven. Denser development may or may
not be an answer, but it is not what the
people here believe or want. Until the
case has been clearly proven to the citi
zens, I for one will not support any
change.
We should not change to denser zon
ings. We should go back to the original
citizen developed Comprehensive Land
use Plan and make sure it is the document
we want and need for out county’s future.
Once we have agreed that the community
model is good for our quality of life, then
the commission would vote to put in place
and not change. The only way a change
could occur is if we had a special project
that would benefit the entire county. Then
and only then the citizen community group
would come back together and have input
into the process. If the group agreed it
needed to be changed for the special pro
ject, then a super majority of the commis
sion would he required to change; i.e., 4 of
5 voting to approve. The 20-year CLUP
needs to be visited every year for review
and revised every five years. We can man
age our county with me as a commissioner
by truly listening to our citizens for their
input.
Runoff is Tuesday, July 18
Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
If you have any questions about your precinct,
call the Voter Registrar’s office at (770) 781-2118
4. Do you support the local option
sales tax as a means of financing pro
jects in the county, and will you sup
port its renewal when the sales tax
expires?
Yes, absolutely I support SPLOST
funding. It has been estimated that 50 to
60 percent of this tax revenue comes from
visitors to Forsyth County and I appreci
ate their spending as much as possible
here. This is another direct source of eco
nomic benefit from Lake Lanier and the
visitors and further reason for not pollut
ing our lake.
Assuming that the citizens arc properly
informed of where and how the money
will be spent, and the citizens vote to
approve the special purpose local option
sales tax (as required by state law). I will
always support the SPLOST. 1 feel the
SPLOST is a great way to fund needed
projects without making the citizens of
Forsyth County absorb all of the cost of
improvements. Visitors to our county and
lake also pay a portion of the SPLOST
every time they buy anything in Forsyth
County.
4. Do you support the local option
sales tax as a means of financing pro
jects in the county, and will you sup
port its renewal when the sales tax
expires?
We arc currently paying 3percent in
local sales taxes, 1 percent for the stan
dard Local Option Sales Tax for the
County General Fund. I percent for the
County Special Purpose Local Option
Sales Tax usable only for certain purposes
and I percent for the School Special
Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. That is a
lot of money!
I support the LOST as a general fund
revenue source. I believe using the
SPLOST is a good way to finance some
required infrastructure improvements and
provide some property tax relief.
However, the SPLOST is a lax that takes
money from virtually every citizen and.
therefore, should be justified as necessary
and used intelligently as should any other
tax. The legitimate needs of the county
and the fair and equitable distribution of
all tax monies will determine my support
for renewing the Special Purpose Local
Option Sales Tax or any other tax.
I do support the financing of projects
using sales tax. We have a beautiful natur
al resource in the lake helping us draw
millions of tax dollars a year to our coun
ty. In fact. 42 percent of our sales tax base
comes from outside the county. When we
start the process of renewing the sales tax
we need to have citizen advisory group
input into where we should spend the
money to improve our infrastructure and
protect our quality of life.
t
5. Should the county implement an
impact fee structure for developers
and, if so, how should such a fee be
assessed?
There is a study under way now and I
am anxious to sec their thoughts. We
sometimes forget that impact fees can
"promise” future direct services to the
contributing home owner. We may find
that simply continuing to charge for indi
vidual services as we do now provides
more revenues without the future commit
ments. It is an issue of raising money to
fund infrastructure, not the name of the
process that is important.
The state regulations governing impact
fees arc very complicated and make it
hard to fairly disburse the funds where
they are most needed. Before I could sup
port impact fees. I must he assured that
the funds arc fairly collected and dis
bursed. determine what developer conces
sions we would lose vs. impact fee rev
enue and insure that the impact fees col
lected arc truly spent to help with the
impact that the payers of these fees have
on our community (also required by state
law). If we do not implement impact fees
1 also realize that we must find another
source of funds in order for us to alleviate
the burden of our growth. By collecting
impact fees at the time the home is issued
its certificate of occupancy, we would
reduce the amount of interest and markup
the home buyer would end up absorbing
without reducing impact fee revenue to
the county.
5. Should the county implement an
impact fee structure for developers
and, if so, how should such a fee be
assessed?
I support the concept of impact fees to
help pay some of the additional costs
caused by growth. Historically, imple
mentation and administration difficulties
were considered huge obstacles to apply
ing these fees. However, other govern
ments have recently successfully imple
mented impact fees.
Forsyth County currently has an Impact
Fee Committee looking at impact fees and
their potential applicability to Forsyth
County. Conclusions about how the fee
should be assessed or for what purposes it
should be levied must wait until the report
of the Forsyth County Impact Fee
Committee is delivered Before I make a
final decision, this issue must be debated,
its implications and fairness studied and
the citizens and others must have had an
opportunity to comment.
There is a citizen committee studying
the use of impact fees for our county
presently. They need to complete there
study and findings, then make a presenta
tion to the commission board. I will sup
port the committee’s recommendation as
long as it is fair and equitable for the
county to manage. The impact fee struc
ture is hard to manage due to the specifics
that come with the impact fee law on how
and where you can spend the money col
lected. We can impact new development
today by requiring several areas such as
sidewalks, underground utilities, curb and
gutter for the new roads, green space
allowances, set backs, and reclaiming sys
tem for gray water. These arc a few of the
examples we can and already do impact
on a new development. I will always fight
to protect and do what's best for our qual
ity of life in our county