Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2017
THE JACKSON HERALD
PAGE 13A
Meet the Candidates: Jefferson mayor race
Incumbent Roy Plott
Why are you running for
this office? What are your
main platform points?
As mayor, I love the small
town feel of Jefferson and I
want to see it thrive. My 45
years of experience in gov
ernment, planning and com
munity economic develop
ment is well matched to the
mayor’s job.
I am retired from Georgia
Power, and I contribute 40
hours per week to the job.
The mayor’s job is simply
not a part-time job any lon
ger, and it needs someone
with an experienced skill
set.
My platform is based on
(1) providing experienced
financial management and
leadership to the city admin
istration; (2) actively pro
moting Jefferson to compa
nies who can provide solid
jobs with upward mobili
ty; (3) actively assisting in
finding retail and restaurant
businesses to locate around
town to achieve a critical
mass of desirable destina
tions; and (4) to see the
Downtown Masterplan,
which I started, through to
completion, including infill
housing, mixed-use devel
opments, entertainment
venues, walk ability, green
space and trails.
How do you think Jef
ferson’s growth should be
managed in the coming
years?
We have an excellent
Comprehensive Land Use
Plan and a strong Land Use
Management Code. We
will see strong industrial
growth along the 85 cor
ridor, additional residential
growth west of the bypass,
including additional service
businesses, restaurants, gro
cery stores, and retail serv
ing those growing areas. We
will be selective and only
consider quality develop
ments that blend into the
community.
The Downtown Master
Plan will guide us through
development downtown.
Since adding 600 new
homes in the last four years,
there will be infrastruc
ture needs with the Dixon
Drive sewer replacement
and enlarging the west side
pump station and force
main. We will also be add
ing another spray field at
1-85 to accommodate addi
tional industrial activity.
How do you think the
city should plan for addi
tional large distribution
warehouses that are locat
ed along 1-85 corridor?
We have put together
an excellent land use plan
that takes advantage of the
excellent transportation cor
ROY PLOTT
Incumbent
Jefferson Mayor
ridor at 1-85. There has been
$153 million in new invest
ment and 3000 new jobs
in that area in the last four
years. Industrial warehous
es are good neighbors; they
do not pollute, they provide
good jobs, and they are a
great source of revenue for
the city with relatively low
impact on city services. The
only issue that we have had
with these developments is
noise when located in close
proximity to a couple of sub
divisions, but we created a
new noise ordinance to help
protect those subdivisions.
Another major concern will
be road improvements and
sewer capacity. I expect to
work closely with DOT to
improve intersections and to
relieve congestion.
Walmart has proposed
locating in the city and
another large commercial
development was recently
approved for the Jefferson
bypass area. What are your
views about commercial
development in the city?
Well Walmart is long
gone. The costs associated
with access road corridor
overlay on the 129 bypass
and the fact that DOT would
not give them a median cut
with a traffic light made
their proposal unworkable.
The new commercial zon
ing at Holder Siding does
include the access road and
greenways associated with
our access road corridor
overlay with a thru road to
129 business. If they can
work around the rock on
that property, the develop
ment could bring a lot of
the commercial and retail
activity that our residents
have been wanting.
The city has a very large
cash reserve and is in the
best financial shape in its
history. But the city coun
cil declined to lower the
tax rate this year. What are
your views about the city’s
tax rate: should it be low
ered given the city’s finan
cial shape?
We have lowered our
millage twice in my term.
Because the Jackson Coun
ty Tax Assessor failed to
assess our new industrial
buildings and expansions in
2016, the 2016 digest was
flat, requiring us to dip into
reserves. When the correc
tion was made in 2017, we
received an extra payment
that made the net increase
look larger, but it was the
result of shortfall in 2016.
Because of the 2016 short
fall, hiring of badly need
ed positions was postponed
to the 2018 budget and we
need to fdl four positions.
Our council has been very
steady in managing conser
vatively, in order to main
tain our AA bond rating.
We have chosen to pay for
some big-ticket items like
fire trucks and the city barn
with cash so that we do not
increase our general fund
debt that is about $18M.
Our bond rating translates
into interest rate, so sloppy
management today could
result in higher bond pay
ments in the future. While
the decision about how
many months of operation
should be protected with the
cash reserve is a subject of
debate, we should keep in
mind that this reserve pro
tects the city should a major
catastrophe strike. In view
of the prediction of 2018 tax
revenue, the safer the coun
cil feels, the more likely it is
to provide tax relief.
Please outline a brief
biography and resume of
yourself:
I was elected mayor of
Jefferson in November 2013
and bring 45 years of expe
rience in government, plan
ning and economic develop
ment to the job.
I previously served on
the Jefferson City Council
for six years and became
interested in municipal gov
ernment while volunteer
ing with the Main Street
program and attending city
council meetings in Jeffer
son.
I retired from Georgia
Power Company after a
35-year career in commu
nity and economic devel
opment. The last 22 years.
I served as manager of the
Georgia Resource Center,
Engineering and Informa
tion Services.
I attended Georgia Tech
and Southern Tech and hold
degrees in architecture and
civil engineering.
Me and my wife, Debra,
have been married for 40
years and have two grown
daughters and two grand
children. Debra owns and
operates PrissEllie’s Gifts
and Decor on the Square in
Jefferson. We are long-serv
ing volunteers in the com
munity and attend Galilee
Christian Church.
Challenger Steve Quinn
Why are you running
for this office? What
are your main platform
points?
I watched citizens
come to our city hall
or our council meet
ings asking for help
with issues that con
cern them and be treat
ed like it didn’t matter
or were given promises
that weren’t kept. We
need to foster an attitude
in city hall not of “No,
we can’t help you,’’ but
one of “What can we
do to help?” While we
can’t fix every problem,
the citizens need to go
away knowing that we
care and that we repre
sent them.
We need to listen to
our citizens and what
they need, not what we
think they need.
Communication
between the city and
the school broke down
because of the issue
with selling the library
to them. We need to
work together to accom
plish similar goals and
have a similar vision for
Jefferson.
Jefferson needs more
retail and most, if not all,
of the emphasis has been
on bringing distribution
centers and jobs here.
While these companies
do help our citizens with
our tax base, it allows
a lot of money to leave
Jefferson and be spent
elsewhere. We have a
great chamber of com
merce and we need to
work closely with them
and use their expertise to
bring clothing, sporting
goods, restaurants, and
other types of retail to
Jefferson.
How do you think Jef
ferson’s growth should
be managed in the com
ing years?
Through communica
tion and planning. We
need to embrace our
citizens into our con
versations about where
the city should be going
and how to get there.
Talk with developers
and realtors constantly
to see what people are
asking for, whether it be
the size of houses, retail,
and/or commercial.
Have open, honest and
constant communication
between all entities in
Jackson County such as
other cities, the school
system, the chamber.
IDA and others. We
need to work diligently
to maintain our infra
structure to help bring
business here and keep
STEVE QUINN
Jefferson Mayor
Challenger
traffic and safety issues
to a minimum.
How do you think
the city should plan for
additional large distri
bution warehouses that
are locating along the
1-85 corridor?
First and most import
ant, that they don’t
affect the quality of life
for our citizens. While
distribution centers can
be an asset for Jefferson,
I don’t think that needs
to be our focus right
now. Distribution cen
ters are going to come
here without us going
and knocking on their
doors. But we need to
have a plan where these
warehouses help with
the infrastructure needs
and costs. They can
help us with roadways
and traffic patterns if
it is done correctly and
with communication
between all.
Walmart has pro
posed locating in the
city and another large
commercial devel
opment was recently
approved for the Jeffer
son bypass area. What
are your views about
commercial develop
ment in the city?
We need commercial
development in Jeffer
son, but it needs to be
managed closely. I also
would hate for com
mercial development to
hurt our downtown, our
‘small-town feel,’ and
our smaller mom- and
pop-type businesses, so
planning is critical. We
can work with develop
ers and bring the type of
retail to Jefferson that
our citizens need.
The city has a very
large cash reserve and
is in the best financial
shape of its history. But
the city council declined
to lower the tax rate
this year. What are your
views about the city’s
tax rate: should it be
lowered given the city’s
financial position?
It should be well
known by now that I
would like to see the
council lower the tax
rate not just to give our
citizens a break, but
to show them that the
council is listening and
cares about the people
here. I have fought for a
lower tax rate every year
for the past four years
to no avail. I believe
mostly that’s because
of the attitude from the
mayor’s office that we
don’t have money. We
are a growing city and
county and we should
be working more on
bringing retail here to
capture sales tax instead
of putting a burden on
our citizens. It is about
attitude. When the citi
zens know that its lead
ers are looking out for
them then the citizens
will feel listened to and
cared about. Any money
we can put back into
their pockets will help
Jefferson in the long run
with sales taxes, growth,
jobs and more.
Please outline a brief
biography and resume
of yourself:
I am married to Sue
who runs Ferranti’s
Cakery in beautiful
downtown Jefferson and
together we have five
children, four of whom
have grown up here in
Jefferson and attended
Jefferson city schools.
I am a United States
Air Force veteran having
served for eight years
and am a proud member
of the American Legion
here in Jefferson. I also
am involved with the
Legion Riders, a sub
set of the Legion all of
whom own motorcycles
and are involved in a
multitude of fund-rais
ers and causes.
I have volunteered
with CASA, a special
advocacy group that
works with children
locally, with Peace
Place which is a domes
tic violence non-prof
it, was a Chairman for
Habitat for Humanity,
am involved with the
Downtown Develop
ment Authority, and a
member of the Jefferson
Rotary Club.
I was a councilman
for District 3 for almost
six years before step
ping down to run for
mayor and I am proud
of the fact that I have
listened to and stood up
for our citizens without
fail.
Broadband highlights Jefferson forum
Better broadband, more commercial
development and lower taxes were the
main highlights last week at the second
political forum for City of Jefferson coun
cil candidates. The forum was hosted by
the Jackson County Republican Party.
Another forum is scheduled for Thursday,
Oct. 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the Jefferson Club
house hosted by the county Democratic
Party.
Early voting for local city elections has
begun and election day will be Nov. 7.
In Jefferson, incumbent Mayor Roy
Plott faces a challenge from former city
councilman Steve Quinn while incumbent
District 4 councilman Mark Mobley is
facing challenger David Wortham.
BROADBAND
The issue of getting better broadband
internet service came up in several of the
questions, with all four candidates agree
ing that the city needs faster, more reliable
service.
Plott said the city had “enticed” Com
cast to provide service to the downtown
commercial area and that the firm is
now running fiber out Hwy. 11. He said
he hoped increased competition would
improve service in the community.
Quinn said broadband is the “new
waterlines” of a community and that he
didn’t think the city had done enough to
bring in more reliable service. He praised
the city’s broadband committee of cit
izens, but said he was disappointed the
mayor and others on the council had shot
down a proposal from Paladin to use the
town’s water tanks to provide wireless
broadband. He said broadband “is the big
gest issue for growth in Jefferson.” Quinn
also said that the cost of the city providing
its own broadband was prohibitive.
Mobley said broadband was important
to lure companies to come to Jefferson
and he believed wireless broadband is the
future.
Wortham said the issue isn’t a new prob
lem, but that the council had “dropped the
ball” on the issue and that it is “time to
change the players.” He said that reliable
internet was needed for the city to bring
in more white collar jobs. He also said the
city has a “hurry up and wait” mentality if
they expect Comcast to provide residen
tial internet because he said the firm most
ly wants commercial connections since
“they make a fortune on it.”
In a related discussion, the only
tense exchange of the night came when
Wortham criticized the city’s website,
which is maintained and updated by Plott.
Wortham said a tech friend in California
evaluated the city’s website and called
him laughing, saying that the website
described the city as “a bunch of old white
rich people.”
“That’s not selling the City of Jeffer
son.” he said.
Plott, who isn’t running against
Wortham, took exception to that descrip
tion of the website.
“David, you didn’t look at the whole
site.” he said.
Plott continued by saying a complete
set of city demographics is on the website.
“It’s not one page that says, ‘white over
age 38’ — that’s a miscommunication.”
Wortham responded to Plott, saying that
the page he referenced is indeed on the
city’s website.
GROWTH
Growth issues in several different forms
were also key points during last week’s
forum. All four candidates said they sup
port encouraging additional retail devel
opment in the city.
The candidates also agreed they’d like
to see more white collar jobs in Jefferson.
Mobley said the city had a “great nat
ural resource” with its school system and
that he had personally appealed to the
state Board of Regents to build a college
campus in the community.
Quinn said the city isn’t doing enough
to bring in white collar jobs, claiming the
city needed more communication with the
chamber of commerce and citizens to help
achieve that.
Wortham said the city needs to bring
in more high-tech jobs and that he had
“brought in jobs” when he worked in the
corporate world.
Plott said he had helped bring jobs to
the state when he worked for Georgia
Power, but that Jefferson doesn’t yet have
“the critical mass” to bring in white col
lar jobs on a large scale. “It’s difficult to
entice white collar jobs,” he said.
In development downtown, especially
in finding a tenant for the old Mike’s
Down Under building, the four were
divided in how best that could be done.
Both Wortham and Mobley said they were
opposed to the city giving tax abatements
or incentives to businesses. Mobley said
that perhaps the city could buy and then
continued on page 14A