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PACE 6A
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 2008
— Meet the Candidates —
Gene Hart, County BOC chairman (incumbent)
Charles Chapman, Sheriff (incumbent)
How has your background
prepared you for the seat you
are seeking?
My current position as chair
man of the Banks County
Commission provides me with
great experience and training
for continuing my service in
that office. I have held responsi
ble positions in private industry,
operated a Banks County farm,
and served the citizens of Banks
County in public office, all of
which gives me unique insight
and understanding in working for Banks County.
Why are you the most qualified person for this posi
tion?
I have extensive training in many areas of public and
private management:
•ACCG Certified County Commissioner & Leadership
(UGA Carl Vincent Institute).
•Departmental management for large corporations (Penn
State University)
•Public management of personnel, finance, budgeting,
zoning, tax assessment (ACCG training).
•US Navy ship's engineer and division leader (E-5).
•On-the-job experience as the current chairman.
I have received formal education from the following
accredited institutions:
•Banks County High School (graduate diploma).
•Gainesville College (degree in marketing).
•Penn State University (Seminar Certification).
What do you consider to be the key issues facing the
campaign? If elected, what would be your plans on how
to address these issues?
Water: How does Banks County provide its residents and
businesses with adequate supplies of water?
I will address this issue by utilizing the services of the
water engineering firm (which has already been hired) to
assess all potential water sources in the county including
lakes, rivers, streams and reservoirs. I am also seeking part
nerships with surrounding towns and counties to find areas
of cooperation for water resources. The county has already
received and I have instructed the county's grant writer to
continue to seek grants for the funding of water projects.
Landfill Expansion: The current landfill management
wishes to eliminate Poole Road (a county road) in order to
expand its coverage area. Should the county permit this to
happen? I will seek to defend the county's current zoning
regulations, which govern landfill expansions, that cur
rently do not permit this expansion. I will seek assistance
from the state EPD to ensure that current environmental
regulations are enforced that do not permit such expansion
across a public road.
Growth: How does Banks County prepare for the growth
in its population and businesses? I will seek to produce a
revised county comprehensive land use plan that empha
sizes effective use of zoning to provide ample room for
business and industrial growth in selected areas while pre
serving most of the county for farming and residential use.
I will continue to push the county’s utilities infrastructure
for water and sewerage into all parts of the county to sup
port residents and businesses.
What is the greatest challenge facing the person elect
ed to this position and how would you address it?
Taxes and revenue: How will the county meet all of the
needs of its citizens while providing its residents with the
least possible millage rates on their property evaluations?
As I have done in the past, I will hold each department
responsible for properly justifying its spending in order to
keep from raising rates on property owners to increase tax
revenue. I will seek to have all departments which charge
fees to operate as much as possible based on the revenue
stream generated from the department's fees. I will help
businesses and industries to locate in the approved areas
of the county in order to provide jobs for citizens and shift
more of the tax burden away from the farmer and residen
tial land owner.
What course would you like to see the county take as
it grows over the next decade?
I would like to see the county be able to maintain its rural/
residential character while providing for local jobs for its
citizens though the location of businesses and industries
into the county.
Milton Dalton, County BOC chairman
Please summarize your
background.
I was a business owner
in Cornelia for 20 years. I
worked for the Banks County
Sheriff's Department for
three years and seven months.
I was elected Probate Judge,
which I served 21 years.
How has your background
prepared you for the seat
you are seeking?
As a business owner and
public servant of Banks
County, I have learned to listen to people. It has given
me an insight on how the county should be run.
Why are you the most qualified person for this
position?
I feel that I am qualified by all the years of experi
ence I have had owning a business and working for
Banks County dealing with people and their personal
problems.
What do you consider to be the key issue facing the
campaign? If elected, what would be your plans on
how to address these issues?
I feel that water and controlled growth of Banks
County are the key issues. I will start by trying to get the
1,000,000 gallon water per day permit for the Hudson
River Basin that we lost some years ago. I think the 1-85
Martin Bridge area should be developed for industry and
possibly some along U.S. 441. This will give our young
people some place to work without having to drive out
of the county.
What is the greatest challenge facing the person elect
ed to this position and how would you address it?
One of the greatest challenges facing the chairman will
be getting the necessary infrastructure in place prior to
committing to new development. We can't commit to
subdivisions or heavy industry without the water and
sewer necessary to attract such development. To do so
would be a waste of resources and bring a rapid increase
in the tax burden on our citizens. In a tight ecomony,
such as we have today, keeping the size of government
down and keeping taxes low is my #1 goal.
What course would you like to see the county take
as it grows over the next decade?
I'd like to see Banks County remain a place which has
a great atmosphere for raising a family, is supportive of
all our farming intrests and is industry friendly. I think
it is critical that we develop several water shed lakes or
reservoirs in Banks County over the next decade. Water
is a must for every community and I'd like to leave
our children and grandchildren with plenty of this vital
resource.
If we can build these lakes it will create a source of
revenue for the county and be an attraction for quality
growth. By having numerous industries or businesses
competing to locate in Banks County, we can pick and
choose from among the best and which will be the most
beneficial for Banks County.
DALTON
DA race the most expensive of election season
$73,163 spent through June in contest — see page 7 A for DA candidate Q&A
The three candidates vying for the
District Attorney’s position in the
Piedmont Judicial Circuit had spent
over $73,000 through June, making
the race the most expensive local con
test this election season.
According to the candidates' cam
paign disclosure reports, Donna Sikes
had spent the most money in the race
at $42,400. However, despite a long
list of individual contributions, Sikes
had raised only $21,000 so far. A large
part of her expenses went to a political
consulting firm in Gwinnett County.
Candidate Brad Smith had raised the
most money so far in the campaign
at $23,300, most of it from area law
firms. Smith also contributed to his
own campaign both with in-kind dona
tions and in paying the $3,330 qualify-
continued on page 12A
Please summarize your back
ground.
I am 61 years of age and live
in the Washington District of
Banks County. I have been
married to Linda Jean Poole
Chapman for 41 years. My
wife, Linda and I have two chil
dren and four grandchildren. I
have been in law enforcement
for 19 years and was elected
sheriff in 1996, which I have
served since.
How has your background
prepared you for the seat you are seeking?
The training and experience that I have had over the past
19 years in law enforcement has prepared me for the posi
tion which I seek.
Why are you the most qualified person for this posi
tion?
Over the past 11 years, I have served as sheriff and I have
a proven record in carrying out the duties of sheriff and with
fiscal responsibility in the operations of this office.
What do you consider to be the key issues facing the
campaign? If elected, what would be your plans on how
to address these issues?
Most challenging issues in upcoming election:
The biggest issue is the cost of operating the sheriff's
office and balancing the budget to effectively operate the
jail and the cost of funding law enforcement in order to best
protect the citizens of Banks County.
In order to serve the needs of Banks County with the
funds made available in the budget to the sheriff’s office,
I have used my experience and insight to put into place a
tight, but workable financial plan, to best utilize the tax dol
lars of the Banks County citizens, effectively and without
waste.
I have put into place programs to offset the high cost of
operating the sheriff’s office to help with current expenses
CHAPMAN
Carlton Speed, Sheriff
Please summarize your
background.
I am currently in my fif
teenth year of law enforce
ment. I have worked for
the Banks County Sheriff’s
Office and currently work
for the Hall County Sheriff's
Office as a property crimes
investigator. I am currently
on a leave of absence to
seek the office of sheriff
here in Banks County. I SPEED
have worked as jailer, patrol
officer, patrol shift sergeant where I supervised a shift,
lieutenant over the patrol division where I ran the day
to day operations of the patrol division. Promoted to
investigator where I investigated crimes against per
sons which included child molestations, aggravated
assaults and any other person crimes. Interdiction offi
cer where I attempted to stop criminals before they
could commit crimes in high crime areas. Then my
current assignment of property crimes investigator
where I investigated burglaries, theft by taking, crimi
nal trespass and any and all property crimes.
How has your background prepared you for the seat
you are seeking?
My background has prepared me for this position by
allowing me to work in all aspects of law enforcement
from the detention setting where I was familiar with the
daily operations of a jail, the patrol division where I
answered calls and patrolled a district. Sergeant where I
ran a shift and directed calls and responses. Lieutenant
where I oversaw the daily functions of all the patrol offi
cers. maintenance of cars, uniforms, scheduling many
other tasks. My many years of law enforcement have
enabled me to develop working relationships with many
other agencies at the local and state level to help fight
the criminal element here inside Banks County since
neither crime nor criminals care where county lines start
or stop.
Why are you the most qualified person for this
position?
My background has enabled me to identify with all
aspects of the law enforcement profession from the
ground up! My ability to adapt to the fast paced change
of the law enforcement profession with changing laws.
and expenses incurred in the future.
The Banks County Jail currently houses prisoners for the
U.S. Marshal’s Service and for surrounding counties, which
brings in revenue to Banks County. Other revenue is gener
ated through programs that are paid to the sheriff's office
from inmate telephones and concessions. We are operating
a Traffic Interdiction team with much success. The program
has already allowed for the purchase of three much needed
fully equipped patrol vehicles and various other equipment,
with monies seized from drug dealers, resulting in no cost to
the taxpayers of Banks County. We are constantly searching
and will continue to search for grants to help offset the cost
of operating the sheriff’s office.
If I am re-elected, I will continue to serve Banks County
with experience and insight in order to economically and
effectively maintain professional law enforcement for all of
the citizens of Banks County.
What is the greatest challenge facing the person elect
ed to this position and how would you address it?
The greatest challenge facing the person elected to this
position will be the continued growth that our county is
facing. New businesses and residential growth will bring
about a continued growth in crime and the demands placed
upon this office will become greater. I plan if re-elected to
this office, to utilize every resource available to us in order
to bring the delivery of services of the sheriff’s office to the
citizens of Banks County as effectively and efficiently as
possible.
What course would you like to see the county take as
it grows over the next decade?
I would like to see the sheriff's office continue to be able
to meet the demand for services which are placed upon it
every day. Law enforcement is a necessity which cannot be
taken backward but it must ever move forward to meet the
needs of a growing county. Today, in Banks County, the
sheriff's office is a progressive, innovative and professional
sheriff's office and I want to see it continue the course to
help keep Banks County a safe place for families to live and
raise their children.
new technology which is available that is changing the
way law enforcement is carried out. The ability to inte
grate all of this technology into service for the citizens
of Banks County. My vested interest in the children
of Banks County with four children growing up in the
school system. My vision as to where the Banks County
Sheriff's Office needs to be with the ever-growing
population and call for service that will inevitably be
demanded of this office.
What do you consider to be the key issues facing the
campaign? If elected, what would be your plans on
how to address these issues?
The key issue of this campaign is how to continue to
provide the citizens of Banks County with effective law
enforcement with the increase of fuel prices skyrocket
ing. If elected the sheriff's office would aggressively
seek any and all state, local and federal grants to acquire
equipment which would free up monies for fuel. Seek
ways to make the sheriff's office more self sufficient
work release programs and house arrest programs that
pay the sheriff's office. Housing of federal inmates,
boarding for other facilities, more fuel efficient patrol
vehicles there are many possibilities that could be
explored and if elected I will look at all possibilities.
What is the greatest challenge facing the person elect
ed to this position and how would you address it?
The greatest challenge will be to keep the citizens of
Banks County safe and informed on the current criminal
issues occurring around them in their community. An
informed citizen is an asset to the sheriff's office and
a deterrent to criminal activity. By creating a Citizens
Academy, the concerned Banks County citizen can
learn the daily functions and activities that occur in the
sheriff's office, therefore gaining a greater appreciation
of the job carried out by the officers who are protecting
their community.
What course would you like to see the county take
as it grows over the next decade?
I would like to see the Banks County Sheriff’s
Office become a leading agency in Northeast Georgia
with cutting edge technology, highly trained officers,
involvement in schools and community affairs and an
office that the citizens of Banks County will be proud
to support and be involved with. An office that is known
for always doing the right thing! I want to serve all our
families with RR.I.D.E. P-Professionalism. R-Respect.
I-Integrity. D-Dignity. E-Empathy
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