Incumbent Republican Putnam County District 2 Commissioner Daniel Brown and Democratic challenger Richard Garrett faced approximately two dozen engaged voters last Thursday from the stage at the decommissioned Butler-Baker school in Eatonton.
Both candidates provided their thoughts and opinions on several local issues, including county-city cooperation, aging infrastructure, and the controversial upcoming SPLOST 10 vote.
“It’s a good thing,” Brown declared of SPLOST 10. “We could not do those capital projects out of the general fund because if we did, your millage rate and your taxes would go through the roof.
“All those projects are needed, and most of the money in SPLOST 10 is for projects going on in District 2,” he added.
Brown also insisted no plan exists to put the county more than $30 million in debt.
“That’s not going to happen,” he declared. “The wording was included in that SPLOST for a reason. Our county attorney told me that 95% of the counties do the same wording in their SPLOSTs because that cuts down on having to go through the legislature. It cuts down on having to hold a special countywide election that’s going to cost $75,000.”
Garrett countered that he believes the entire controversy could have been avoided with more forethought at the county board level.
“It’s very unfortunate,” he said. “I think everyone accepts the projects listed out for SPLOST 10: improvements to the recreation facilities, extra funding for the hospital, for the sheriff’s facilities, and a new jail. I haven’t heard anyone really object to any of those.
“So, it’s really unfortunate that we have a bungled rollout of SPLOST 10, a lack of transparency, confusing wording on the ballot, the combination of do you want these projects and do you want the county to take on up to $30 million in debt, rather than just separating them, do you want the projects? I just needed a separate question: Do you want the debt? I mean, as far as I could see, they could have just been asked two related but separate questions on the ballot and avoided a lot of controversy.”
The candidates also discussed Putnam General Hospital's financial needs, presented thoughts on District 2's and the county's future direction, and debated the value of various capital projects.
Garrett stressed the need for more affordable housing in Putnam County (most specifically in District 2, which encompasses downtown Eatonton) and promoted a coordinated effort to reduce blighted structures.
“Particularly on this side of District 2, I would like the county to play a coordinating role in scaling up and addressing them. We’ve certainly been chipping it away to some extent between the city and the county, church efforts, Habitat for Humanity, and a few others. But the problem is so much bigger. We still have hundreds of houses in that kind of condition,” Garrett said.
“And yet, at the same time, we have a shortage of housing, not enough rentals, and not enough affordable homes. As a result, we can’t always hang on to the kind of talent that we have here. People have to move elsewhere, or they can’t get a job here but live here. It’s a real problem.
“So, I think rather than just waiting for landlords to somehow do it or waiting for private developers to solve the problem, this is an area where government needs to shine, where markets aren’t providing a solution. That’s when governments need to step in as a partner; we really need to scale up our solutions … We need to be more creative about how we are going to build affordable housing. There’s a lot of innovative housing technology out there now. Modular homes are much easier and cheaper to build now, so that may be an option.”
Both candidates later took questions from the audience, which quickly turned into a lengthy discussion on nearby Jimmy Davis Park, nestled within the district’s confines.
Commissioner Brown said he’s dedicated to the park’s success. He pointed out that he’s worked on its resurrection and restoration for eight years and stressed his commitment to continuing his efforts.
“I think going forward with Jimmy Davis Park, there needs to be an additional employee there,” Brown said. “We need to hire an additional employee who can be there and extend the hours that you can use this park. That’s something that we’re going to work out. And like I told you before, that’s everyone’s intention, and I feel confident it’ll happen.”
After more than an hour of debate and questioning, the session ended, but the faceoff between the District 2 candidates will resume this Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at The Plaza Arts Center in Eatonton. Light refreshments will be available, and all interested Putnam County residents are invited and encouraged to attend with questions ready. Early voting is now available before the Nov. 5 Election Day.