Time to vote
To the Citizens of Eatonton,
Did you know that we have an Eatonton City Council election coming up? Tuesday, November 7 is Election Day.
Often there are no challengers for city elections, so it’s easy to miss the action. This year there are three challengers, for mayor, deputy mayor, and councilor for Wards 2 & 3 (east side of the city).
I am one of those candidates, for deputy mayor, aka councilmember-at-large. I’m running because I don’t want to see another uncontested race and the same old faces not even having to earn their position.
I am a small business owner in Eatonton (Dot2Dot Inn, with my wife Karen), an experienced researcher and manager, and am involved in local politics and community issues. I want to help Eatonton be the best it can be.
The three incumbents with challengers have each served on City Council for 20-plus years. I thank them for their service, but a well-functioning city government sometimes needs fresh faces and ideas.
Many Eatonton residents skip city elections entirely. Not even half of registered voters turned out for the last mayoral election. That is a shame.
Either the City Council is not important (if so, we should abolish it), or it’s very important (the very foundation of our democracy, meaning vital representation for historic Eatonton and our community, and deciding how to spend our hard-earned tax money).
I think it’s very important. If you agree, let’s make sure we scrutinize each candidate and vote accordingly. Don’t vote for someone because they’re your third cousin, they go to your church, you’re friends with their spouse, or they smiled at you one time. And certainly not because someone might be mad if you don’t.
Let’s vote on vision and policies. This is one of our fundamental rights and privileges as Americans. Our city has a bright future (exemplified by the surprise plans for the Old Eatonton Hotel), but there are also clouds on the horizon, not the least of which is de-annexation. A growing number of Eatonton residents are petitioning to leave the city, saying they don’t get any services to justify the taxes they have to pay.
This raises tough questions for City Council, to say the least. I for one want more from City Council, including a more concerted effort to support Eatonton’s prosperity, innovative thinking on how to better leverage Eatonton’s past to secure our future, and more creativity to tackle Eatonton’s enduring problems, such as blight, broken sidewalks, and under-employment.
I’m going to vote for challengers Pastor Fred Lowe for mayor and Mike Smith for Wards 2 & 3 Councilor (I live in Ward 3). These are two good men who want what’s best for our city and are stepping up to serve. And I would like to earn your vote. You can read about my campaign on Facebook (facebook.com/profile. php?id=61551558141965).
Bottom line: we have a real election coming this year. Thank goodness.
Richard Garrett Eatonton