Dear Editor,
Let’s set the record straight. In the April 16 edition of The Eatonton Messenger, Kimberly Wall, a top contributor to the taxpayer watchdog group, misstated several comments regarding my character, background, and duties as a zoning commissioner.
Regarding the rock quarry, as a zoning commissioner, I am obligated to approach each issue that comes before us with a fair and open-minded approach. Only after reviewing and hearing all information from all parties involved, including county residents, will I add my official vote to the recommendation that goes to the county commissioners for a final decision on the issue at hand. Because the applicant requested an extension of time to revise the application, the item was placed on a future PNZ meeting agenda, as is standard procedure.
I was born and raised in the Cincinnati, Ohio area. My parents were from Eastern Kentucky. My mother was from Hazard, Kentucky, and my father was from Jackson, Kentucky, where he and his family grew up and went to school with JD Vance’s family.
At the age of 50, while working for a design-build firm in Marietta, I was transferred to the West Coast to manage projects in the western regions of the country. I have been involved in projects in 15 states and Canada, working with city councils, county commissioners, planning and zoning departments, and fire departments.
In 2021, my wife and I retired and moved to Putnam County, the place we now love and call home. I have never said I support a quarry, and I have never stated I support a tax abatement, regardless of what the taxpayer watchdog group and its candidates running against me say.
Charles Gray, Putnam County citizen