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Monroe forum provides little debate
Published October 21, 2009
MONROE — The Walton County Chamber of Commerce Political Forum featuring the six candidates for local office contained few “gotcha” moments Tuesday night.
The candidates, sitting in front of an audience containing few if any citizens not affiliated with the chamber, press or a candidate, managed to work through the questions asked by moderator Lee Garrett, past-chairman of the chamber and executive vice president of Liberty First Bank. The candidates were asked about the city’s park and water plans, beautification efforts, the One Walton initiative and the job description of City Administrator Julian Jackson, among other topics.
Mayor Greg Thompson, who is facing opposition from former councilman Wallace Beall in the Nov. 3 election, said Monroe is one of the “best-run cities in the state” and added under his leadership the past four years, the city has rolled back taxes, improved its credit rating with Standard & Poor’s, helped spur improvements to the city’s downtown through Opportunity Zone, Liveable Centers Initiatives and Main Street designations as well as overseeing the re-write of the city’s code ordinance.
He said he still would work for a truck bypass for downtown, acquire more transportation funds, protect the city’s water resources, continue implementing the tax rollback rate and funding the downtown development authority and work to secure more Special Local Option Sales Tax funds.
Beall, a former Monroe Area High School teacher and 11-year council member, said he has “a passion” to be mayor. During his time on council, Beall said he has worked to acquire Community Development Block Funding and transportation grants as well as leading the effort to bring Walton Regional Medical Center’s management company to the county, which will lead to the construction of a new hospital.
“I have one agenda and that is to serve all the citizens of Monroe,” Beall said.
He pledged to lower utility rates for residents, provide tax incentives for new businesses and hashed his plan to build its own reservoir at Jack’s Creek.
The candidates from District 6, incumbent Wayne Adcock and Spencer Seay, made their case for the post. Adcock said his 16 years on council and his budgetary experience as chief financial officer are reasons to re-elect him. Seay, in his first run for political office and a youth sports coach with two children, proposed utilizing the Rails to Trails program to better the city’s parks system using old railroad tracks.
In District 8, incumbent Jimmy Richardson is being challenged by former councilmember W.C. “Tip” McConnell. Richardson touted his record as DDA liaison; pointing to the recent Main Street designation the city has received and said he would like to continue moving “the city in the right direction.” McConnell said he would be a better communicator with the city, being “available, proven and experienced.”
Beall provided one of the few highlights of the evening when he said Jackson has too much power in his city administrator post and called for creating four additional jobs to handle Jackson’s current duties. The other five candidates, when asked about Jackson’s duties, said they believe he is handling his position well.
On Beall’s utility rate cuts, Thompson provided documentation that showed Monroe’s city-run utility company already provides the lowest rates to residents compared to Georgia Power and Walton EMC.
The candidates will face each other again at 7 p.m. Thursday in a forum hosted by the Walton County Democrats in the Monroe-Walton Library on Spring Street.
Look for complete candidate profiles and platforms in Oct. 28 edition of The Walton Tribune.
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