If you didn’t know, the county commissioner elections are just starting to heat up. It is exciting to see new people throwing their hats in the ring to unseat the current commissioners that are up for re-election: Herb Frady, Lee Hearn, and Robert Horgan.
With the elections coming, we debate with our friends and family over who would be able to lead us into a new era in Fayette County, preferably someone without the special interests ties.
I have participated in this conversation or I should say debate, and I have to say that both Mr. Randy Ognio and Mr. David Barlow bring a refreshing view to the table. Instead of candidates, they seem to have the attitude of citizens leading citizens, something clearly missing with Frady, Hearn, and Horgan.
But this letter isn’t about who is running. I am writing this letter in regards to who I hope does not run. With the group of candidates entering the field and announcing early, the citizens have a chance to know more about them.
But I know there are rumors of a few hopeful candidates waiting in the bushes ready to pounce out upon us all and announce to the county that they have the solutions and leadership to solve all of our problems. They will dazzle us with large print ads in the paper and talk of past experience as if they could do no wrong.
Well, if that were the case then why did they not continue their political career? Could it be that they did such a wonderful job in office that the citizens of Fayette County offered them a free vacation and voted them out of office?
Mr. Greg Dunn would be the first person I would not want to see put his hat in the ring. Dunn has done enough in the county with his divisive tenure in office. He had a barrage of lawsuits with Peachtree City, Tyrone, Fayetteville and the Sheriff’s Office.
We certainly do not need to return to those acrimonious days. The slogan chanted in Dunn’s last two defeats running for the Board of Commissioners was “We’re Done with Dunn.”
The second candidate that should sit this one out is Mr. Rick Price. I appreciate Price’s past efforts with the county and state, but he drifted away from his constituents and this is not the time that we need his controversial votes to muddy the waters.
The people of Fayette County do not believe career politicians can take us to fiscal responsibility and public accountability.
It’s obvious to everyone that Frady, Hearn and Horgan need to go. But let’s not head in the wrong direction with Dunn and Price. The average citizens would have no voice in local government either way.
The citizens of Fayette County are at a crossroad. We can decide to continue down our current path which is a group of three who are completely out of touch with the constituents, or more of the same with a couple of career politicians who raised the ire of the public with a lack of transparency and a knack for pomposity.
Or we can go with two above-average guys like Randy Ognio and David Barlow who do not have all the baggage.
We always see Ognio and Barlow at the commission meetings sticking up for us on West Fayetteville Bypass, the HB 240 issue, transparency issues and keeping the mass transit out.
Where have Dunn and Price been? It looks like Dunn and Price might want to stage a coup over control of the Board of Commissioners, but for what purpose?
We need true leadership of our commissioners and not career politicians sneaking back into office. We need citizens representing citizens, neighbors looking out for their neighbors.
Josh Bloom
Peachtree City, Ga.
