I believe this information is critical to the voters of Fayette County.
David Barlow wants to control the budget for the Fayette County government. To give you some perspective, the annual budget of the Fayette County Board of Commissioners is approximately $80 million. There are a number of departments that the BOC funds. The BOC funds the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, the Fayette County Department of Public Safety (fire and ambulance service), the Fayette County Water Authority, the Recreation Department, Elections Office, Planning and Zoning, Marshal’s Office, the various courts (Superior, State, Magistrate, Juvenile and Probate) and Clerk’s Office, Purchasing Office, Tax Assessor’s Office, Health Department, Tax Commissioner’s Office, Finance, Animal Control, Public Works (buildings and grounds), Personnel Office and Administration. In all, Fayette County has approximately 650 employees.
Each of the various departments that I have described above operates on a formal budget. For each department, the BOC establishes a revenue stream (tax or fee). For each of these departments, the BOC constantly monitors the expenditures. Under Georgia law, Fayette County, as with all counties, must operate under a balanced budget. States, cities and counties are unlike the federal government and cannot simply print money.
I explain the budgeting process for the county of $80 million dollars to highlight the following: David Barlow is a candidate for the Fayette County Board of Commissioners. David Barlow has gone bankrupt on at least two occasions.
Fayette County Board Of Commissioner candidate David Barlow filed Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in 1986. Under Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, David Barlow asked a judge to relieve him of paying any amount of his debts.
Not being satisfied with not having to pay his bills in 1986, David Barlow filed a second Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 1994. He once again asked a judge to relieve him of paying any amount of his debts.
What I find shocking about David Barlow’s multiple bankruptcies is, one, that they occurred in times of prosperity. David Barlow’s multiple bankruptcies were filed when economic times were great, not the hard financial times we have now.
The second shocking aspect is that he filed the second bankruptcy just 8 years after the first. The absurd aspect of this candidate is that he obviously cannot manage a homeowner’s budget. How in the world can anyone expect that he can even understand an $80 million budget?
Most residents of Fayette County are very conservative. Having been a resident of Fayette County for 40 years, I am familiar that most residents pay their bills. Most of us would do just about anything to make sure our bills are paid on time. Paying our bills is part of our moral DNA.
Go to David Barlow’s campaign website. You will not see any mention of his two bankruptcies. He claims that he is the candidate that will bring transparency to government. Why does David Barlow want to hide the fact that he has gone bankrupt at least twice? Come to my law office, and I will give you a copy of both of David Barlow’s bankruptcies.
David Barlow really cannot think that being unable to manage his own money qualifies him to be given the responsibility of managing yours. Please vote for Jack Smith, a CPA that pays his bills and has never filed bankruptcy.
Eric K. Maxwell, Attorney at Law
Fayetteville, Ga.
[Editor’s note: Maxwell is a former Fayette County commissioner who was defeated for reelection in 2010 by current Commissioner Allen McCarty. Maxwell filed a lawsuit against McCarty in November 2010 after the election seeking McCarty’s disqualification for allegedly not paying sales tax on an out-of-state purchase of a motor home. Maxwell dropped the lawsuit within weeks when McCarty produced evidence that he had paid the tax bill.]
