Tyrone’s candidates for office were invited to a public forum at the Southampton Subdivision on Oct. 6. Attending were incumbents Mayor Eric Dial and Councilman Ryan Housley, Dial’s opponent Derrick Jackson and Housley’s opponent Will James. Incumbent Councilwoman Linda Howard did not show up, causing citizens to wonder about her platform.
Presumably [she is] running on her record, which is not very good, given she recently voted to re-adopt the unconstitutional ordinance passed in 2011, without any required report from the Planning Commission and knowledge of what she was voting on.
To illustrate this report, Ryan Housley gave the most serious answer to a question that should tell citizens that a change in council is not only needed but required.
Housley was asked, “What was the purpose of re-adopting the 2011 zoning ordinance on Oct. 1, 2015?” After silence, Housley responded, ”Uh, uh, I don’t know the answer to that question. I will have to do some research on it.”
Anyone who votes for a law but doesn’t know why should never be re-elected. In fact the whole council voted yes without any understanding.
The forum did not allow any debate or rebuttal. However, Jackson and Dial went at each other. On the issue of what has the town done for the citizens, Jackson stated, “The town has done very little,” citing that an athletic association had to raise $75,000 to improve an athletic field without any funding from the town. Dial countered, stating the town did provide funds, without specifics.
The zoning issue of the gun shop was a question to Dial regarding the town’s lack of representing citizens. The gun shop was an issue near and dear to Southampton residents because they had to hire an expensive lawyer to sue Tyrone over it.
Dial immediately went into defense mode, stating he did not support the gun shop, was happy that they didn’t have it, never wanted it to come back and had no control because gun shops were a permitted use in the ordinance.
Everyone at Southampton knew Dial never spoke against the gun shop, presided over the council that passed it, and when the lawsuit caught Tyrone in illegal advertising of the hearing, presided over the old re-adoption tactic.
But most untrue was Dial’s alleged helplessness because a gun shop was a permitted use. Dial knew that a gun shop was not a permitted use at that location and never objected when the council changed the zoning to allow the gun shop when the applicant requested that use.
Wake up, all you 2,000 registered voters who don’t vote. Your representatives have failed to represent you and have become their lawyer’s rubber stamp.
Richard Shelley
Tyrone, Ga.
