Fayette County voters, you’re on the verge of permanently losing your right to elect the executive branch of Fayette County government, consisting of the Board of Commissioners (BOC) and the Board of Education (BOE).
In 2011, the local NAACP complained of racially biased voting in county elections. A federal court ruled on the matter, had the ruling appealed and returned by an appellate court for re-consideration, and then twice ordered the NAACP and the boards to mediate a settlement.
I believe any settlement must include at least three provisions:
• Provide for all Fayette County electors to vote for all members of the executive branch of county government. That branch decides on sales, property, and special purpose taxes, how those taxes are spent, approves county ordinances, and decides multiple policies related to educating our 21,000 youngsters in public schools.
• Approve only district boundaries that conform to generally accepted time-tested standards to exclude gerrymandering, maintain communities of interest (like agricultural and suburban for example), and keeping towns and cities whole (Tyrone is currently split in two and Fayetteville into three districts!).
• Preserve Fayette County’s record and reputation for fair elections: open processes for registering, drawing a ballot, and voting.
Settling for less, even with some “no admission of racism” type disclaimer, is a capitulation to the baseless NAACP complaint.
Even the judge’s original decision admitted, “The Court agrees with the County Defendants [the BOC and BOE] that in contrast to many plaintiffs, Plaintiffs [the NAACP] have not proffered evidence relating specifically to discrimination in Fayette County.”
What we do see in Fayette County is overwhelming support for conservative candidates. And therein lies what appears to be the NAACP leadership’s actual concern: the election of liberals. Consider their supporting role in the election to the BOE of the (white) chairman of the county’s Democratic Party.
Or look as far back as 12 years ago. Black candidates ran for three seats on the BOC and BOE, but NAACP leaders did not support these very well qualified conservatives. Those three Republicans received between 82-90 percent of their votes from white voters across the county. Had black voters supported them with anything even close to that margin, they would have been easily elected and ably served.
[See charts one and two below.]
Losing 80 percent of your voting rights has so much to do with partisan politics, rather than race in Fayette County.
You must become involved if you want to preserve your rights, you cannot be complacent. Reclaim your full voting rights by urging BOE and BOC members to actively defend you from the NAACP’s unfounded complaint.
Their contact information is on their respective websites (www.fayettecountyga.gov/administration/BOC/index.htm and https://eboard.eboardsolutions.com/Index.aspx?S=4067).
[Bob Ross is a former Army officer and small business owner who has lived in Fayette County for 19 years. He’s been active in the Fayette County community and local government activities, and co-founded the Fayette County Issues Tea Party in 2008 to foster better understanding among all citizens.]
