Five candidates seeking to represent 140,000 southeastern DeKalb County residents made their case for the job Tuesday during public interviews conducted by the county’s current commissioners.
The southeast DeKalb area hasn't had a representative for more than a year and a half since Gov. Nathan Deal appointed then-Commissioner Lee May to serve as the county's interim leader, replacing suspended CEO Burrell Ellis as he faces criminal charges.
The DeKalb Commission tested each of the candidates with questions about their qualifications, budgeting knowledge and consensus-building skills.
Commissioners plan to vote on who should become their peer next week. Georgia law allowed the commission to take control of the process after rejecting two of May’s nominees for the post.
Each candidate sat at a table while the county’s six commissioners interviewed them and about three dozen people looked on from the audience:
- Markus Butts, a member of the DeKalb Planning Commission, said he wants to make the region safer and greener.
- Gina Smith Mangham, an attorney who ran for the DeKalb Commission in 2012, said she would work to change negative perceptions about the county and adjust to potential new cities forming in the county.
- Kathryn Rice, the leader of a movement to form a city of Greenhaven, said she would seek collaboration on the commission and evaluate government spending priorities.
- Kenneth Saunders III, a member of the DeKalb Parks Bond Advisory Committee, said he's focused on sustainable growth, financial responsibility and public safety.
- George Turner, the president of the District 5 Community Council, said he would try to restore the public's trust in county government and be a responsible steward of taxpayer money.
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