The fifth and final Cobb County Republican Women’s Club candidate forum Tuesday night revealed more similarities than differences between the seven GOP candidates vying for two county commission seats in the May 20 primary election.
Only incumbent JoAnn Birrell did not attend. She submitted a statement that said she had to attend to a family matter.
Five candidates are competing for the open District 1 commission seat being vacated by Helen Goreham. That group includes a couple of political veterans in Bill Byrne, who was chairman of the commission for 10 years, and Bob Weatherford, an Acworth city councilman for 12 years. The other candidates are former Marietta Fire Marshall Scott Tucker, and small business owners Angela Barner (real estate) and Glenn Melson (insurance).
Birrell is being challenged for her District 3 seat by Michael Opitz, a registered mediator who ran an unsuccessful Congressional campaign in 2012, and plumber Joseph Pond.
The candidates fielded a range of questions that dealt with traffic, development and taxes. But all agreed that increased spending on public safety would be a top priority if they are elected.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in February that former public safety director Jack Forsythe and police chief John Houser have repeatedly warned Commissioners over the past two years that they needed more officers, newer vehicles and better equipment. The problem is especially acute at shift changes, they said, when there are not enough officers on the street to respond to calls or provide backup on dangerous runs.
After that report, commissioners approved adding 40 new officer positions to the force. It will take more than a year to fill those slots.
Melson said he is the only candidate to offer a plan to deal with the issue. He said he would urge the commission to use priority-based budgeting to find savings, then reallocate that money to give every officer on the force a $6,000 raise in 2016. The commission has already committed to priority-based budgeting for the first time this year.
“The Braves are coming, and that adds additional pressure on our officers,” Melson said. “My plan will address those needs.”
But the public safety needs run deeper than that. Forsyth estimated that the force needs more than 170 new officers — after it replaces the 70 officers that left the department last year.
Weatherford, who served on the Acworth Police Department for 25 years before retiring, said he would get rid of parity pay — a system the county has adopted that dictates the salary ranges of all public safety officials must be the same, whether they work in dispatch, for the Sheriff, or the Police. Parity was widely panned in an officer survey that revealed deep morale issues and widespread dissatisfaction within the department.
“We need to make sure we provide officers with what they need,” Weatherford said.
Tucker said fixing the department is going to take a financial commitment.
“If you want (officers) to stick around, you’ve got to give them the right equipment, the right tools and the right appreciation,” Tucker said. “That will take some money.”
On taxes, the candidates were asked under “what circumstances” they would consider a property tax hike. Byrne was the most direct: “Over my dead body,” he said.
“If you know how to manage, you won’t have to raise property taxes in Cobb County anymore,” Byrne said.
None of the candidates stated a reason they would favor a property tax increase. All said the county can get by with a better focus on core priorities.
“I can’t think of a reason that would cause me to jump up and down and say: `Whew, let’s raise some taxes,’” Pond said to a round of laughter from the hundred or so people in attendance. “I believe Cobb County government needs to focus on core essentials.”
Opitz agreed with that, and added that the county has plenty in its rainy day fund to get it through any tough times.
“What we have to do is focus on priorities, rather than letting spending drive our goals,” he said.
The candidates were only asked one question about the Braves pending move to Cobb County, which has committed $300 million in public spending toward stadium construction and another $35 million for capital maintenance. The AJC has reported recently on additional ancillary costs of the stadium deal that are expected to cost tens of millions of dollars — including increased public safety spending, financing costs and transportation improvements.
The Braves question was framed around transportation, and what steps can be taken to minimize congestion. That question revealed the biggest differences between the candidates.
Barner said there’s plenty happening to address that problem, including a federal managed lane project on the interstate. She also pointed out that the Braves schedule is “varied, so not all the games will happen during high traffic times.” Pond and Opitz said there isn’t enough information yet on the Braves impact on traffic in the Cumberland area; Melson said technology, in the form of reversible lanes and synchronized traffic lights, is the answer; Byrne said there’s “no way in the world” the infrastructure can be in place before the Braves move in 2017.
Weatherford said the solution to traffic is a “puzzle” and the county needs to figure out the right pieces, while Tucker said getting drivers off the road with buses, better traffic management and the county allowing employees to work flexible hours will help.
Democrat Derrick Crump, who is running for the District 1 seat, did not participate in the forum. He is unopposed in the primary. If a runoff is necessary for either race, it will be held July 20.
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