Over plates of pulled pork sandwiches, patrons at Dean's Barbecue in Jonesboro fret about the county's future.
Many, like Tommie Lovette, say they are still reluctantly embracing the political change in Clayton County: a new slate of leaders that includes a sheriff facing a fistful of felony charges.
"I've never seen anything like this before," the Hampton resident said of Victor Hill, who is facing 37 felony charges related to his previous tenure as sheriff, 2004-2008. Hill unseated Sheriff Kem Kimbrough in a Democratic runoff this week and faces no opposition in the fall.
"It just doesn't set a positive light on county government as a whole," Lovette said.
Recent political activity and interviews with Clayton voters show an electorate fed up with alleged corruption and what they saw as disconnected leadership. Over the past year, three voter groups organized to challenge the county commission on taxes, development and transparency. Once similarly disaffected and motivated voters had a chance to cast a ballot, they voted for change.
Three incumbents were on the ballot, three incumbents went down in defeat.
The election ended the two-term tenure of commission Chairman Eldrin Bell who is being investigated by a county grand jury. Commissioner Wole Ralph, who is also facing a grand jury probe, lost too. But, surprisingly to many outside Clayton, the election also gave the troubled Hill a chance to reclaim the sheriff's office.
"It was a much deeper sea change that people saw," said Michael Hightower, managing partner of the Collaborative Firm, an East Point-based urban planning and development firm. "... People are looking for help and leadership."
A follower of Southside politics for more than 30 years, Hightower said Tuesday's runoff represents a county in transition. Over the last dozen years, Clayton has endured significant demographic and political change, going from a mostly white, rural community to a predominantly black bedroom community.
Bell and Hill were among the first African-Americans elected in Clayton, riding a wave of demographic change that began in the late 1990s.
Hightower thinks many black Clayton voters are no longer satisfied with such racial milestones; they expect greater results and want to hold them accountable.
"It's grown in that respect vs. eight to 10 years ago," he said.
Hill's election doesn't lend itself easily to explanation. The former sheriff will soon go on trial, but he has consistently claimed he is innocent of charges in a January indictment and maintained that they are politically motivated. He has also been a master of shoe-leather politics, appearing everywhere around the county, and of customer service.
To outsiders, Hill may be known most as the guy who fired two dozen deputies on his first day in office and the guy who made inmates face the wall whenever he walked through the jail. But those in the community say he's also the guy who rid the county of many seedy massage parlors and prostitution and drug rings. Residents say people who had complaints could call his personal phone number and leave a message, and a problem would usually be resolved within days.
It wasn't unusual to see Hill at community functions, churches and neighborhood-watch barbecues even when he wasn't running for office.
Hampton resident Willie Smith II recalled the time Hill, on his way to a black-tie affair, pulled his car over to question a man who was acting suspicious.
"I was very impressed by that," Smith said. "Being the sheriff, he could have called one of his deputies to investigate and he could have been on his way. People want to make (sheriffs) out as administrators who sit in ivory towers and don't do any work. That's not how I'd describe Victor. I really felt he was on our side."
Still, some residents are baffled that Hill, given his legal troubles, was elected again, and the county is now without an experienced politician who can keep the county in the political loop regionally.
"It's going to mean bad things," said Howard Kerstetter, who was eating lunch Wednesday at another local hangout, Gina's Bistro and Catering in downtown Jonesboro. Kerstetter said Clayton County residents appear to have short memories or are extremely forgiving considering Hill "cost the county piles of money and lawsuits," referring to the money it cost for the county to settle lawsuits involving the fired deputies.
"Right now, he's under indictment. I'm not saying he's guilty but with that hanging over his head I couldn't vote for him," said Kerstetter, a resident of Jonesboro who has lived in the county since 1982.
Hampton resident Dale Millican agrees.
"My thought is "God bless you, you're innocent until proven guilty," said Millican. "But if you've got 37 felony indictments then you've probably been up to something."
Fannette Morris and her daughter, Mialon, over lunch at Gina's also talked about the upcoming changes, stressing the need for more accountability.
"They both have skeletons in their closet," said Mialon Morris, referring to both Kimbrough's and Hill's recent well-publicized troubles. "If you are gonna be in politics, keep it clean. Anything you do politically, they're going to dig into your past."
"We're over that – the whole 'I made a mistake' thing," Fannette Morris added.
Hill is set to go to trial in November.
Kimbrough's re-election bid was perhaps troubled by allegations of sexual misconduct that Hill relentlessly raised and Kimbrough denied. Most of the seven challengers who ran against Kimbrough came out of the sheriff's office, and two female candidates in the race endorsed Hill.
"That speaks volumes," said political consultant Pat Pullar. "Women are the majority voters in Clayton and they decided this election."
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