Growth, Public Safety Dominate District 3 Candidate Forum

Sign up for the Canton-Sixes Patch newsletter!

---

CANTON, GA -- The four candidates seeking to serve as the District 3 representative on the Cherokee County Commission took part in a forum Monday evening organized by the Cherokee County Republican Women organization.

The four candidates -- Benny Carter, Bob Kovacs, Jack Staver and Presley White -- are seeking to replace Brian Poole, who decided not to run for re-election to a second term.

Each candidate was able to provide two-minute opening and closing statements, and fielded questions from panelists and moderators. The forum was the second of two held that evening; District 2 Commission candidate Jim Hubbard took the hot seat before the District 3 challengers.

The candidates were asked a wide variety of questions, and Patch has paraphrased the questions and condensed the candidates' answers below:

What do you feel are the most pressing issues in Cherokee County?

White stated overcrowding in the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center and high turnover rate in the Cherokee Sheriff's Office are top priorities for him. The “benefits are just not there for us," White told the audience, referring to what surrounding cities and counties can offer public safety employees.

He also said the deputies need to know that their citizens and leaders stand behind them in the face of what they have to deal with on a daily basis.

Staver's response was sustainable growth. Managing growth, which has an impact on Cherokee County schools, goes hand-in-hand in ensuring the area has adequate police and fire protection to handle that increase, he added.

Kovacs noted economic development and opportunity were the pressing issues in Cherokee. While people discuss traffic, Kovacs noted close to 80 percent of the workforce leave Cherokee for their jobs. If Cherokee can provide high-quality jobs within its borders, it could cut down on traffic on major thoroughfares and keep money inside the county.

Carter stated the county, stakeholders and citizens need to work on preserving the quality of life they currently enjoy. Carter added the county should engage in proactive planning what would help retain its rural character while accommodating additional residents.

What can we do to attract jobs in Cherokee County?

"That’s a long range problem and will take a long range plan to solve," Carter said. The candidate also called for focusing on training, education and working with the county's two development authorities to attract the businesses ideal for Cherokee.

Kovacs also added education was the key, noting that it's important local leaders, citizens and stakeholders focus on what prospective employers need in employees.

Staver noted the county should utilize the Cherokee County Regional Airport and opportunity zones, which provides tax incentives for companies that create a certain amount of jobs in a particular area.

White called for more "proactive" solutions, adding there should be a balance between encouraging growth and keeping Cherokee County beautiful "without going overboard."

By 2040, Cherokee County is estimated to have a population of around 400,000 people. How can we pay for the infrastructure needed to accommodate the growth?

Carter said he wanted to be careful about raising taxes. He also said the county could ensure it has a proper mix of commercial and residential properties on its digest to keep taxes as low as possible.

Kovacs called for the county to ensure it's collecting the proper amount of impact fees from developers. County leaders should not want to raise taxes, so Kovacs added they have to make sure companies are paying their fair share to help fund road and other infrastructure projects to offset the growth.

Both Staver and White added other solutions were needed that won't require raising taxes.

What is your criteria when deciding zoning cases, particularly high-density projects?

Carter and Kovacs said the county would have to consider its land-use plan as a guiding principle. Kovacs added the county should also consider sitting down with Holly Springs to come up with a new plan that would address growth in the area, particularly Hickory Flat.

Both White and Staver said they'd rather hear from the public and their constituents when it comes to issues such as zoning and development.

Would you support a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) referendum in 2017? What could the money be best used for?

White stated he'd support the initiative going on the ballot. He also said that while he'd like to look at a list of projects, he believes expanding the Cherokee County jail should be a high priority.

Staver informed the audience that it's up to residents to tell the county how they'd like to see the sales tax revenue spent.

Kovacs added he is unsure which is more important, jail expansion or additions to the Cherokee County Justice Center. He said he'd expect to see a proposal from those respective entities on what those projects would entail.

Carter said the SPLOST question should go on the ballot, but the county needs to have a "defined" plan.

Should the county have a in-house, full-time attorney? Would you end the current contract?

Both Kovacs and Carter said they would support examining the possibility while Staver simply answered "yes." White stated it was a "misuse" of money to have a county attorney working outside Cherokee on contract.

The Sutallee area lacks parks and a library. Would this become a priority for you?

The four candidates said they'd support possibly looking into what could be done by improving recreational facilities in the western portion of the county.

Would you support a growth boundary agreement with the city of Holly Springs?

Carter said the county would have to continue building a relationship with the city in an effort to solve the problem. Kovacs, who once served on the Holly Springs Planning and Zoning Commission, said he'd be in favor of re-establishing the boundary. Staver told the crowd his support would depend on who creates it and if it would infringe on the rights of citizens. White added it was a difficult question for him to answer since he doesn't know what restrictions would be put into place.