Hubbard Wants To "Go To Work Again" For Voters

Sign up for the Woodstock-Towne Lake Patch newsletter!

---

WOODSTOCK, GA -- Hickory Flat resident Jim Hubbard has been out of politics for nearly four years, and he's ready to get back into the game.

Hubbard communicated that message Monday evening during a candidate forum hosted by the Cherokee County Republican Women's organization. The forum, held at the Cherokee County Historic Courthouse, drew scores of residents as well as current and former elected officials.

The forum allowed residents to learn more about the candidates running for the District 2 and District 3 seats on the Cherokee County Commission.

Hubbard is seeking to regain the District 2 seat he held for eight years prior to his defeat in 2012 by incumbent Ray Gunnin. Gunnin, the former Cherokee County fire chief, was not in attendance due to a prior commitment he'd made months in advance.

Hubbard informed the audience of his background and his vision for the county. Hubbard, who help create the HIckory Flat Volunteer Fire Department, said traffic is the most pressing issue for District 2 residents.

That district encompasses eastern Woodstock and the southeastern portion of Cherokee County. Growth is creeping back in to Cherokee County, so it's “time for us to go to work again," Hubbard said.

The candidate took questions from moderators as well as from the audience. Hubbard was asked if he'd support a plan that would use the old Northside Hospital-Cherokee facility as a veterans hospital.

Stating that there are estimates that put the county's homeless veteran population between 250 and 300, Hubbard said he'd something like a hospital could "go a long way" in helping those residents obtain the services they need.

One question asked by the moderators: what has changed in District 2 in the last four years that would make Hubbard run for office?

“People are mad," he said, adding those people are upset about the traffic woes that plague the district. Hickory Flat's main intersection, East Cherokee Drive at S.R. 140/Hickory Flat Highway, is virtually a standstill from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., and motorists who have to navigate that traffic are unsure where they should direct their anger.

His goal, Hubbard said, is to connect with those residents and lead the campaign for action over the next four years.

Specifically, Hubbard is calling for a slow down in growth to allow the county to bring its existing infrastructure up to speed with the population. He also said annexation in Hickory Flat is another looming issue.

SPLOST Renewal

Hubbard stated he'd want to make sure any proposal to renew the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax in 2017 would be a project list that reflects the desires of voters.

Holly Springs annexations

Hubbard said it's imperative that Hickory Flat residents and Holly Springs residents communicate to their leaders their feelings about the topic. And if they don't listen, "there's an election coming up."

Traffic solutions

Hubbard stated the county's three main arterial routes -- S.R. 20, S.R. 140 and Bells Ferry Road -- are "just disasters" during the morning and evening commutes, so the county has to push for state funding to bring transportation relief to motorists.

Illegal immigrants receiving healthcare and education in Cherokee County

While he's against illegal immigration, Hubbard stated we have to do something to make it "not as easy" for those entering the country unlawfully to receive those services. However, the candidate added that it was important to take care of children in those situations.

Ball Ground Recycling

Hubbard gave the audience a backstory of how the county got involved with the company. The county commission in 2006 created the Resource Recovery Development Authority and backed up to $18 million in bonds, which were used to relocate Ball Ground Recycling to land along Highway 5 just south of Ball Ground. The relocation was necessary as the county received hundreds of complaints about the facility's operations in its former location on Blalock Road.

The 2006 agreement stipulated that owner Jimmy Bobo was to make payments of the bond into an escrow account, but the county learned in late 2011 Bobo hadn’t been making the payments.

That forced the county to pick up the tab.

Ball Ground Recycling in 2012 filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and the company was subsequently forced to remove itself from the property. The company was eventually dismissed from bankruptcy court, giving the county the green light to go after the company and Bobo to recover money from the failed deal.

The county eventually approved a settlement agreement with Bobo in an effort to bring the issue to a close. In April 2015, the county approved a lease-purchase agreement with Cowart for $3 million. Owner Chris Cowart would lease the property at 5861 Ball Ground Highway, and make monthly payments of $11,853.63 to the county, according to that agreement.

Hubbard said the ordeal was a "bad situation," but stated he was thankful the county finally got an operator on the site. If the economic recession of 2008 hadn't occurred, "this would not be an issue," he added.

---

Image via Jim Hubbard