In Their Own Words: Candidates Respond to Chamber Questionnaire

The Barrow County Chamber of Commerce recently asked candidates in local elections to complete a questionnaire and has made the responses available to the press.

In an email to Barrow Patch, President and Chief Executive Officer Tommy Jennings indicated the chamber received no response from Auburn council candidates Donna Scouten, Bob Vogel and William Acworth. The chamber also did not receive a reply from Bethlehem candidate C.L. Wood.

• Which candidate will get your vote? Let us know in the Barrow Patch online poll.

Winder City Council

1.)   What’s your position on implementing a city tax to cover any increased costs at the local level?

Robert “Bob” Dixon – A city tax is not needed.  We have re-organized city government, and have it running like a $30 million business.  We have made several million dollars in improvements over the past 20 month, and our cash reserve has gone from $8 milion to $11 million dollars.  I can make the tough decisions, but I don’t’ foresee a need for a city tax in the near future.  I plan to help keep it that way.  The fire tax roll back issue on city property owners will hopefully be corrected in the near future with the evaluation of service delivery discussions.

Nicole Tobias – I am always against a tax increase as a first or primary means of raising funds.  I believe that before a tax increase should be considered, a greater analysis of the current spending of the City Council is necessary!  At the last City Council meeting $30,000 was approved for the library so they would not need to close on Friday and Saturday mornings.  Very little discussion was had about that expenditure, and there was NO talk about the current budget and whether or not that money was available.  In addition, the Mayor made an excellent point in stating that a larger conversation needed to be had between the Council and the library administration because they library couldn’t expect to

Come to the Council annually for money to allow their business to stay in operation, but that didn’t stop a unanimous vote affirming the distribution of the $30,000 in addition to their already budgeted $100,000.  In the months prior to the September meeting, the Council approved a $58,000 expenditure to purchase a digital sign that currently lists the date, temperature, and photos of the current Councilmen.  Is this the best use of the City’s money?  And then there is the golf course.  The purchase of the golf course is a huge expense to the city,and for what gain?  Perhaps it is fun to play golf, but who in the City knows how to manage a golf course?  I think we will have to wait and see who is placed in the key positions of the course and “follow the money” as they say.

When it comes to technology purchases, the City has a habit of borrowing money on a long--‐term basis.  I understand the temptation of doing this, as the payments are stretched over time, but the City continues to pay for the loan long after the technology is outdated.

Finally, I don’t think that it is any coincidence that the Barrow County Commissioners raised the millage rate for Winder as the City of Winder continues to allow properties to be annexed into City limits.  The County needs to make money to operate, just like the City does.  Perhaps the Council should have analyzed the long--‐term effects of annexing property into the City before blindly allowing it, one property after another.  This annexation stretches the services the City has to provide, from police to EMS and beyond.  Ultimately, all of the citizens of Winder will pay more as a consequence to too little homework being done and too few questions being asked on the front end.

But that is the trouble, isn’t it?  That the Council makes decisions without all of the information or analysis of the consequences of the decision before it is made.  

In addition to being more conservative in spending, I would want to explore cutting unnecessary costs, putting expensive goods and services out to bid to determine if more cost effective options were available, and determining if the expense was truly a needed one. 

There are also many other borrowing options, ways to share expenses with taxpayers, grant opportunities, and partnerships with local industry that could be explored.  While I am not an expert in this area, there are ways to research these options, and the City Administrator should be trained, through his education and experience, to help find this information.  It is incumbent on the City Administrator, the Mayor, and the City Council to do the research, to know the facts, to collect and analyze the information, and to think about the benefits and consequences to the City and its residents from a much more strategic and long—range perspective.  As a member of the Council, these are the kinds of things I would be thinking and asking about!

If all other means of collecting or raising funds have been exhausted and a tax increase is being considered, multiple opportunities for citizen input need to be offered and their opinions need to be taken into consideration.  Communities are created by and FOR the people within them.  A community that runs efficiently and effectively requires informing the citizenry and building buy—in among them.

Lorin Sinn-Clark - I am vehemently opposed to implementing a city tax. The recent purchase of the Chimneys Golf Course – to date $923,000 spent ($600,000 purchase price, $150,000 operating costs, $160,000 landscaping equipment, $13,000 three-year radio contract to operate irrigation equipment) - would seem to indicate that the city is not hurting financially, so it is unclear why such a tax would be needed or suggested.

2.)  Why do you feel you are the best candidate for the City of Winder?

Robert “Bob” Dixon – I am the best qualified for the At-Large post on the Winder City Council.  I have the business experience having retired from a top 500 corporation, as well as having been chairman for 3 terms on the Barrow County Board of Education.  This have given me a lot of experience in building budgets.  I sincerely love this city, and want Winder to continue to prosper. 

Nicole Tobias – There are several reasons why I am running for and believe I am the best candidate for the Winder City Council.  To begin, I would add diversity to the Council by adding a woman’s perspective, bringing a different educational and professional background to the Council, and being able to bring the perspective of a different age population than is currently represented on the Council.  In addition, I have significant experience serving on boards and councils, I am analytical, reliable, responsible, a problem--‐solver, I do what I say I will do, I am an effective and efficient administrator, and I have experience managing crisis situations.  I am used to working with diverse groups of people and creating results.  Most importantly, perhaps, is that I have not lived in Winder for a majority of my life.  Many citizens in the City are clamoring for change in the City Council.  Having lived in other places, paired with my professional and educational experiences and training, make me uniquely qualified to serve on the Winder City Council and raise the questions and suggestions that have not been in the past.  I am not part of the deep—rooted traditional politics that seem to exist in pockets in Winder.  I have an energy and determination that produces results and I care very much about the people I work with and for.  If you would like to learn more about my professional or educational experiences, please feel free to email me, or to review my campaign Facebook page by searching “Nicole Tobias Winder City Council”.

I welcome the opportunity to discuss and debate issues with others with the hopes of educating one another and creating the best plan to move the issue and the City forward.

Lorin Sinn-Clark -   I offer a new voice, fresh perspective and a level of enthusiasm and energy that can help the council face current and future challenges in ways that may not have been considered in the past.

During my  24 years in Winder, I have gotten to know and love this community. Reporting for two local newspapers over a nine year period gave me a solid understanding of the “ins and outs” of not only our governing bodies, but also our schools, civic clubs, service organizations and the things that concern citizens. We live in a home in Winder’s historic district that was condemned when we bought it. Restoring and maintaining it has not been easy or inexpensive. We have a stake in Winder’s history and preservation of that is important to me. Volunteering, initially in my children’s schools, later as a student mentor, and currently in animal rescue work, efforts to feed the hungry and events to support historic preservation, has introduced me to a wide range of people who care about Winder and have ideas and energy to offer. As a city councilman, I pledge to listen to those ideas, discuss them and bring them into the light. I am tired of hearing things like “nothing ever changes in Winder,” or “it’s not who you are, but who you know.” Winder is a good place to live, work, raise a family and retire. Improvement is always possible and new ideas and new perspectives are useful tools. 

My pledge is to listen…think…respect…and serve the citizens of Winder with a high level of approachability and humility. I have a servant’s heart, a bright mind and the ability to lead. As a councilman, I will meet the citizens where they are, rather than expect them to come to committee meetings and work sessions in order to know what their city is doing, how city funds are being spent, etc. I will also support city employees and emergency workers, doing all that I can to be sure they have what they need to best serve the citizens, fight crime and keep us safe.  

In terms of age, outlook, experience, wisdom and perspective, I am midway between the incumbent and the other challenger. I believe the unique tone and useful balance I can offer to the council may be just what Winder needs right now. 

3.)  What do you see is your role in city council in economic development, to support and grow business?

Robert “Bob” Dixon - I promoted and pushed for the DDA, through the city , to hire a full time director.  This has led to the promotion of Friday and Saturday night activities to bring people downtown.  They city has implemented a %5,000 fire line discount, and the city/DDA are jointly working on an “opportunity zone” project that will offer tax credits to new and existing businesses that meets specific requirements.  We are constantly working on ways to promote business.

Nicole Tobias – I believe that it is the City Council’s role to help recruit business to the area; to be honest, fair, and up front in policy and decision making that affects local business; to be fair and equitable in the treatment of those businesses; to help advertise their events through a local/community calendar; to support the business by attending their events and purchasing their goods and services; and to involve business owners and leaders in the conversation and listen to them so we can use their input with sincere and genuine consideration. 

I also believe strongly that we need to find ways to provide small business owners opportunities for professional development, teaching and training, and mentorship.  There are a lot of people in this area with significant experience in owning  businesses, supervising staff, managing finances, marketing/advertising, legal affairs, and working with the local government.  I am sure that some of them would be happy to serve as presenters to new or incoming business owners and leaders and that some would even consider serving as mentors to those same owners and leaders.  The City Council can help to find and recruit a cadre of people with these skill and are willing to share their expertise and their own personal stories.  People who have overcome the struggles that some new business owners and operators face could be infinitely helpful for the newcomers and could help them navigate the systems and processes.  The City Council can also help to create a calendar of these talks, panel discussions, training sessions, etc. in an attempt to help small businesses to be successful in Winder, and especially downtown.

Lorin Sinn-Clark - Winder needs to be a “business friendly” city and I am hearing from some business owners it is not. That needs to be looked at and if necessary, changed. “Business friendly,” however, does not mean gutting city ordinances or simply not enforcing them. It means crafting ordinances that make sense, are not excessive, and then enforcing them equally and fairly. The council has an obvious role in this.

Winder needs to support the businesses that are here and work hard to help new businesses not just survive but thrive. That could be done through a variety of steps the council could take, including exploring what kinds of incentives could be offered for locating in Winder, seeking grant funding to improve the city’s “face” and working closely with the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and the Chamber of Commerce to actively recruit retirees to relocate to Winder. Those retirees could provide the needed “tipping point” income and spending-wise that could allow small businesses in downtown Winder to thrive again.

The city council can also continue to and/or increase support for adult education, the schools and local apprenticeship programs. Businesses look at education quality and an educated workforce when considering locating in Winder or Barrow County.

4.)  Do you feel local government supports economic development adequately, and should there be more or less than what is currently being done?

Robert “Bob” Dixon – No, local government does not support economic development adequately.  This is an area that needs to be enhanced county wide.  The city of Winder has done a decent job with their infrastructure of water, sewage, gas and has had moderate success.  For example, the Barrow Crossings area has been able to grow, and Trinity Rail’s request for an enhanced natural gas supply was met within 90 days without major issues. The city is optimistic in expanding our raw water source through a revised program with Fort Yargo.  When completed, this could meet our water needs for the next 30-40 years.  This should encourage industry to consider Winder for new or expanded growth. 

Nicole Tobias – The city of Winder, at large, seems to be growing and thriving overall.  But there is a clear need for more support of local business in the downtown and on May Street as there are dozens of vacant buildings and too many businesses that come and are not able to survive in Winder.  

It is incumbent upon the local government to complete assessments to determine why businesses are unable to come to the City, or why they aren’t able to survive and thrive when they do come.  With these assessment results, the local government along with local business and community leaders need to come together to create responses and action plans to respond to and help mitigate the reasons why so many businesses are unsuccessful in the area. 

One response could be teachings, trainings and mentoring like mentioned in question #3 above. 

Lorin Sinn-Clark -   There is always more that can be done.

It is my understanding that the city council pushed for the creation of the full-time DDA director’s position, which is a good thing. The city also funds the DDA with $77,000 annually. I am unfamiliar with other areas of city funding specifically to aid economic growth, but I believe the city also partially funds Choose Barrow, which does some effective marketing of our county.

Funding of economic development is important, but when city funds are spent a level of accountability has to be adhered to. A working partnership between the city council, the DDA, the Chamber, Choose Barrow, etc. needs to be prioritized and efforts to market Winder need to be proven effective as city funds are allocated

5.)  How can we “get on the same page” to work for a common goal, and who should set that goal?

Robert “Bob” Dixon – A complex question for a  city council race, but the answer is leadership.  The building authority, the municipalities, the county government and the chamber must come together to develop a plan and set goals.  A worthy undertaking.

Nicole Tobias – I called and left a message with Mr. Jennings to ask who the “we” is in this question. His response was that it is the City Council, the citizens, the Chamber, business owners, the County Commission, etc.

While I am not running to become an officer of the county, I do see how the City needs to work with the county and with the businesses and organizations within Winder in order for the City and the Council to be as effective as possible. 

This is certainly one of the most important, and most complicated questions facing everyone in Winder.

It is from this lens that I will respond to the question.  It seems to me that there could be quarterly meetings of the key and influential leadership in the City to compare the visions and strategic plans for the City, the County, the Chambe

Of Commerce, etc. to determine where there are similar hopes for the future and where there are differences in goals.  It would also be useful to determine where there might be overlap in services offered or competing initiatives. 

This would require that the membership be composed of those people who are able to work effectively together and would require a facilitator for the conversations that does not have a vested interest in the outcome.  There are consultants who do this work regularly, and grants that can cover the expense of it.  It may sound like a daunting task, but it is the only way to determine if the key players are moving in a similar direction or if groups are working against one another.

As in most situations, agencies and organizations within the City can always be more transparent, open, and frequent in their communications with one another and the citizens of Winder.  Very little of the work being done by the City, the county or the Chamber would be considered confidential or would be excluded from the Open Records Act, so those groups should not be hesitant to have honest and open conversations.

I am not of the belief that any one person or agency has the authority, capacity, mission or task of getting the collective “we” on the same page, but together we can determine the vision for the city and the community we live in and a variety of perspectives should be taken into consideration when determining this.  Clearly these groups need to obey the law, follow the rules and processes of the law, and manage crisis situations as they arise, but outside of that there is a lot of room for discussion, negotiation, and brainstorming in order to come up with action plans and decision making that is better than it might have been with only one entity working on it.

Lorin Sinn-Clark - “Getting on the same page” implies cooperation, teamwork and open communication. This sets the stage for the setting of common goals, which then can be met with continued cooperation, teamwork and open communication. 

While I believe the various “players” in our community share common goals, it is not clear that the various bodies cooperate with and support each other as effectively and enthusiastically as they could. As a councilman, I would work to be sure the city council, city administrators, city departments, the DDA, the Chamber, the Barrow County Board of Commissioners, the school system and other invested parties actively support each other’s endeavors. I would also do all that I could to help ensure that common goals are clarified and worked towards in a steady and unified manner.

Obviously, as a Winder City councilman, what’s best for Winder would be my priority, but sometimes what’s best for Winder in the short term is not what’s best for Winder in the long run. I would endeavor to consider both perspectives in dealing with current and future challenges.

Auburn City Council

1.)   Why do you feel you are the best candidate for the

City of Auburn?

Harold Money – With my experience as Mayor of Auburn, I know most of the procedures of city council.

Jay Reimenschneider – I will bring a fresh perspective to the Council.  I will listen to all sides of an issue/proposal and base my decision on integrity, ethics and the ability to work together to find a solution.

2.)  What do you see is your role in city council in economic development, to support and grow business?

Harold Money – I feel with my experience working with the council it will take hard work and dedication to help Auburn prosper.  I feel we must move ahead of other cities in the county.

Jay Reimenschneider - I believe my role is to assist in creating an environment that is attractive to new business.  By working closely with the City Administrator and the Economic Development Coordinator.  To introduce new ideas for attracting businesses to locate here.  I also believe it is important to work together with the County and Chamber to achieve the goals that we wish to obtain.

3.)  Do you feel local government supports economic development adequately, and should there be more or less than what is currently being done?

Harold Money – Yes, but we should always strive to be our best and not just adequate.

Jay Reimenschneider - I believe it is the desire of the constituents of the local government to support economic development.   As I have seen several businesses locate in Auburn over the past several years, even with the economic down swing.  I believe the local government is doing everything they can to promote economic growth within the city.

4.)  How can we “get on the same page” to work for a common goal, and who should set that goal?

Harold Money – The goal should be set by the city officials.  We will need to work with Barrow County possibly through a developmental group such as the Economic Development personnel of Barrow County.

Jay Reimenschneider – I believe we are on the same page, working for a common goal for the good of the city.  I believe it is accomplished by a team effort united to the growth and prosperity of the city, and communication.  I believe the citizens and business owners have a right to speak their voice on any matters that affect them.  Then, we have a responsibility to communicate between city officials, business owners and citizens to reach solutions.

Bethlehem City Council

1.)   Why do you feel you are the best candidate for the

Town of Bethlehem?

Joe Price – Heart – I have a heart for people so what better way to serve them than in political office.

2.)  What do you see is your role in city council in economic development, to support and grow business?

Joe Price – To find out all the facts, consult with my ffelow city council, discuss it with the mayor and find out public opinion.  Then make a well educated decision.

3.)  Do you feel local government supports economic development adequately, and should there be more or less than what is currently being done?

 Joe Price – Yes I do, but I believe we should always be open for better ways for our community.

4.)  How can we “get on the same page” to work for a common goal, and who should set that goal?

Joe Price – As the main hub between Gwinnett and Athens I feel that all the towns in Barrow County should unite together to make decisions for the betterment of the whole, lest we should forget united we stand, and divided we fall.