Rep. Brett Harrell to seek reelection to District 106 seat

First term state representative Brett Harrell of Snellville will seek reelection to the Georgia General Assembly in the redrawn House District 106.  The new district "is comprised of the vast majority of Snellville and smaller portions of Lawrenceville, Grayson, and Loganville."  Harrell is a former mayor of Snellville as well former executive director of the Evermore CID.  

As part of his campaign announcement, Harrell released endorsements from the corners of District 106, including Snellville Mayor Pro Tem Tom Witts, Lawrenceville Councilman Tony Powell, Loganville Councilman Dan Curry and Grayson Councilwoman Allison Wilkerson.

The full text of Harrell's press release is shown below.

Brett Harrell will seek reelection to State House District 106

SNELLVILLE – Representative Brett Harrell, conservative member of the Georgia General Assembly, officially announced his campaign for re-election to State House District 106.

The new State House District 106 is comprised of the vast majority of Snellville and smaller portions of Lawrenceville, Grayson, and Loganville.

“I am grateful to represent the citizens and businesses in District 106 at the State House and I look forward to expanding that representation to include those newly added portions of Lawrenceville, Grayson, and Loganville beginning next session,” said Harrell.

Harrell is the former mayor of Snellville where he cut property taxes by 38% over five successive years. He successfully advanced over $130 million in projects, including vital transportation safety enhancements like the Hwy. 78 improvements as the former Executive Director of the Evermore Community Improvement District.

At the State House, Harrell serves on the Information and Audits, Regulated Industries, and Transportation Committees. He is the author of HB 291, a truth in taxation and property protection statute to prohibit billing non-tax fees such as sanitation and stormwater on citizens’ property tax bills. He has also authored legislation to reduce costs for county government, strengthen our courts, secure patient physician decision-making, and reserve our publicly funded universities for those in our country legally.

In addition, Harrell supported efforts to cut government spending and balance the state's budget without raising taxes, preserve HOPE Scholarships and make Georgia more competitive for new jobs. 

Harrell is especially looking forward to serving citizens in the newest portions of District 106 and appreciates the early support of many friends in Lawrenceville, Loganville, and Grayson in addition to his home city of Snellville.

Lawrenceville Council Member Tony Powell says, “For democratic government to work well, we have to convince smart, committed, honest, public servants to run for office.  Brett has demonstrated that he is all of those things and worthy to be trusted and re-elected.    Lawrenceville will be well served with the addition of Brett Harrell as one of our state Representatives.”

Dan Curry, Loganville Council Member says, “I have worked with Brett previously as a member of the Centerville Business Association and I know he will represent us well at the State House.”

Grayson Council Member Allison Wilkerson says, “I have known and worked with Brett for well over a decade. He consistently delivers for those he serves. Welcome to Grayson Representative Harrell.”

Mayor Pro Tem Tom Witts of Snellville says, “Representative Brett Harrell has an outstanding record of honest public service and has delivered on his promises to the citizens and businesses of Snellville. I am proud to support him in his re-election as our Representative for District 106.”

Over his career, Harrell has started and developed several successful small businesses. For 20 years, he owned and operated an American Speedy Printing franchise that grew from a start-up in a strip center to three locations. And prior to opening his own company, Harrell was an area sales manager for a $30 billion international corporation. Today, he is a garbageman (sales) with Advanced Disposal Services.

A 39-year resident of Snellville, Brett is a graduate of South Gwinnett High School and of the University of Georgia where he earned a BBA in marketing and finance.

http://www.voteharrell.com

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Oberholtzer to challenge Beaudreau

Last week I wrote about District 3 Commissioner Mike Beaudreau's reelection bid.  In that post I asked who would rise up to challenge the incumbent.  Former Snellville Mayor Jerry Oberholtzer will be one challenger, officially announcing this week his intention to toss his hat into the race.  Mr. Oberholtzer contacted the Buzz and provided the following press release announcing his candidacy.  I have blogged about the mayor as well, though not as extensively as I have about Commissioner Beaudreau.  I cannot say at this time that I will ultimately support the mayor, but I am glad to see a seasoned opponent step up to oppose Beaudreau.  

Jerry Oberholtzer's Candicacy Announcement:

Former Snellville Mayor Jerry Oberholtzer to run for Gwinnett County Commissioner

Snellvile, GA

Jerry Oberholtzer, who served twelve successful years as City Councilman and Mayor of Snellville, will bring his governmental experience and savvy into the race for Gwinnett County Commissioner representing the 3rd District that stretches from Braselton, through Dacula and Snellville, to the DeKalb County line at Stone Mountain.

Oberholtzer 52 and Roxann , his wife of 30 years, have lived in the district for 29 years – almost their entire married life. They have three sons, Jerry and Matthew, both Clemson University graduates, and Paul, a graduate of North Georgia State College and University. Son Jerry and wife Jessie, have the Oberholtzer’s first grandson.

Jerry, a professional civil engineer and Clemson graduate, is a twenty year volunteer on the Northeast Georgia Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Roxann is a long term employee of the Boy Scouts and all around mom to scores of scouts over the years.

“Knowing how to govern effectively, building consensus, treating constituents with courtesy and respect and sticking to Republican principles will be the hallmark of my campaign and service.” said Oberholtzer.

“Good Schools, low crime, attractive neighborhoods: I want to build on those things and make them better. added Oberholtzer. “I know we’ve had our share of problems in Gwinnett, but when the cook burns the biscuits, you don’t need to remodel the kitchen. Gwinnett’s Third District needs a new cook.”

“Dishonest land deals, unbid sweetheart contracts, airport proposals that ruin neighborhoods and grand jury investigations have resulted in a disconnect and a loss of faith in government.” continued Oberholtzer. “ These are tough economic times and just saying NO to everything, like Mike Beaudreau has done for eight years, isn’t working. Being negative drives away business and pours a cold bucket of water on progress and job growth. I’ll work to make Gwinnett the most business friendly county in Georgia.”

“I intend to use this campaign, not to complain about problems, but to offer real solutions. People who live here already know what the problems are: they want real leadership to show them the way to a better Gwinnett. I have the proven ability to keep taxes low, balance the budget, protect our neighborhoods and provide real-­‐time, honest solutions to the traffic problem.” said Oberholtzer

“I look forward to a spirited campaign, grounded in the issues, leading the way to a new direction for Gwinnett. A direction that focuses on the people already here; the people that have worked hard, paid taxes and built our communities. So at the end of four years, we can say to our children and grandchildren: We left Gwinnett better than we found it.” concluded Oberholtzer. 

Smith v. Kirby in House 107 runoff

In the likely outcome in a race with multiple candidates, the special election for State House District 107 will go to a runoff.  Paul Smith, a local minister, was the top vote getter with Loganville businessman Tom Kirby placing second by six votes over former Walton County school board member Mark Banks.  By state law, a recount for second place will occur in order to ascertain that Kirby will be the candidate to face Smith in the runoff.  That contest will fall on the date of the Georgia presidential primary, March 6, and both candidates feel that will lead to "a much larger turnout to the polls."

I never made an endorsement in this race but I hope to do so prior to the runoff.  To be honest, in races such as this with multiple conservatives, the differences between candidates are fairly minor and the reality is that both gentlemen would likely serve our district well.  I would like to commend both campaigns for proactive responses to my complaints to their campaigns about their robocalls.  The Kirby campaign did have some issues with their robocall service provider but they continued to work the issue and I multiple received personal calls and emails both from Mr. Kirby and his campaign manager.  That definitely left an impression on me as to possible diligence District 107 residents could expect from Mr. Kirby.  However, I stress that that impression is not to the level of an endorsement at this time.  Once the Buzz decides which candidate to recommend in this race, you will see that clearly indicated.  In the meantime, best of luck to both candidates.

Peachtree Corners to vote on cityhood

Next week, Peachtree Corners will go to the polls and decide the question of whether their community should become a city.  The Gwinnett Buzz strongly endorses opposition to this ballot issue.  As I have written previously, there are far more potential negatives to cityhood than benefits.  

The most obvious is yet another layer of government that duplicates services already provided by another entity.  Redundant and unnecessary government imposes unnecessary costs for taxpayers, businesses, and visitors.  Granted, Peachtree Corners says it will limit it's government powers to code enforcement, solid waste and planning and zoning.  However, we all know the penchant of government to grow.  You can almost be guaranteed that a police department will soon follow that will, as do so many municipal departments, turn Peachtree Corner into a speedtrap cash register in order to raise revenue for the growing government.

The local planning and zoning is a major negative as well.  While many will tout "local control," area residents stand to lose more than they would gain.  It's not like the Gwinnett County Commission is developer-friendly.  Most planning and zoning rulings by municipalities serve to negatively impact property rights and make it more difficult for businesses to conduct business in the city.  Over time this can result in fewer shopping and entertainment options as new retail centers are denied or impaired wireless coverage as wireless communication companies struggle to add the towers needed to serve growing wireless demand.  Financial woes for the city are not even out of the question as businesses and the taxes they pay are denied access to the community.  The latter concern may be muted because of the existing business base in Peachtree Corners, but the possible negatives are still substantial.

The vote will be a crucial turning point for Peachtree Corners.  Local voters would be advised not to try to fix that which is not broken.

Charlotte Nash - new Gwinnett Commission Chairman

Charlotte Nash has easily won the special election to replace resigned Gwinnett County Commission Chairman Charles Bannister.  Nash avoided a runoff by garnering 56% of the vote.  Larry Gause was a distant second with 26%.  Only 5% of registered Gwinnett voters turned out for the election.  Let's hope that Ms. Nash can provide effective leadership to lead the board out of an era of corruption and big government.

For Commission Chairman the Buzz endorses...

...no one.

Why?  Because none of the candidates overly excite me and not one of them jumps off the page as someone I would really like to see running the county commission.  Personally, since I have been following county politics, this is the most ho-hum slate of candidates in a commission race that I can remember.  I would hasten to add, however, that three of the four candidates are not highly objectionable either.  As I have discussed previously, all of the candidates have positives and negatives.  (See my previous thoughts on this race, here, here and here.)

Charlotte Nash: I felt Nash displayed too narrow of a perspective on the airport privatization and commercialization question when she suggested that her position on the issue would be more heavily influenced by those people living in the immediate vicinity of Briscoe Field.  Conversely, I really appreciated her answers regarding the board structure in light of recent corruption on the commission.  I was also impressed with a campaign mailer in which she pledged not to raise taxes.  She took a similar stance recently in speaking against a commission resolution passed earlier this month which essentially amounted to another property tax increase.  Finally, her opponent Larry Gause claimed she would be a "Wayne Hill clone."  Gause apparently meant this as a criticism but I take this as a major endorsement.  I have never equivocated that I strongly feel Gwinnett voters made a mistake in 2004 by choosing Charles Bannister over Wayne Hill.  This comparison of Nash to Hill is ironic given the fact that Nash was endorsed by Mike Beaudreau who I see as a near opposite of Hill.  Nonetheless, I would tend to agree with Bob Griggs that Nash is a strong choice for commission chairman, though I cannot go so far as to endorse her.

Will Costa: Costa was initially my first choice based on his position on the airport, a position which I felt was the most friendly of the four candidates to property rights.  I was very much impressed with his views of limited governent.  However, I was taken aback by his support of more and/or larger muncipal government in Gwinnett, a position that seems to contradict limited government.  I am also surprised at Costa's advocacy of light rail, apparently under government control. I have no problem with light rail as a transportation alternative.  I have a big problem with the Gwinnett County government delving further into the transporatation business.  If a private business wants to operate light rail, fantastic!  But I do not want taxpayer dollars potentially being tied up in, to use a Griggs phrase, a "government boondoogle."  That all being said, I am still intrigued by Costa.  While the positions cited above do seem to contradict his limited government views, I would love to see a voice on the commission truly commited to decreasing the size and influence of the Gwinnett County government.  Thus, Costa will get consideration as I make my final decision tomorrow.

Duane Kissel: To me, Kissel is the "invisible man" candidate in this race.  He is there, but you don't really notice him.  I agreeed with his statements on the airport but was not clear regarding his thought process in arriving at those views.  Regarding commission structure, he had an interesting idea about terms limits for commissioners but I am not sure how well thought-out this stance is and whether, as chairman, he could practically have any impact on implementing such a restriction.  I think I am pretty decided that Kissel will not receive my vote.

This brings me to the one candidate I have come to view as the villian of this campaign, the one person for whom I have great distaste as a candidate and for whom I can say with absolute certainty that I will not be voting.  In fact, he is the only candidate in the race I would strongly caution Gwinnettians about supporting.  That candidate is Larry Gause.  Initially, I had mixed feelings on Gause's stance on Briscoe Field.  However, in general, I saw him much like Kissel - there but generally invisible.  Then I started seeing smoke.  I received an email making various claims about dirty politics by Gause.  I did not publicize this release becasue I could not be certain of the claims.  But I now see Griggs as well as the BanishBannister.com website making similar arguments.  The charges I found most offensive regarded Gause's alleged dishonesty.  Griggs reported that Gause was dishonest about his employment on his campaign financial disclosures as well as his connection to unsavory political consultant Bill McKinney.  BanishBannister.com claims that Gause has displayed the Georgia Right to Life logo on a political mailer though he is not endorsed by the organization.  This apparent dishonesty really galls me because Gause has emphasized his military service.  Isn't one key part of military life honesty and integrity?  While I thank Mr. Gause for his service to our country, I find it highly offensive that someone who promotes their duty would then engage in questionable behavior even in the political arena.  While I cannot independently verify the information reported by others, for me, there is far too much smoke surrounding Larry Gause not to wonder just how much fire is there.  I am absolutely certain I will not vote for Gause and I would urge Buzz readers to tread cautiously before casting a vote for him.

While I cannot make an endorsement in this race, I can offer a short list: Charlotte Nash or Will Costa.  I think Gwinnett would be best served by replacing Charles Bannister with one of these two individuals.  I hope everyone will vote tomorrow, but I would encourage you to be informed before you visit your polling place.  Voting is an important responsibility.  Too often people are simply encouraged to vote, but being prepared to vote is not emphasized as much as the act of voting itself.  As we saw in the election of President Obama, casting an uninformed vote can have severe negative consequences, so if you are going to vote, be informed as you make your decision.  Don't just rely on my opinion above but seek out other sources of information.  When you cast your vote for your candidate of choice, do so knowing why you are choosing that person to lead our county out of the morass of recent years.

Commission Chairman candidates forum - Feb. 22

From Wednesday's AJC:

Candidates for chairman of the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners will speak at a public forum from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Feb. 22 at Lilburn City Hall, 76 Main Street, Lilburn.

The forum is sponsored by the Lilburn Woman's Club.

The race to replace former Chairman Charles Bannister features four candidates:

• Will Costa
• Larry Gause
• Gerald Duane Kissel
• Charlotte Nash

The special election will be held on March 15.

View Larger Map

So who wants to run for chairman?

The schedule for a special election for Gwinnett Commission Chairman to replace recently resigned Charles Bannister has been set:

On Nov. 15, a Probate Court judge will officially call for the special election.

On Nov. 16, the County Commission plans to set a qualifying fee for candidates.

Candidates can qualify for the office beginning at 9 a.m. Dec. 6 and ending at noon Dec. 8.

The deadline for voter registration for the special election will be Feb. 14. Absentee voting also will begin on Valentine’s Day.

Advanced voting for the special election will be March 7-11 at the county elections office, 455 Grayson Highway, Suite 200, in Lawrenceville. The office will have extended hours, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The special election will be March 15. If needed, a runoff election will be held April 12.

The AJC article goes on to speculate who might run for the office.  Those mentioned (along with my comments) are:

Former Gwinnett Commissioner Lorraine Green: This makes me think of Roy Barnes.  We said no to her in 2008, but she may not have gotten the message.  Even with all I know about Charles Bannister now along with the other commissioners that have done such a lousy job, I would still pick any one of them over Lorraine Green.

Republican Party Chairman Bruce LeVell: The Buzz endorsed LeVell when we ran in the 2008 primary against Shirley Lasseter in District 1.  This would be a great choice for Gwinnett assuming his positions remain the same as they were two years ago.

2008 Democrat Commission Chairman candidate Vincent Passariello: Gwinnett has grown more and more Demorat in recent years, but I do not think we are quite to the point where a Democrat has a strong chance of winning a county-wide seat.  Of course, Lorraine Green nearly beat Bannister in 2008 and I don't really see much difference between her and a Democrat.

Gwinnett Village CID head Chuck Warbington: I honestly do not know much about Warbington.  He is a graduate of Dacula High School and he played for the 1990 Georgia Tech National Championship football team.  While I think having a national championship ring as a Yellow Jacket is a great part of his bio, that alone is not enough to gain the endorsement even from a website with "Buzz" in its name.

Other names mentioned include Dacula mayor Jimmy Wilbanks and Suwanee mayor Dave Williams.

I am still surprised not to see Mike Beaudreau listed as a possibility.  I have not seen any articles or tweets saying he has decided against running.  Until that happens, I have to believe he is a strong possibility to throw his hat into the ring.

Grand jury declines to indict Bannister

Former Gwinnett County Commission Chairman Charles Bannister will not be indicted despite much speculation to the contrary in the wake of his resignation Friday from the commission.  This morning, a Gwinnett grand jury returned a "no bill" on a potential charge of making false statements.  The legal situation of Commissioner Kevin Kenerly, however, remains unclear.  "Superior Court Judge Michael Clark Monday ordered that any presentments by the grand jury related to Kenerly be sealed until Oct. 22."

Even though Bannister has now been cleared of potential perjury charges, there stands to be plenty of political action as Gwinnett faces a special election to fill Bannister's unexpired term.  I suspect that, once we get past the November elections, things will start to get interesting as candidates position themselves to run for the chairmanship.

Bob Griggs opines on aftermath of grand jury probe

Longtime Gwinnett political insider Bob Griggs has posted on his blog an interesting analysis of the aftermath of the ongoing grand jury probe into Gwinnett land deals .  He expects both former Chairman Charles Bannister and District 4 Commissioner Kevin Kenerly to be indicted as a result of the probe.  In such a scenario, the resulting falling dominoes would make for a very interesting period for Gwinnett politics:

[District 1 Commissioner Mike] Beaudreau, as the Chairman Pro Tem, will lead a three-member Commission until January. John Heard and Lynette Howard will win in the general election, take office in January and will vote, subsequently, to hold a special election for Chairman. Heard will then announce that he intends to seek the Chairman’s seat. He has reportedly told associates that it was always his plan to run for Chairman in two years. He risks a 2012 loss if someone else is given two years in the seat to build goodwill.

Beaudreau will not run for Chairman; he is gainfully employed in a career job and won’t give it up for more headaches and a pay cut. I expect several– the usual suspects and a few newbies– to run, however.

Seems plausible given that Bannister resigned this morning.  While we do not yet know what connection that resignation has to the grand jury investigation, the timing is suspicious to say the least.  I would disagree on his prediction that Mike Beaudreau would not run for Commission Chairman.  While Beaudreau may well have a career job, I have always thought he had career politician written all over him and I would have been stunned had he not run for Chairman or some other higher office at the end of the his current commission term in 2012.  While I certainly do not have the connections that Griggs has, to think that Beaudreau's political aspirations end at commissioner does not resonate with me.

One prediction that really encourages me is that John Heard, who I expect to win Kenerly's seat next month, would resign to run for Chairman.  This would open the door for another bid by Tommy Hunter.  While John Heard was certainly preferable to apparent Beaudreau-clone Tim Sullivan, Hunter was far and away the best choice in District 4.  Tommy barely missed the runoff so another chance for him to get on the Commissiongreatly excites me.

One thing is for sure - things look to get very interesting in Gwinnett political circles in the coming weeks and months.