Candidate Questions: Stephens County Board of Commissioners Post 3 Runoff
This past weekend, WNEG News interviewed Stephens County Board of Commissioners Post 3 candidates James Addison and Craig Oglesby regarding their platform and plans if elected as Stephens County Board of Commissioners member.
Both candidates were asked the same set of questions. Neither candidate was provided with the questions prior to the interview, nor were they advised what subject matters would be discussed during the interview. Both candidates were advised at the beginning of the interview that there was no time limit on their answers.
Advance In-Person voting for the Republican General Primary Runoff Election between Addison and Oglesby will begin today, June 10, and end on Friday, June 14, with polls open between the hours 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. each day. Election day for the Republican Primary Runoff election will be Tuesday, June 18, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. All voting, including Election Day voting, will take place at the Historic Courthouse located at 37 W. Tugalo Street.
County Board of Commissioners Post 3 Runoff Race – Candidate Questions
Without referencing any statistics, just going off your perception and understanding of the community and your constituents, what do you believe the average annual household income is in this county?
Candidate Addison responded:
Candidate Oglesby responded:
What monthly rent or mortgage payment would you consider affordable for this average household?
Candidate Addison responded:
Candidate Oglesby responded:
What, if any, part should the Stephens County Board of Commissioners play in ensuring adequate housing stock for current and future residents, and what concrete steps can the Board take to accomplish those goals?
Candidate Addison responded:
Candidate Oglesby responded:
Closely tied with affordable housing is economic opportunity. What policy changes or investments, if any, should the Board of Commissioners implement to encourage broader employment opportunities in this county?
Candidate Addison responded:
Candidate Oglesby responded:
How can the Board of Commissioners balance the community’s need for economic development with the need to protect the rural nature of the community, and protect its agricultural base?
Candidate Addison responded:
Candidate Oglesby responded:
Looking specifically at that agricultural base, what is your opinion of the poultry industry in Stephens County in relation to the Board of Commissioners’ actions and the county‘s zoning ordinances. Should poultry operations be strongly regulated, or should the Board and county regulations encourage and support this industry?
Candidate Addison responded:
Candidate Oglesby responded:
Property owner rights are another point of contention in regards to zoning and land use regulations. How do you see the Board’s responsibility when it comes to the dichotomy between protecting a property owner’s rights to do what they want on their own property, and protecting the property values of other properties in the vicinity?
Candidate Addison responded:
Candidate Oglesby responded:
What do you see as the most pressing needs for infrastructure or capital projects in the county, and what mechanism would you use to fund those needs?
Candidate Addison responded:
Candidate Oglesby responded:
If you received a $1 million grant to use for the county any way you wanted, whether that is infrastructure, service, programs, or other expenditures, what would you do with it and why?
Candidate Addison responded:
Candidate Oglesby responded:
When determining compensation for county employees, how can the Board find an equitable balance between attracting qualified applicants, and being frugal with taxpayer dollars?
Candidate Addison responded:
Candidate Oglesby responded:
What roles, if any, should the Board of Commissioners take in dealing with such societal problems as poverty, hunger, emotional illness or drug abuse?
Candidate Addison responded:
Candidate Oglesby responded:
Animal control and welfare is a key topic in the community lately. What do you see as the county’s responsibility as far as providing animal control services such as aggressive or stray animal pickup, dead animal removal, and animal abuse and neglect investigation?
Candidate Addison responded:
Candidate Oglesby responded:
And related to that, what changes, if any, would you suggest regarding animal shelter operations? Should it remain a joint county/city operation? Should the county and/or the city take over animal shelter operations as opposed to the current non-profit arrangement supported financially by the city and county?
Candidate Addison responded:
Candidate Oglesby responded:
What is your experience with preparing or authorizing large-scale budgets?
Candidate Addison responded:
Candidate Oglesby responded:
A two-part question is up next. First, if you are elected, do you plan to run for re-election at the end of your term? And secondly, should there be term limits for local elected officials?
Candidate Addison responded to the first question:
and to the second part of the question:
Candidate Oglesby responded to the first question:
and to the second part of the question:
How do you plan to involve residents in the decision making process in our town?
Candidate Addison responded:
Candidate Oglesby responded:
If you were not running for this office, what question would you ask of candidates seeking to be elected to the Stephens County Board of Commissioners. WNEG then asked candidates to answer their own question.
Candidate Addison responded to the first question and implied his response to that question:
Candidate Oglesby responded: