Cobb Chairman Tim Lee, the incumbent, will face controversial former Chairman Bill Byrne in what will ultimately prove a contest of bold leadership and tough decision making versus a look back into an era long gone. Lee came out ahead of his three challengers with 40% of the vote leading Byrne by almost 10,000 votes. Chairman Lee faces a tough battle due to political choices that while unpopular, have allowedCobbCountyto retain its Triple AAA bond rating, ultimately saving the taxpayer’s money and keeping Cobb as a premier and attractive county to live, work and play in Georgia.
In Henry County, incumbent Chairman BJ Mathis faces a battle against the former Mayor of the city of Hampton. When the votes were counted, Chairman Mathis was behind by only 683 votes. Mathis, in her three years of guiding HenryCountyhas cut the budget by $17 million in order to avoid raising property taxes. Chairman Mathis was recently lauded by Georgia Trend as a “Most Notable Georgian” and has worked tirelessly to improve education workforce development and economic development during her first term. In this month’s edition of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia’s Georgia County Government magazine, Mathis was recognized as being a leader who has been able to bring Henry County’s government together with the local city governments. Says Mathis, “In our community, the cities and the county all work well together, and you don’t find that often.”
In Clayton County, two-term Chairman Eldrin Bell faces his toughest battle yet against Former County police Chief Jeff Turner. Bell led the primary with only a 10 vote margin. Chairman Bell displayed true leadership and showed great concern for the citizens of Clayton County with his support of the Regional Transportation Referendum, due to the funding it would bring to support the bus service in Clayton County, a service that was discontinued in 2010 due to funding. During his tenure, Chairman Bell has been a strong advocate for economic development by opposing property taxes that would deter businesses and families from moving into Clayton County. Additionally,Bellhas been a strong advocate for public education as a champion for online tutorial programs for Clayton County’s children and worked to bring more parks and green space for families to enjoy, raising more than $300 million for the cause. Chairman Bell also has the vision of the Aerotropolis concept, an innovative idea that would support the economic development for cities and counties adjacent to the Hartsfield-JacksonAtlantaInternationalAirport
Don’t forget the August 21st Run off Vote and Advance Voting for these elections begins August 13th.
To find Advance Voting locations in Cobb County, CLICK HERE
To find Advance Voting locations in Henry County CLICK HERE
To find Advance Voting locations in Clayton County CLICK HERE