GREG GORDY

of Catoosa County. I also have a background in large-scale program management, understand the critical path to get things accomplished, and have global experience in doing so. I have managed large budgets at the Defense Department level, many larger than the entirety of Catoosa County, and have had to conduct and defend budget-cut drills as a result of unforeseen world events.

If we are wasting money in the County, losing money to bad decisions, or simply not being efficient in our spending, then I am asking to be hired to rectify the situation. In doing so, I will heavily scrutinize the numbers and be far more transparent in sharing them with the public.

What are your past/current educational/ career/work/political experiences, particularly any that make you a better choice for the post you’re seeking?

What are the issues that most concern you? If elected, what changes, if any, would you make and what goals would you have? Your vision for the county? Problems the county is facing?

First and foremost, my primary concern was an attempt by the current Board of Commissioners to require citizens to fill out a form in order to be able to speak openly, and that form had to be “approved” based on subject matter. That was a very blatant attempt to silence dissenting opinions of the citizens that they were elected to represent. I can’t even wrap my head around how anti-democratic that is. It was a direct assault on the First Amendment. I believe the attendance at that particular Board of Commissioners meeting set a record, ALL in dissent. Yet, somehow, it didn’t matter. Although the language ended up being somewhat softened from its original version, it was approved 4-1, with Charlie Stephens being the only “no” vote. Correcting that travesty would be my highest priority.

Second, the practices of “economic development” are under intense scrutiny, and perhaps rightfully so. I’ll admit two things up front: 1) the issue is complicated and 2) I don’t currently know enough about the details to be very well informed — yet. If you’re on the “outside,” getting details on this topic is difficult, and that alone should concern you as a taxpayer. However, if elected, I will get the details, particularly the cost-benefit analysis that justifies the effort to begin with, the financial risks involved, and the long-term sustainability. I’m not anti-growth, as wise and prudent growth is a good thing, but there should be a limit as to what local governments pay to accomplish it, and the numbers need to make sense. Right now, some efforts appear to not make sense at all. Maybe that’s a problem with communication, or maybe it’s simply a bad decision. Either way, the cloak of secrecy that shrouds the topic of economic development does not inspire confidence. I’ll delve into and, whether the answers are good or bad, I’ll do a much better job of open communication. Also, as the long-term economic effects of the current COVID-19 crisis are unknown, decisions that may have made sense just a few months ago now may not be viable. That’s the risk of long-term investing with taxpayer funds. It’s good when you win, but it can be really bad when you lose. As a result, I’m inclined to be much less risky than the current leadership, as we now see how quickly economic situations can drastically change.

Third, current county leadership seems to be very reluctant in joining counties all over Georgia, many of them our neighbors, in declaring Catoosa County a Sanctuary for protection of the Second Amendment. Initially, the effort is simply a proclamation, which is largely symbolic. However, it costs nothing to do and is apparently supported by a significant majority of county citizens (including myself). The ultimate goal is to have Second Amendment sanctuary laws passed, and that’s a much more complicated issue involving the State most likely, but I will absolutely pursue what it takes if that’s what the people want.

Lastly, it has been brought to my attention that the Colonnade operates at a significant loss every year. If that is truly the case, as it was intended to be revenue-generating, then we will do what we can to rectify that problem. It’s a great facility, but it needs to carry its own weight from a taxpayer standpoint, or at least get close.

How do you plan to address road repairs and transportation issues in wake of the defeat of TSPLOST (Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) last year?

Basic road maintenance is supposed to be one of the county’s primary responsibilities. I don’t understand how the county needs an additional tax in order to perform this very basic function. If, in fact, the county cannot do this without additional tax revenue, then something is broken.

Did you support TSPLOST? Why or why not?

I absolutely did not support it, and for a number of reasons. For starters, it was poorly conceived from the very beginning. You can’t have a “special purpose” tax without being able to clearly state what the “special purpose” is. The degree to which you have to be out-of-touch with the average citizen, none of whom want more taxes at all and especially if you can’t state a compelling need, is staggering. All the evidence you need for that was the unprecedented turnout for an off-year election that defeated it, and the very wide margin by which it was defeated.

GORDY,