Whitfield

attracting businesses that rely on high-speed internet and prepare Walker County for the 21st century economy.

Q: How can you improve governing a county that often seems to operate as four independent municipalities without regard for one another?

A: I support a binding vote on changing the form of county government to a board of commissioners in 2018. My opponents claim that they will address this issue within 100 days of being elected; I have already done so as a candidate, calling on legislators for a vote in 2018. Citizens across the county are demanding more accountability and transparency in government. One advantage of a board is that it would reflect the different areas of our large, diverse county.

I am the only candidate that has pledged to put together a team from different parts of the county to help keep me informed of issues that need my serious attention as sole commissioner. I will meet with the department heads on a regular basis and create a list of the top 25 county-wide issues, then work with my staff to address these issues..

I will work with the mayors and councils of our cities to improve the relationship of city and county governments. To improve accountability and transparency, I will also move commissioner meetings to times when more citizens from across the county can attend and put county documents up on an online database, as Catoosa County currently does.

Q: For years, Walker County has had some of the lowest tax rates in the state. No one enjoys paying taxes, but everyone wants services. How can the public receive the services it expects while holding the line on tax hikes? How can you make a difference?

A: Trying to “hold the line” will be the big challenge. Although the millage rate dropped this year, the administration raised the rate dramatically in 2014 and 2015. At the time, the commissioner stated that her biggest mistake was not raising taxes over time. Rather than learning from her mistakes, of continuing to borrow money to keep from raising taxes, which in the end will cost the taxpayer even more money, Bebe dropped the rate this year to avoid having meetings about a tax increase around election time. I will always do what is in the best interest of the county rather than make decisions based on trying to be re-elected.

Some citizens have asked me whether I will raise taxes to address the debt created by the current administration. If that is necessary, I will be transparent and show citizens in detail why taxes should be raised.

As commissioner, I will cut as much fat from the budget as I can, and I will justify every dollar spent. I will not create and hide more debt from the citizens to avoid raising taxes, as the current commissioner has done. I’m also not going to make irresponsible claims like I’ll cut everything across the board 10%. I have already identified areas where improvement is possible with an overall budget savings of 1 million dollars.