Perry running for commission seat
Aaron Perry of Graysville on Monday, Dec. 9, announced his candidacy for the Republican primary for Catoosa County Board of Commissioners’ District 3, representing the Ringgold and Graysville areas.
P e r r y , a Graysville native and a 13year Army veteran of both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, brings with him a family legacy of service to country and hardwon skills from the battlefield and business world, he said. The 38-year-old husband, father of six children, and political outsider said he will bring change and transparency to the county commission that has turned against the interests of the people.
“We need young leadership to take on our out-of-touch establishment,” Perry said. “Our current county commission can’t tax and spend enough. First they tried to burden families with TSPLOST taxes and now they’re spending thousands of dollars on wasteful purchases. And when folks come to commission meetings to protest these outrages, the government has tried to block them from speaking.”
In recent months, county commissioners have voted on a series of new regulations restricting speech at County meetings, he said. This comes after citizens successfully organized an effort to defeat the TSPLOST tax referendum in March by a margin of 78-22%, he said. After this defeat, the county commission has spent thousands of dollars in new vehicle purchases for government bureaucrats while failing to control both the budget and overall growth, he said. His candidacy will restore the people’s voice and rein in a government that has lost touch with the community, he said.
“I won’t let the county commission take away a right I fought two wars overseas to defend,” Perry said.
Perry said he achieved recognition and distinction during his time in the Army. As a non-commissioned officer, he was inducted into the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club, which is reserved for the top 5 percent of all NCOS in the Army, he said. After being honorably discharged in 2017, he returned home to Catoosa County to begin a successful career in business, he said. He currently serves as the director of sales at Elmcroft Senior Living, where he works with families to settle their elderly loved ones in a loving and caring community that meets all their needs, he said. And even though he is a battle-tested warrior, he knows “the gentle care and patience that our
The general primary election will be held on May 19. The last day for a person to register and be eligible to vote in the general primary election and runoff election (should one occur) will be April
20. Citizens can early vote Mondays through Fridays beginning April 27, with extended Saturday hours on May 9. Should no candidate receive a majority of all votes cast, the runoff election will be held July 21.
community’s most vulnerable deserve,” he said.
“Making our community safer and more accessible for seniors will be a high priority,” Perry said.
As a young father of six with children in Ringgold schools, Perry said also understands the need to make Catoosa County more accommodating to families with children. And as a former youth football coach, he understands the importance of youth athletics to children countywide, he said.
“Youth need more opportunities for positive activities in Catoosa County. We need to reach out to all youth and make sure they are connected to opportunities for work, play, and study,” Perry said.
According to Federal Reserve
data, approximately 9% of young people in Catoosa County aged 16-19 are disconnected from employment, education, or job training, he said. These disconnected youth are at greater risk for a whole range of negative outcomes such as drug abuse, diminished earnings, and incarceration, he said. “As a county commissioner with school-aged children of my own, I’ll take the lead in introducing new initiatives to expand youth opportunities and re-engage disconnected youth,” Perry said. “This is why we need a new voice for District 3.”
The Catoosa County commission’s seat District 3 is currently occupied by Jim Cutler, who has held the seat since winning election in 2008. Cutler supported the TSPLOST sales tax, wasteful expenditures on new cars for government officials, and speech restrictions at county commission meetings, Perry said.
“Mr. Cutler backed TSPLOST. This is a Republican primary. I don’t know how you call yourself a Republican and invent new taxes to burden working families,” Perry said.
“We will not be outworked in this election,” Perry said. “I will knock on every door in the district. And when we win, I will bring the voice of the people to the county commission and ensure the government remains of the people, by the people, and for the people.”