Candidates speaking out at Chamber forum
♦ For subscribers and readers who get the paper on Tuesday, event at PCPD starts at 6 p.m.
For everyone who gets the paper on Tuesday, make time tonight to head to the Polk County Police Department headquarters just outside of Cedartown tonight to hear what candidates in the local races have to say before the November election.
The forthcoming event starts at 6 p.m. and is being held in the Board of Commissioners meeting room at the Polk County Police Department’s headquarters, where both local and state candidates will have a chance to field written questions provided from the audience.
Among the local candidates in contested raced committed to speaking are District 2 incumbent Jennifer Hulsey, who is seeking a second term in office, along with all three of the District 3 candidates seeking the seat in the special election called in November.
That includes Jeri Purdy, Ray Carter and Larry Brooks.
Statewide candidates who have confirmed they’ll be attending include Commissioner of Agriculture candidate Fred Swann, plus Superintendent of Schools candidates Sonia Francis-Rolle and Richard Woods.
Hulsey, a first term incumbent and Cedartown Middle School teacher, is seeking for a new term in office. This year she’s served as the Commission’s chair, and also a representative for the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission. Husley has also undertaken to organize a group to combat the continuing problem faced by drug use, sales and addiction in Polk County, and the Take Back Polk mentorship program, among other items.
Former commissioner Larry Reynolds – who served a single term starting in 2009 -will look to get back onto the board as he runs again for a District 3 seat. He previously held it before former Commissioner Stefanie Drake Burford won it out in 2012, and again in 2016.
Reynolds also previously sought the seat left open when the board appointed Floyd as a replacement for Burford after she resigned in 2017. He qualified on Tuesday for the seat.
He is a U.S. Navy veteran who served after graduating from Rockmart High School until January 1965, went to work at 21 at Ford Motor Company’s Atlanta assembly plant for 40 years, and has been retired for more than 20 years.
He said he’s not going into the race with any particular agenda in mind, but only seeks to serve the people of Polk County. He did say when asked the budget priorities need to be set with the idea of funding the most critical areas – like public safety – before others when it comes to accounting for annual expenditures.
“They need to fully fund areas where they need to be before looking at other spending,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds faces a challenger in Jerilyn (Jeri) Purdy, who decided after an Aug. 21 budget work session for the Polk County Commission that she would sign up to run this morning.
She said after several phone calls from people offering their support, she decided it was time to step up and seek to do her part to help the county by running for the seat.
Purdy said she’s looking to get more involved than she has been in past years with the goings-on in the county.
“During LEAD Polk last year, I learned a lot of things I wasn’t aware of was happening,” she said. “I feel like that if you can’t stand up and make a difference, then sit down and shut up.”
Purdy hopes if elected to begin tackling the immediate issue of what is happening with the county’s budget.
The office manger of the Chick-fil-A in Rockmart, Purdy said she wants to remain as transparent as possible. Her first step toward doing so was resigning from a part-time position she held with the City of Rockmart working at the Silver Comet Trailhead office next to Seaborn Jones Park on the weekends.
“If something comes up, I’m going to take care of it,” she said.
Purdy said of all things, she’s passionate about making sure that Cedartown, Rockmart and Polk County move forward together in the years to come in a positive direction.
“I want Polk County to be something that my kids and my grandkids can be proud of,” she said. “If I can do one little thing now that has a domino effect to cause then, then I’ve accomplished something.”
Purdy is the mother of two sons, one of which is currently attending the University of Georgia.
A latecomer to the race during qualifying that ended last Wednesday for the seat was former Rockmart City Council member Ray Carter.
He is a native of Cedartown, and served on Rockmart’s council from 2002 until 2011. Carter also works for IBM currently, but has consulted and worked with a variety of international corporations, government departments and agencies and more during his long career.
Carter currently serves as a Development Authority of Polk County board member.
“I decided to seek this Polk County Commission seat in the hope that I could bring my talents as an accomplished business professional and my experience as a previously elected official to the table for Polk County as we continue to tackle many issues for today and our future,” Carter said by e-mail. “I believe my community spirit, innovative thinking and thorough approach to the governmental policy process makes me uniquely qualified for the position. I look forward to the opportunity to serve all the citizens of Polk County, and pledge to work closely with my fellow commissioners to ensure we have sound policies, a talented workforce and a fiscally conservative approach in place. Working closely with our cities, I know Polk County is well positioned for excellent economic growth, with new industry, business and residents coming our way.”
Though from Cedartown, he calls Rockmart home with his wife Nina (maiden name Bray) and have three adult children together, Lorri, Meagan and Nicholas.
He’s also an avid outdoorsman and golfer. Commissioner Hal Floyd, who will replace Marshelle Thaxton in District 3, is running in November unopposed along with forthcoming new commissioner Gary Martin, who is taking over the seat currently held by Jose Iglesias.