Several DeKalb County candidates are prioritizing public accountability this Saturday by participating in a town hall meeting to address community concerns ahead of early voting.
County Mayoral candidate Beth Pafford said the event serves as a vital opportunity to interact directly with residents and answer questions about the issues they care about most. Pafford said she believes that any individual seeking a position in public service has a fundamental responsibility to be accessible to the voters.
“If you are not willing to be accountable to the public and meet the public in public, then I don’t think that running for elected office is something that you should be doing,” Pafford said. “It’s part of being accountable.”
Pafford said she has been bothered by a lack of public forums in the community and across the state where candidates take questions from the press and the public. Pafford said her preferred method of interacting with citizens is in person because it is real.
“I think it’s a responsibility that if you’re running for public office, you should be willing to do,” Pafford said. “It is an opportunity to speak with the community and answer questions from people in the community about things that they’re interested in.”
Pafford said she hopes the event will spur civic engagement in DeKalb County, noting that while residents speak at commission meetings, those interactions are often one-sided. Pafford said she expects to have three to five minutes to answer questions submitted by the public.
Carey Watson said he is running for District 2 County Commissioner because he believes the people of DeKalb County need a voice that has been missing for a long time. Watson said the public should be running the government rather than special interests or specific individuals.
“The people have made their voice heard before but commissioners just don’t listen to it,” Watson said. “They kind of do what they want to do.”
Watson said he believes the town hall will be a non-partisan environment focused on the welfare of the county. Watson said he is available to talk to anyone at any time, even if they agree to disagree.
“The people actually own the government, they pay for everything so they should have a voice and should be heard, not ignored,” Watson said. “If you’re afraid to face your people, your constituents face to face, you got a problem.”
Watson said he has spoken before the commission in the past and felt that most commissioners ignored the speakers and exited the building immediately after the meeting. Watson said he hopes the town hall will be recorded so citizens who cannot attend in person are still able to see the candidates’ positions.
District 3 County Commissioner candidate Eden Nokes said the current administration is lacking the open communication that the county needs. Nokes said taxpayers feel unheard when major decisions are being made.
“The current administration, at the majority of commission meetings, have several people that have been coming in and speaking up about the current jail situation, school situations, rock quarries, data centers, and they’ve just everyone just feels kind of what kind of secluded and unheard when they’re voicing their opinions,” Nokes said.
Nokes said she believes commissioners should be reachable through phone calls, text messages, emails, or in-person conversations at local stores. Nokes said she wants whoever wins the upcoming seats to actually listen to the feelings of the people.
“Their voice matters, and that is one way that they can show their voice is just to show up to vote,” Nokes said. “I just really want what’s best for my county.”
Nokes said she expects around 40 citizens to attend the event based on recent attendance at commission meetings. Nokes said the format will likely allow each candidate to introduce themselves before answering selected questions.
Judith Hale, District 5 County Commissioner candidate said she is participating in the town hall because she wants to represent families starting out and older residents living on fixed incomes who struggle to pay for family farms. Hale the county needs leaders with ears that hear and hearts that understand the impact of rising land taxes.
Hale, a Republican, said she is not concerned about the partisan makeup of the event organizers because she has nothing to hide. Hale said she intends to let the voters know exactly where she stands.
Hale said the public previously voted against a bond for a new jail, but local officials proceeded with a loan to buy land for the project anyway. Hale said she believes the mayor’s race will be a significant focus of the town hall because voters are anxious to see if the current direction of the county government will continue.
“I just want them to know that I’m one of them and I’m with them,” Hale said. “I want them to understand that the people in the community trying to make a living, starting out with new families, and then the people who are maybe older that have family farms and are having to pay taxes on that and living on a fixed income.”
