Grow Green's
choices sweep local elections
On Nov. 5, the voters of Athens-Clarke
County overwhelmingly elected the Commission candidates who received Grow
Green's highest ratings in our Candidate Scorecard:
District 1: Charles Carter
won 65.47% of votes cast
District 3: George Maxwell
won 75.38% of votes cast
District 5: David Lynn won 60.26% of votes cast
District 7: Kathy Hoard, in a 3-way race, won 57.54% of votes cast
This is no coincidence. These
candidates ran on the issues that Grow Green has kept on the table, and
that can be summed up as "quality of life" : curbing sprawl,
protecting natural resources, protecting and promoting affordable housing.
Perhaps most important, all these candidates understand that it is the
citizens, not out-of-town developers and corporations, who should decide
how this community grows.
Congratulations to Charles
Carter, George Maxwell, David Lynn, Kathy Hoard, Tom Chasteen (re-elected
in the runoff to the District 9 seat) and Heidi Davison (elected Mayor
in the runoff.) We look forward to working with you!
View
our General Election
Scorecard
Candidate
Forum Successful
Oct. 31. Thanks to the hard work
of Athens Grow Green, Region 3 People First, Upper Oconee Watershed Network,
and WUGA 91.7/97.9 FM, the second general election candidate forum ran smoothly.
State Senate District 46 and ACC Commission candidates answered questions
on growth and development, water quality issues, and the needs of people
with disabilities, among others. The forum was broadcast live on WUGA. Thanks
to all who helped, who attended or listened to the broadcast, and especially
to the candidates.
RUNOFF RESULTS:
Davison wins!
Sept. 11. Heidi Davison, who
received a 4-star candidate rating from Grow Green, won the mayor's race
in a landslide, receiving 6292 votes to incumbent Doc Eldridge's 4683.
In District 9, incumbent Tom Chasteen narrowly defeated challenger Jim
Ponsoldt, 2097 to 1953. Both Davison and Ponsoldt had received high ratings
from Athens Grow Green Coalition. Davison's decisive victory and Ponsoldt's
near-win send a clear message that Athens voters are looking for leaders
who will work to prevent sprawl, protect our resources and preserve a
high quality of life.
PRIMARY RESULTS:
Grow Green voters send a message at the polls
Judging by the results of the
August 20 primary election, the voters of Athens are ready for a change,
and are looking to people who share Grow Green's vision for Athens - a healthy
environment with protected open space, clean air and water, and transportation
choice; healthy neighborhoods with plenty of affordable housing, and a healthy
economy that is based on clean businesses, not those that deplete our natural
resources:
Heidi
Davison, who received a 4-star rating
from AGGC, received the most votes in the Mayor's race and will head into
a runoff on Sept. 10 against incumbent Doc Eldridge (1.5 stars). Davison
received 4929 votes, or 44.78%, and Eldridge received 4515 votes, 41.02%.
As there is no Republican or independent challenger on the November
ballot, the runoff will determine the Mayor's race.
The other 4-star
candidates, David Lynn in District 5 and Kathy Hoard in
District 7, had no primary opposition, but still received a high number
of votes: 1388 for Lynn, 1101 for Hoard. They will face challenges in
November.
Jim Ponsoldt,
who received a score of 3.5 stars, heads for a runoff against incumbent
Tom Chasteen (2.5 stars) in Superdistrict 9. Ponsoldt received 1287, or
31.27%, Chasteen received 41.86 %, and Tracy Smith (no rating) received
1106, or 26.87%. As with the Mayor's race, there is no Republican or independent
candidate on the November ballot, so the runoff will determine the
District 9 seat as well.
In District
3, George Maxwell, who received a 3.5 star rating, defeated incumbent
Alvin Sheats (.5 stars.) Maxwell will face Republican E. Dean Clark (no
rating) in November.
Incumbent Charles
Carter, 1.5 stars, was unopposed and received 1142 votes.
Congratulations
- but it's not over yet! YOUR VOTE in the runoff on Sept. 10 is critical!
Friends of
Five Points Candidate Questionnaire
Friends of Five Points, a local neighborhood association, sent its own questionnaire
on neighborhood issues to all the candidates. Click
here to read the results.
Elections
2002: a Referendum on Sprawl
July 28. This year Athens-Clarke County voters have the opportunity to
decide what kind of a future we want for our community. Do we want to
continue to sprawl, or do we want to manage our growth responsibly? The
time to decide is now.
Athens-Clarke County has received national recognition as one of the
fastest-sprawling metropolitan areas in the country (for example, see
USA Today's report "A
comprehensive look at sprawl in America".) Our county nearly
doubled the amount of acreage devoted to low-density urban development
between 1974 and 1998, with most of the change coming since 1985, according
to findings of the Georgia
Land Use Trends project. (For a startling visual representation of
this, pull up the Clarke County land cover maps for 1974
and 1998.)
Adding to the sense of urgency, the ACC Planning Department estimates
that only about 20% of the county's land remains undeveloped, according
to a recent article in Flagpole
Magazine.
If we hope to change the path of development in this county, we can't
afford to wait. The 2002 elections will largely determine whether we are
going to become a faceless suburban Anytown, or remain Athens, a unique,
vibrant community that values its natural, cultural, and historic resources,
and its diverse population.
In the coming days, Grow Green will be publishing a voter guide to help
clarify where the candidates stand on the issues associated with sprawl.
We have sent out a questionnaire to every candidate, incumbent and challenger
alike; and we are working on an analysis of key votes by the incumbents
to help make their positions clear.
We are also co-sponsoring a Voter Forum on August 12, at 7 pm at the
ACC Library; and a Land Use Issues Forum in October, closer to the General
Election. Please plan to attend, and to ask questions. We need to ensure
that we elect leaders who will work for the good of this community, rather
than for the interests of out-of-town developers.
Please DO NOT FAIL TO VOTE in the Primary! Two races will be decided
then. For a list of candidates who have qualified for the Primary Elections
to be held August 20, visit the Board
of Elections Web site.
And please consider volunteering for a campaign. Our survey results,
which we will post in the next few days, should help you determine which
candidates best reflect your views.
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