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With the large number of candidates seeking the Republican nomination for local seats, several races were forced to hold runoffs when the leading candidate did not receive more than 50 percent of the vote.

 

The LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce hosted another forum for the runoff candidates on Thursday evening to answer a final round of questions prior to the June 18 runoff. All three forum contests are viewable in their entirety on the LaGrange Daily News Facebook page including the Georgia Congressional District 3 race and Troup County Board of Commissioners District 2 and 3.

 

For the Commissioner District 3 runoff, incumbent Lewis Davis will face off against challenger Rex Scott. Davis was unable to attend the forum due to a previously scheduled vacation.

 

In the May 21 election, Davis led vote totals at 472 (44.61%) falling short of the 50 percent majority requirement. Scott came in second earning a spot in the runoff with 265 (25.05%) votes.

 

Ashley Adams and TC Nixon were eliminated with 242 (22.87%) and 79 (7.47%) votes respectively.

 

Rex Scott was present for the forum and answered questions presented by moderator Brandon Eley solo. The following are some of the questions asked during the forum:

 

If public safety staffing levels are too low, what do you propose to do to solve the problem?

 

“There’s a lot of revenue just coming into the county. We’re growing. We always hear and I’ve heard this for years is that as we increase in size, our tax base is going to go up, we can increase staffing and we’ll be able to stay and that’s good. It will be sustainable. But it hasn’t happened,” Scott said.

 

“There’s a lot of money revenue coming in from different sources, but every time it comes to that issue, so what I’m saying is maybe it’s not as much of a revenue problem is maybe just getting a new set of eyes on it.”

 

What can you share about your experience with budgeting and evaluating the spending to assure the constituents that their taxpayer money is being spent efficiently and effectively? And what would your process be for evaluating the county’s budget programs?

 

“As far as budgeting, when I was at the fire department, I was over certain line items that are part of the fire department budget, so knowing how the process is and the understanding of it. I did [purchase orders] and a lot of things with the fire department so I’m understanding of that side of it,” Scott said.

 

“Now I’m more in admin, I do training but we also have financial reports that I look over and one of the things that always do is that you always have to look month by month how things are going. And if you see a problem, you’ve got to go ahead and look into it and see how to correct it. But it takes that looking at it. It takes some extra effort and that’s what I’m willing to do.”

 

What are your long-term goals for Troup County and how do you plan to achieve them?

 

“The long-term goal, as we continue to grow, and growth can be a good thing there’s no doubt but also it has to be sustainable,” Scott said. “We’re not sustaining. People are not feeling as safe as they once were.”

 

“It takes people that have worked in the [public safety] field and understand the field to say hey, ‘we have plenty of resources here to get it under control.’ Long-term goal we’ve got to get that back to get people to feel comfortable.”

 

How do you plan to engage with constituents in district three to ensure their voices are heard and county decisions?

 

“One of the things that people say is that their voices are not being heard,” Scott said. “I have people that are very upset and emotional when they talk to me because yes, growth has occurred. Industry has come in and it has interrupted their whole way of life of the way they’re used to in their community. It’s pretty much been that when the commissioners would talk to them, they would say that’s just the way it is and there’s nothing we can do. Sometimes that might be the case but you still have to be there for them and what can I do to help.”