| CEO race heads to primary wire
by Andy Phelan
andy@dekalbchamp.com
For those who say there aren’t any significant issues pending in this year’s CEO race – that it’s all hunk dory in DeKalb County – perhaps they haven’t taken the time to look below the surface.
With two weeks remaining before voters elect a new CEO in the July 15 primary [the Democrat winner will breeze to office in November], voters say this might be the most important election for the county in the past eight years.
That’s because current CEO Vernon Jones, who is busy trying to become Georgia’s next U.S. Senator, is term-limited and will be gone.
But close observers of county politics understand Jones will leave behind not just a legacy as a quick-witted campaigner but of racial discrimination lawsuits, millions spent on no-bid technology contracts, multiple police chiefs and a management style that relied more on confrontation than compromise.
Board of Commissioners meetings have set new standards in dysfunction with Jones and some commissioners bickering over how to fund pay raises for law enforcement officers, limit bar hours and conduct audits of administration spending.
The five candidates vying for the county’s top spot, who have been participating in forums almost every night for the past month, promise a range of change from Jones’ style and how they would handle arguably the most powerful office in the metro area minus the mayor of Atlanta.
THE CANDIDATES
Bembry |
Joe Bembry, 57, who owns a tow truck business in central DeKalb off Glenwood Road, has run for political office a dozen times but never been elected. He did manage to make two run-offs for a commission seat, but lost in 1994 and 2002.
The straight-talking Bembry might come off as more of a firebrand preacher than a stoic politician, but he makes it clear he would do things differently if elected.
“I won’t sit up there and look pretty and cute while you all are being extorted,” said Bembry at a forum in Clarkston recently. “I promise to have a close relationship with commissioners.”
While Bembry’s delivery was called “kooky” in a recent Creative Loafing article, some observers say they appreciate it compared to the staid, often stale delivery preferred by more polished politicians.
“I’m not aligned with developers or special interests,” said Bembry. “I’m my own man. We wouldn’t be in this mess if more of our politicians operated that way.”
Bembry prides himself on being an outsider and the only candidate not affiliated with politics or politicians.
“I refuse to be beholden to people who expect favors in exchange for campaign contributions,” he said.
Ellis |
Burrell Ellis, 50, is a two-term commissioner and real estate attorney.
Although Ellis has been portrayed as an insider because of his eight years on the board, his push for audits of administration spending on technology consultants helped expose how millions of dollars were paid that circumvented county policy.
The district attorney is still considering a special grand jury investigation.
And despite convictions that the CEO should maintain a strong presence in county government, he’s willing to share power with commissioners, who through voter approval could be setting their own agenda and running their own meetings next year.
When Jones accused Ellis of being “soft on crime” for not supporting increasing taxes to pay for police pay raises, Ellis came up with his own plan to get it done by cutting the budget. He’s proposing a program to assist police officers with a down payment on homes in the county to help retain personnel.
“I’m someone who has had to raise his hand and make the difficult decisions,” said Ellis. “And I’ll bring everyone to the table and give them a say by creating neighborhood empowerment zones.”
Kimbrough |
Ann Kimbrough, 50, is Jones’ chief of staff and is a former business reporter for the AJC and Atlanta Business Chronicle.
A late entry into the fray, Kimbrough has shown savvy and good people skills on the campaign trail.
As the candidate most closely aligned with Jones, Kimbrough has positioned herself by defending the administration and touting Police Chief Terrell Bolton’s $100 million “Road Map to Success” plan.
She bills herself as the only candidate who actually has experience running the day-to-day operations of the county.
“I’ve worked 14 hours a day for the past six years helping run the county,” she said. “I know how the county runs better than anyone. I’m a public servant, not a politician.”
Kimbrough is so focused on public safety that when she was asked at a recent forum what the No. 1 health concern in the county is, she said crime and how it affects residents’ well being.
She opposes commissioners setting their own agenda, and says the law that will send the matter to voters this fall “is flawed because it deals with personalities and was rushed.”
Miles |
Steen “Newslady Miles, 61, is former TV journalist and state senator from 2005-07. She won three Emmys as a broadcaster and her resume is so robust it reads like a grocery list for a family of 10.
If Kimbrough is closest to representing a Jones’ mandate, Miles is the candidate most distant from that mold.
Actively calling for a more open, transparent government, Miles welcomes a more balanced power structure with commissioners. “Power shared is an awesome force,” she said.
“Politics is the business of the people. And people are no longer willing to tolerate the art of the deal.”
During her time in the General Assembly, Miles was known for her crusade against payday lenders, who charge exorbitant interest rates. Her efforts help lead to it being banned in Georgia.
Dismayed by the way Jones and other politicians have conducted themselves personally and professionally over the past eight years, Miles said she is vote for change.
“I’ll return DeKalb County to a place we can all be proud of,” she said. “I promise to be a good steward of taxpayer dollars.”
Watson |
Stan Watson, 54, is vice president of government affairs for Matria Healthcare and a state representative for more the past decade.
As head of DeKalb’s House delegation, Watson said he knows how to bring people together and get things done.
“At some point we need to have a family meeting,” said Watson of the county’s disparate political players.
“You need a person who can bring people together and put all the elected officials in one room. We need a person who can be a consensus builder.”
Known for his strong community ties in his south DeKalb district, Watson’s constituent breakfast meetings became a must for any aspiring or established public figure, including Gov. Sonny Perdue, who
addressed Grady Hospital funding and the drought with residents last summer.
Watson promised a more frank, responsive government under his administration in dealing with issues such as Dunwoody pursuit of incorporation.
“This administration and the board of commissioners should be telling its citizens how much Dunwoody will cost them [in lost revenue],” he said. “I think department heads know how much it will cost, and I would share that with the people.”
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