Gilmer chooses between different visions
Gilmer residents watched the last in-person debate in the runoff election for Post Commissioner Two on Monday, June 8.
For many, this debate hosted by the Gilmer Chamber of Commerce was the last chance to see candidates present their visions before the election on June 16.
Because there’s no one running as a Democrat in the general election, the winner of the runoff will be the new Post Commissioner Two.
The two runoff candidates were Danny Hall and Col. Gary Engel.
Compared to the first debate of this election, this one was far smaller, with roughly 20 people in attendance.
A few of the debate topics included managing growth, taxes, the high cost of housing, Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (TPSLOST), encouraging business, recreation facilities and public safety.
A few topics where the candidates differed the most included TSPLOST taxes, business attraction and the funding of recreation opportunities.
Hall doesn’t want a TSPLOST. It would be better to make choices within the county’s budget than to raise a new tax.”
“You still have to budget. You can’t be buying all that stuff,” he said. “There’s things you’re going to have to make the money work out.”
Engel said that current Local Homestead Option Sales Tax will probably be enough to fund the county’s transportation and that he doesn’t want a TSPLOST now.
But that as the county grows, it could become necessary to use sales taxes so tourists can fund the county.
“TSPLOST could be possibly something that is needed in the not-too distant future.”
On businesses, the candidates also had different positions.
Engel said Gilmer should try to attract companies that work online, such as consulting, as well as agriculture businesses that have long been Gilmer’s mainstay.
“We need to leverage off of the strengths that we have, the natural resources that we have as we move forward,” he said.
Hall said the county’s current industries have long been successful in Gilmer. The county has a good environment for farming and tourism. Bringing in new industries hasn’t succeeded in the past.
“When these people are making good money, it works for them,” he said of current county businesses. “Let’s not try to change it.”
On recreation facilities, Hall suggested that the county fund more recreational areas from fees. This policy would guarantee that the people who use public property pay for it.
“Probably 10 to 15 percent of the people in the county do things like that,” Hall said. “So why should we penalize people, the other 85 percent, that don’t go do this?”
Engel said that previous taxes have already covered at least some of the cost for county facility use.
“The Rec Center that they’re talking about right now would be funded in my understanding with the SPLOST. And that money’s already earmarked for that kind of thing,” he said.
Both candidates agreed that Gilmer’s public safety organizations were well-funded and effective. They also agreed that the county’s growth needed to be carefully managed.