A candidate forum was sponsored jointly by the Chamber of Commerce and Quality Growth Council on June 27th to showcase contenders for seats on the Henry Board of Commissioners. Initial statements were limited to 90 seconds. Responses to queries were limited to 60 seconds.

In all honesty, the questions were a textbook case of softball interviewing – perhaps to avoid any candidate revealing their true lack of knowledge and preparedness to serve as an executive board member who will set policy for the county. Then again, you be the judge.

First to answer queries posed by the moderators were the District 4 candidates.

Opening Statements –
(Highlights from the candidate responses, in order as they were called)

Gerry Adams, incumbent (R): We have turned the corner and are headed in the right direction. We have raised the bar for housing and construction.

Reid Bowman (R): I favor a no-nonsense approach. I am a quality growth advocate.

Phil Crosby (R): My roots are in Henry County. Henry is my home. I am a former commissioner in District 4 and I see things that need to be done. We need comprehensive planning and we need to implement those plans.

Edith Gonsal (D): I have a diversified educational and professional background. I am experienced in leadership serving as a nurse and managing 18 healthcare facilities.

Questions

1. The CoC and QGC promote smart growth. What policies will you advocate?
(Highlights from the candidate responses, in order as they were called)

Adams: I see smart growth as dealing with high density housing. There is a place for it. There is a place for low density and family farms.

Gonsal: Density speaks to vertical rather than horizontal issues. We must address population. There is no all-in-one answer.

Bowman: Our infrastructure must be in place before moving ahead. With enterprise zones, high density makes sense. I am not for high density growth – we have enough already. I propose forward thinking to in clued water, sewer, roads and transportation.

Crosby: Smart can mean economic growth. We must look at residential and commercial development. We must adopt a land use plan that includes both. A balance of commercial and residential is needed for the tax base.

2. The county budget exceeds $100 million. What checks and balances are needed?
(Highlights from the candidate responses, in order as they were called)

Gonsal: You must review budgets, projections and historical data. Monitoring is necessary to insure funding for the right issues and people. Quarterly or bi-annual evaluations by outside auditors are needed.

Bowman: The commissioners are accountable to the citizens. I propose that county department heads are divided up to report to individual commissioners throughout the year. Setting the budget should not be a one-time, year-end event.

Crosby: We already have a yearly audit and the Board goes through it thoroughly. The process can be tighter.

Adams: Checks and balances are already in place. There are three levels of acceptance for expenditures: bids, BoC review and the yearly audit.

(Two points for consideration: (1) the annual audit is performed by a firm hired by the county to produce work for the coun