Pike County Times

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PO Box 843, Zebulon, Georgia 30295.
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Editor Becky Watts: Phone # 770-468-7583 editor(@)pikecountytimes.com
 
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Municipal General Election - November 7, 2023
Advance Voting In Person October 16-November 3

ZEBULON - The Board of Elections and Voter Registration of Pike County has released the Sample Ballot for November 7, 2023. Zebulon and Williamson will be holding municipal elections. Elections in the Cities of Molena and Concord have been canceled.

Election Day will be on November 7, 2023 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters will cast their ballots at their voting precincts in Zebulon (in the newly renovated auditorium) and Williamson (in the Williamson LEAF library).

Information about advanced voting in person including the address of the Pike County Registrar's Office and absentee voting by mail is included in this article below.

Any candidate who is opposed in the November election is welcome to send a 500 word or less statement about why you're running for office and why you're the best candidate to editor@pikecountytimes.com so I can print it on an election information page. Please include your contact information, website, etc. [Note from the Editor: PLEASE NOTE: I will not be printing anything that says anything about your opponent. This is strictly why you are the best candidate for whatever office you're running for.]

Races in Zebulon and Williamson

Voters in the cities of Zebulon and Williamson will be choosing their representatives as mayor as well as representatives in specific council posts with candidates are as follows:

City of Zebulon – Mayor

Incumbent Joseph H. Walter is running unopposed.

Zebulon - City Council District 1, Post 2

Incumbent Claude Hollis is running unopposed.


Zebulon - City Council District 2, Post 1

Incumbent Dewey J. Yarbrough is being challenged by Jeffrey Sawyer.

_________________________

Statement by Challenger Jeffrey Sawyer

I, Jeffrey Sawyer would consider it an honor to serve my community as City Councilman for Zebulon, Ga.

I started my career on the production floor for Photo Circuits in 1985 and held many positions, including Shipping and Receiving Supervisor, Customer Service Supervisor and Commodity Specialist in Purchasing before they closed operations in 2006. For the past 17 years, I have held the position as Senior Commodity Manager at Panasonic Automotive in Peachtree City, Ga. In this role, I am responsible for vendor selection, completion of purchasing agreements and managing component annual dollar spend of 500 million dollars in three facilities.

I am 59 years old, I've been married to my wife Wendy for 36 years. We moved from Grantville to Zebulon, Ga. in 1994 where I had previously lived from 1981 until 1985. We have two children, three grandchildren and the oldest is a student in the Pike school system.

Hobbies include cooking, canning, woodworking and remodeling houses.

With many years of experience in business, centering on purchasing and planning will prove to be an asset in Zebulon.

As your City Councilman I would ensure that the people in Zebulon have a representative that will voice their concerns and improve the community.

I can be contacted at supersawman@gmail.com.

Respectfully,
Jeffrey Sawyer


City of Williamson – Mayor

Incumbent Steve B. Fry is being challenged by Andrew K. Watson.

_________________________

Statement by Incumbent Steve B. Fry

Hello, my name is Steve Fry.

I am asking for your support, and your vote, as I seek re-election for Mayor of the City of Williamson. I welcome the opportunity to continue serving our citizens who are also my friends and neighbors. I believe we all strive to maintain the small-town charm of our home town.

Serving as your Mayor has given me valuable insight towards the needs of our city and its residents. I have met most of our Citizens during my time as Mayor. I may have seen you when you came by City Hall or attended a meeting. You may have seen me working an emergency scene around the county or putting up banners or decorations, or repairing City property. I’m a hands-on type of person and enjoy doing things for our community. I’ve been a firefighter and Emergency Medical Responder in Williamson for over twenty-five years. I have completed many classes of instruction on municipal services, finances, budgeting, and asset management to better serve our city and give you the most for your tax dollars.

I came to Williamson as I was completing my service in the Marine Corps. As a Commanding Officer in the Corps, I considered my Marines as my family, and I moved often with deployments around the globe. I never married nor settled down until I completed that important part of my life and service to our Country and moved to Williamson.

I now consider Williamson home and my wife Gina and I have three children who also know Williamson as their home. I want them to always be proud to call Williamson home and I want Williamson to be a great place to grow up. I have a special interest in the character and the environment where my family lives.

I am in favor of small government and would rather see things done by community effort than by taxpayer dollars. I believe infrastructure and safety should be the main concerns of our city government. Government shouldn’t limit your freedoms, it should protect them! Ensuring our water is clean, our air healthy, our streets are maintained, and our community is safe is extremely important. Providing additional services such as our parks, walking trails and library makes our city the place we want to call home and builds our sense of community. The success of the Williamson Library, known as the L.E.A.F. (Library, Educational and Arts Facility), is a great example of community effort that has created a focal point for our town.

I am always open for input and ideas about how to best serve our community and citizens. If there is ever anything the city can do for you, please bring it to my attention. I’ve always tried to keep taxes as low as possible and we have lowered the Williamson tax rate every year I’ve been in office. I am also committed to giving the best level of service possible for your tax dollars.

Thanks for your time,
Steve

His website is StevenFry.net and his email is CoachSteveFry@att.net.


Williamson – City Council Post 1

Incumbent Steven L. Levin is being challenged by Scott Rohde.

_________________________

Incumbent Steven L. Levin

My fellow constituents, I am Stephen Levin running for re-election to the city of Williamson City Council. I have been on the city council since 2017, moving into Williamson the same year. When I moved into Williamson our internet was archaic it was the original dial-up, with much perseverance and determination we finally coerced AT & T to put fiber optics into the city of Williamson. We had the ribbon cutting at City Hall on April 27, 2023.

I have always been a caring and understanding individual being an Optometrist for almost 40 years. My understanding of people comes from listening to their problems, which has carried over to being on the council for the last 6 years.

We have brought the folks of Williamson closer together, by starting to build an Amphitheatre, that we have been using for events such as the Wisteria Festival. We are looking to get a sponsorship to help in the completion of the Amphitheatre without putting added expense to the people of Williamson.

In the last 6 years we have added many businesses to the city of Williamson, which has added to our tax revenue and has lowered our property tax rate. We want to continue to lower the rate in the future.

We are planning to start up grading our infrastructure by paving the roads and improving the water flow to the community. I am here to listen to what our needs are going forward in the future for our community and for our city of Williamson. I am here to help you.

God Bless the City of Williamson. God Bless America.

Re-elect Stephen Levin for City Council for the City of Williamson.

Thank You.

Steven L. Levin

_________________________

Statement by Challenger Scott Rohde

My name is Scott Rohde and I am running for Williamson City Council Post 1. I retired from the US Air Force 10 years ago after a wonderful career and moved to Williamson 2 ½ years ago. After 20 years of service and 7 deployments my family decided to retire back in Georgia. When we found Williamson, we knew we were finally home. My wife Shelly and I have 25-year-old twins. Shelly is a nurse in Griffin, our son works at Ingles and our daughter volunteers at the library and a local dog rescue.

My political views are very simple. I am a small government conservative. I believe the government should be there to keep us safe and let us get the most out of life. Government should not stand in your way of finding your success.

My pledge is to ask how every decision I make will help or hurt the citizens of Williamson and how that decision will help you prosper and if there are choices you have them, and they are not decided by the government. I believe my experience in the Air Force and owning a small business has prepared me to be a member of the Williamson City council. It would be an honor and pleasure to serve you and your family.

If we have never met personally, some of you may know of my Christmas decorations that have been dubbed as the “Word Of The Day” a tradition I started 4 years ago to help encourage people and remind us we have a purpose and are not doing life alone.

Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about my beliefs or if there are any improvements you think our town needs. I would love to meet you, take a walk with you, or answer any questions via messenger so feel free to reach out.

Voting is November 7th, 2023. I would love to have your support!

Thank you

Scott Rohde can be contacted at scottrohde1@gmail.com.


Williamson – City Council Post 4

Incumbent Carol J. Berry is running unopposed.


Williamson – City Council Post 5

Incumbent Steve B. Davis is being challenged by Bunny Scoggins.

_________________________

Statement by Challenger Bunny Scoggins

Elect Bunny Scoggins for City Council. Please vote on November 7th.

I lived in Griffin before moving to Williamson nine years ago. I am a mother of son, wife, and grandmother of four grandsons. I was a council woman for approximately two years and now a candidate.

I’ve wanted to serve my community for as long as I have lived here. I attended council meetings and learned about city government to help my community. I believe in teamwork and building relationships. No one individual on council makes a decision. Every person should bring their own unique perspectives to the table.

As far the relationship between the city council and the public, I feel we are going to have to have a much better relationship with each citizen. I want to hear from residents; their opinions and ideas matter.

Make the City Work for People Again
Proven Experience and Integrity
Hardworking, Experienced, Fair
A Candidate for the People
A Record of Accomplishment

While on the council, I organized and completed a project to get the playground equipment for the walking trail.


Any candidate who is opposed in the November election is welcome to send a 500 word or less statement about why you're running for office and why you're the best candidate to editor@pikecountytimes.com so I can print it on an election information page. Please include your contact information, website, etc.

PLEASE NOTE: I will not be printing anything that says anything about your opponent. This is strictly why you are the best candidate for whatever office you're running for.


NOTICE OF ADVANCE VOTING (IN PERSON)

For the November 7, 2023, General Election, will begin on Monday, October 16, 2023 at 9am and will continue Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. until November 3, 2023.

It will be conducted at the Board of Elections and Registration Office located at 81 Jackson Street in Zebulon, Georgia 30295.


ABSENTEE BY MAIL VOTING

We are currently accepting applications to request an Absentee by Mail ballot for the November 7th, 2023, Municipal Election. Requests must be on a state approved form, which you can find at https://mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/. Print the form, complete and sign.

You can also pick up a copy at our office, or call, and we can send you a copy. Once you are done, you can mail or drop off your application at the Board of Elections and Voter Registration office located at: 81 Jackson Street, Zebulon, Georgia 30295.

The deadline to request an Absentee Ballot by Mail for the Municipal Election is October 27th, 2023, by 5:00 PM.

You can still submit an application to request an ABM ballot online until 11:59 pm on October 27th, 2023, through the MVP website at https://mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/.

***Note: The deadline to have your voted Absentee by Mail Ballot back is by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday November 7th, 2023. ***


NOTICE OF ELECTION CANCELLATION - CITY OF MOLENA

Pursuant to O.C.G.A.§21-2-291 and §21-2-325, notice is hereby given that the City of Molena General Election scheduled for November 7, 2023, is cancelled. The following candidate has qualified for the office and is unopposed:

For Mayor of Molena: Joyce Corley

The above unopposed candidate shall be deemed to have voted for themself.

This the September 19, 2023.

PIKE COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND VOTER REGISTRATION


NOTICE OF ELECTION CANCELLATION - CITY OF CONCORD

Pursuant to O.C.G.A.§21-2-291 and §21-2-325, notice is hereby given that the City of Concord General Election scheduled for November 7, 2023, is cancelled. The following candidates have qualified for the office and are unopposed:

For Concord City Council, Post 3: Joshua Caldwell
For Concord City Council, Post 4: Subrenna Weathers
For Concord City Council, Post 5: Rictor Calhoun

The above unopposed candidates shall be deemed to have voted for themselves.

This the 19th of September 2023.

PIKE COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS AND VOTER REGISTRATION


NOTICE OF LOGIC & ACCURACY TESTING

The Pike County Board of Elections and Voter Registration gave a public Notice of Logic and Accuracy Testing that read as follows: For the November 7, 2023, General Election, was performed beginning Monday October 2, 2023, at 9am and every day after that until completion.

Testing was conducted at the Board of Elections and Registration Office located at 81 Jackson Street in Zebulon, Georgia 30295.

Submitted 10.9.23
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