Lee Becker and Russ Page host successful candidate forum at Oconee Veterans Park

A semi-packed house at the Oconee Veterans Park heard from sets of candidates from the Oconee County Board of Commissioners, Board of Education and House of Representatives District 113 Wednesday evening. Hosts Lee Becker and Russ Page did a fine job keeping the audience members' questions brief and the candidates answers succinct (or at least under two minutes).

Lisa Davol of the Oconee County Parks and Recreation Department may have been the most valuable member of the support crew, seamlessly providing a wireless microphone and sound system so that the members of the audience could hear in the rear of the rather chilly room. Why the people in this crowded house were seated more in the back rather than in the front row is anybody's guess, but kudos to the OCRD and people putting this on for adapting to the audience's whims.

It was also good to see some different faces in the audience this time then from the Chamber of Commerce forum a few days before at the spacious North Oconee High School. But it seems the same folks including me asked variations on the same questions to the same candidates with sometimes the same answers from them. Nonetheless, thanks to Dr. Robert Wyatt, Sarah Bell, Rich Clark, Chuck Williams, Jonathan Veit, Dr. Bill Mayberry, Kate McDaniel and a few others for having the courage to stand up and speak their minds or at least voice their queries to the candidates.

Nothing shocking or extremely newsworthy was spoken out of the candidates' mouths as best as I could determine at this forum. Video will be posted on the vimeo site by Becker in the very near future. The Board of Commissioners candidates started with incumbent John Daniell watching the gentle sparring between Margaret Hale and Tammy Gilland. The main issue seems to be the changing of the government format stripping some of the power from BOC chair Melvin Davis and the possibility of some sort of economic collaboration with Clarke County.

Next came the Board of Education candidates with Kim Argo, Carter Strickland and Mark Thomas on the dais. Democratic candidate Strickland was a little less incendiary then his initial performance last week at North Oconee. Mack Guest III was out of town and had a representative ready to read a statement, but the audience seemed more interested in asking one more question rather than hearing yet another prepared statement read by a stand-in for the candidate.

Finally the House of Representatives candidates came up to close the conversation with Republicans Hank Huckaby, Tommy Malcom and Kirk Shook taking the stage next to Democratic candidate and Bostwick farmer Suzy Compere. They are all attempting to fill the seat vacated by State Representative Bob Smith, who was at the contemporaneous Watkinsville City Council meeting but not at the forum.

Huckaby, Malcom and Gilland made brief statements at the City Council meeting before driving across Oconee County to the event at Veterans Park. No introductions and closing statements were permitted, making the two hour event this evening seem to go by quicker and without too long breaks. Refreshments were provided and gobbled up quickly by an appreciative audience.

It is always refreshing to see people participating in their local democratic process in attempting to enlighten themselves by asking questions of their prospective leaders.Thanks to everyone who attended this event.

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