Dallas Daniel, appointed Tuesday night as 4th District county commissioner, said he is not interested in running for the position but is looking forward to serving for the next six months.
Daniel, owner of Plantation Lumber & Hardware, was appointed to fill the seat of Carter Infinger, who resigned in March to seek the commissioners chairman position. State law does not allow a person to run for elective office while holding a different elective office.
“What was attractive to me when I was approached is that it’s only an interim position,” Daniel said. “I wasn’t interested in filling the position full time.”
A new commissioner for District 4 will be elected Nov. 8 to fill Infinger’s unexpired term, which runs through 2018. Commissioners had discussed not wanting to appoint anyone who had shown interest in running for the seat for fear of giving any candidate preferential treatment.
“I agree that it would be unfair to put someone in there who is also planning to run for it,” Daniel said. “I’ve had a couple people already tell me they hope I consider running, but I’ll be true to my word. I won’t run no matter how much I enjoy it.”
Daniel said he mainly agreed to the appointment so that the residents of District 4 would have representation.
“I don’t have any specific agenda in mind,” he said. “I just didn’t want the other commissioners to have to take up the slack.”
Daniel, however, is no stranger to public service. He is involved with the Richmond Hill/Bryan County Chamber of Commerce, sits on an advisory council for Bryan County School Superintendent Paul Brooksher and was recently named to the Richmond Hill Downtown Development Authority.
“I think it’s important for people to get involved in the community and give their time and talent,” he said. “I enjoy meeting people and being able to help.”
Daniel said he’s also busy with two sons in college and two in high school.
“I wouldn’t discount running for the board or maybe city council after our youngest son graduates from high school,” he said. “But not in the next two or three years.”