Jeff Whitten, correspondent.

Mayoral candidates Kristi Cox and Belgicia Howell-Cowart said flatly Wednesday they are not in favor of a proposed airport in Richmond Hill and would vote against one if they win the election and have to cast a tiebreaking vote. But there was some nuance to their stands.

“I am not in support of an airport,” Cox said, noting she believed more information on the proposal should have been made available to the public sooner, and “at the end of the day, I’m an elected official. If I had to vote on it today, I’ve heard from many people say they do not want an airport, so for that reason alone I would not vote for it.”

Howell-Cowart said she didn’t support the airport but also added that should it come to a vote, she wants people to understand what a ‘’no” vote will mean, and “exactly what you’re saying no to,” a reference to reported plans by the landowner to put either warehouses or more homes on the land should the proposed airport fall through — either of which will put more strain on infrastructure.

The issue was one of a number raised during the last in series of roughly hour-long question and answer sessions held at the Bryan County Chamber of Commerce office and livestreamed on the organization’s Facebook page as part of the Chamber’s “ongoing commitment” to help voters make informed decisions, BCCC President and CEO Summer Beal said.

Moderated by Tom Allmon and billed as a debate, livestreamed segments also included candidates for both the council Post 1 and Post 2 seats — all of whom were given the opportunity to ask questions posed by Chamber members.

None of the questions were seen by the candidates in advance, Beal said.

Cox, a longtime resident and former United Way of Bryan County, has been on city council for more than six years and currently serves as the mayor pro-tem. Howell-Cowart, who grew up in nearby Liberty County, is a veteran and mental health counselor and an apparent political newcomer, though she serves on a number of boards.

The two women are vying to replace incumbent Russ Carpenter, who will finish his second term in December and is term-limited.

Both Cox and Howell-Cowart touted their community service and leadership ability, as well as their devotion to family and the community. Both said they would work with county, regional and state leaders to improve the lives of residents in fast-growing Richmond Hill.

But while they had similar takes on issues raised at the debate, they differed at times. Cox on multiple occasions stressed her time on council, the experience she’s gained in government and the relationships she’s built with other officials. Howell-Cowart said that she’s a believer in term limits and Cox has had time to get things done.

“Our founding fathers didn’t intend for us to be career politicians,” she said.

Among questions asked of the candidates was on the city’s response to Tropical Storm Debby and what they would have done differently had they been mayor.

Cox said mistakes were made during both Debbie and Helene, saying “I think we’ve [the council] all owned them.” She pointed to her own involvement during the flooding, which included spending time in a command and control center at First Baptist Church, and recent inclusion on a Georgia Municipal Association disaster preparedness committee.

“I think we’ve learned a lot of lessons on that,” she said.

While commending progress made by officials in the wake of Debby, Howell-Cowart, who noted she was out helping flood victims that night, said city leaders should have been more visible while helping during the disaster and there should have been better organization.

As for issues facing the city due to its rapid growth, Howell- Cowart pointed to traffic and drainage as concerns, and said she wants to work with area leaders to find solutions to common problems. “Twenty years ago I used to live in Pooler when there was nothing out there but a Walmart and Home Depot,” she said. “You couldn’t pay me to live there now.”

She also said she’d lived in Mc-Donough, a rapidly growing city outside Atlanta, and it was suffering from similar traffic congestion.

“I don’t want that to happen to Richmond Hill,” Howell-Cowart said.

Cox, meanwhile, listed drainage and plans to restrict storm water runoff from new developments as well as finding a better way to keep the city’s drainage pipes from causing problems during heavy rains.

She also mentioned the high cost of housing in Richmond Hill as a problem.

“We have public safety officers who can’t afford to live here,” she said. “We have to do something about that.”

The two women also listed public safety as a priority, as well as finding ways to make the city more inviting to small businesses.

In response to a question on the city’s transparency when it comes to how it deals with businesses, Cox said she wants to do a reevaluation of the entire process.

“We need a reset, we need to stop and assess everything going on, figure out where we are and what we need to improve on and what works well so we can move on,” she said, adding that the expectations should be the same for all businesses and the city should do a better job communicating with the public.

Howell-Cowart said the city needs to do a better job of letting people know what’s going on, and said if elected she is considering doing a “coffee and conversation” on a monthly basis with “anybody in the city,” she said.

Cox also suggested working with chamber and other business leaders to find a replacement for the Great Ogeechee Seafood Festival, which took a “hiatus” this year after a 25-year run.

As for how they lead, Howell-Cowart said she described herself as a goal setter who “likes to make lists,” as well as influence others to be part of the team and work together to meet goals.

“I love to meet a goal,” she said. Cox said she’s a servant leader who believes in “bringing everybody together,” and putting people first, but there’s also a part of her that believes in ensuring people who work for the city are held accountable.

She called it, “servant leadership with a little bit of accountability thrown in.”

 - To see the debate in its entirety, visit the Chamber’s Facebook page. Follow more election coverage on the Bryan County News webpage at bryancountynews.com.

Jeff Whitten is a correspondent for the News.