Editor’s Note: These articles are part of a series of questionnaires profiling candidates running for City Council Post 2 in the upcoming Richmond Hill municipal elections. (Tuesday, November 4). Answers were edited for length and clarity. Follow the Bryan County News for more election coverage.
About Buck
Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, Buck Holly has been living in Richmond Hill since 2017 with his wife and children. A Marine Corps vet, Holly is the founder and owner of C&H Precision, a weapon parts manufacturer that recently won the Richmond Hill-Bryan County Chamber of Commerce’s “Large Business of the Year” award in 2024.
Why are you running?
"I'm running for City Council in Richmond Hill because I want to protect what makes this community special while preparing it for smart, sustainable growth. Our city needs leadership grounded in accountability, transparency, urgency, customer service, and execution...not politics.
I've built companies, managed people, and made tough calls under pressure, and I'll bring that same focus to serving our residents. Richmond Hill deserves results-driven leadership that prioritizes infrastructure, public safety, and long-term value for the people who call this place home."
What sets you/your ideas apart?
“What my competitors are basically doing is promising that they're going to do a great job if they get elected. I have already proven that I can do a good job, and I will continue to do so if and when I'm elected. So the question to the voters should be: do you want somebody who promises they're going to do a good job but doesn't have a track record, or do you want somebody who has a proven track record of success and will continue to do that when elected?”
From your perspective, what are the three biggest issues facing the city of Richmond Hill?
Animosity and vitriol of locals on social media
“The number one issue that I can’t fix.”
“If everybody could just calm down and act like a Christian and be a good person and be civil, I think there would be a lot more conversation. I wish, number one, I wish people would gather together and be collaborative and nice and constructive and work towards solutions to problems that they think are problems.”
Growth
“It’s a strain on our police, our fire, our EMS and our school systems. And how do we plan for that? How do we account for that? How do we make sure we don't have continued traffic jams and more and more traffic?”
Lack of transparency from government to its constituents
“I wish more people were involved giving their constructive opinions, and I wish politicians were more open and receptive to offering information and receiving some criticism and praise.”
How has social media affected local government, if at all?
“Social media has led to massive divisiveness; everybody thinks their opinion matters more than everyone else's. Everybody thinks that because they type a question on social media, local business leaders are somehow, somehow supposed to respond to them. People are mad that…I started another Facebook page just for the election, just so I can have something out there. But I really regret it. I don't want to be on Facebook, I don't owe, I don't owe, personally or professionally, an answer to anybody that types a question on some random forum or Facebook page. If they want an answer, why don't they just call or visit the person that they have a question?”
“It's because they're scared. It's because they think they can be more bold and they're not held accountable for their actions on social media, they just get on there and type away with no ramifications.”
“If it were up to me, I would encourage everybody that I know to get off Facebook, period. Stop reading, stop posting, and if you have an issue or a problem, go to a city council meeting, call a city council member or the mayor and ask to have a cup of coffee or a lunch or a meeting and hash out your differences one-on-one, rather than spewing your garbage on social media.”
Where do you see the city of Richmond Hill in 10 years?
“I see the city of Richmond Hill in a fantastic place, provided they elect the right people.”
“I see two paths: we can elect one group of people who don't want any growth, expansion, any new business, and it'll be very similar to what it is today, with a lot of social media activity that's just divisive.”
“Or we can elect the right leaders who will lead ethically and properly, and we can embrace some growth--but not all of it--and let's help guide the City to solutions and growth that benefit the majority of Richmond Hill residents, and not just the vocal few.”
“Elect the wrong people, and we’ll end up like Pooler, and if you elect the right people, we can still have that bedroom community feel with more of the amenities that everybody wants and needs, so that we get so less people have to travel outside Richmond Hill to get their needs.”