Editor’s Note: These articles are part of a series of questionnaires profiling candidates running for Bryan County Commissioner (District 1) in the upcoming Republican primary (Tuesday, May 21). Answers were edited for length and clarity.
About Floyd
Alex Floyd has a bachelor of arts and masters of public administration from Georgia Southern and is a certified public manager through the University of Georgia. He served as director of the Pembroke Downtown Development Authority, Pembroke City Administrator and as special project manager for Richmond Hill. He’s also worked as a building inspector for Richmond Hill and is currently a construction inspector for EOM. He’s vice chairman of the Camp Kicklighter Foundation, a deacon at Pembroke Christian Church and a member of the Pembroke Mafia Football League. Floyd has been married to his wife Kristin for 10 years. They have two sons, Ellis, 6, and Lanier, 3. He lists his hobbies as genealogy, reading and writing local history, and “riding the golf cart around the pond with the kids.”
Why are you running?
I’m running because the leadership of Bryan County has forgotten how to put people first. People are more than dots on a drive-time radius or statistics for industry to study or pawns for outside investment to capitalize on. People need to be heard and respected again and deserve a representative who will stand up for them and their livelihoods. Growth and change are coming to Bryan County and more people should be a larger part of the conversation and harness that power.
What do you feel are the three biggest issues facing District 1?
Water: Our elected representatives at every level sold us out when it came to our water. The needs of industry, outside investment and profiteers were placed before the needs of residents. Now we need a Commissioner who will work with the Coastal Regional Water Council who monitors permitting and withdrawals. North Bryan currently has no representation. On the other side we need someone who will work with organizations like Ogeechee Riverkeepers who will monitor discharges to our rivers and wetlands.
Growth patterns and Building standards: I was part of the group that wrote the Unified Development Ordinance that placed guidelines and restrictions on development and building. As our area faces mounting pressure and higher land prices, we need a Commissioner who will work with landowners, current residents, engineers, developers and builders. I’ll draw on my experience of three terms on Bryan County Planning and Zoning to ensure growth serves Bryan County and pays its way not the other way around.
Public Safety: If our population meets projections over the next few years, our sheriff’s department, jail, fire department and EMS are drastically undersized. We have got to get ahead of the curve. I will propose a construction bond for a new or expanded jail, prioritize upgrades in fire equipment and push for more competitive pay and working conditions for EMT’s.
With growth coming from Savannah and the port to North Bryan at I-16, are you as a candidate willing to support new road corridors in and around Pembroke, specifically from Highway 280 to Highway 119?
In Pembroke yes, around Pembroke no. A “bypass” would be detrimental to downtown Pembroke and its small businesses. I support the reconfiguration of College-Camellia-Ash Branch-Smith Streets into a roundabout. I would also support the improvement of Ash Branch Road to state standard to become a state route.