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County Commissioners blast News for lack of 'news' coverage
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Editor

 

Something noteworthy happened at last week’s County Commission meeting. Yet, it didn’t even rate a mention in the Bryan County News. While we don’t normally respond to news articles, we felt the readers should know about action taken by the Bryan County Board of Commissioners that will affect hundreds of families in south Bryan County. It will affect the families of over 800 children who are signed up for spring baseball, and the families of the nearly 1,000 children who play soccer, and the families of the nearly 350 children who played football this fall, not to mention all those who will play in many sports seasons to come. It will also have a long awaited and positive affect on all of the citizens who seek county services in Richmond Hill and south Bryan County.

What was this noteworthy event - of which no note was made in our local newspaper? The Board of Comissioners approved a $6.5 million loan through the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia to immediately begin construction of the new recreation park in south Bryan County, as well as to begin construction of the new county administrative complex. The loan has a very low 3.75% interest rate, and will be repaid with funds collected through the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) which was overwhelmingly approved by Bryan County voters in September of 2005. By borrowing this money and repaying it with SPLOST, the county is able to start these projects now.

We on the Board long ago heard our citizens’ requests for additional recreational facilities and have worked hard with the Recreation Association to secure the funding for this park. Anyone with a child or grandchild playing recreational sports understands, as we do, the urgency of constructing more playing fields as quickly as possible.

In coordination with the Recreation Association, the Board of Commissioners approved the plans for the new recreation park that will include baseball and softball fields, soccer fields and football fields. Bryan Land & Timber donated nearly $1,000,000 of site preparation, meaning the county could go to work on construction of ball fields. The action last Tuesday by the Board of Commissioners clears the way for the long awaited recreation park to be completed in the shortest possible time.

The administrative complex will house the office of the Tax Commissioner, Probate Court, Clerk of Court and Planning & Zoning, in addition to many other services provided by the County, all under one roof, thereby taking these often used services out of the current courthouse annex and rented space within another facility.

The Board of Commissioners also approved a master water and sewer agreement, and voted to secure the funding for the sewer system in the Genesis Point area, as well as approved a major subdivision in the Blitchton area.

The Bryan County News overlooked these events in favor of their front page headline story "Tensions Run High at County Commission Meeting." This article, with numerous quotations from two south Bryan residents, reported on remarks made during the "public comment" session of the meeting. It is no secret that these individuals dislike some of the decisions of the County Commission, and in particular, dislike their 4th District Commissioner. It’s also no secret that they have been vocal opponents of the recreation park and administration building. While it’s certainly their right to address the commission, it’s hard to understand why this portion of the meeting constitutes "front page news". And it’s even harder to understand why the funding for the Recreation Park and administrative complex weren’t even mentioned.

Bryan County News is capable of reporting the news in a responsible manner without front page sensationalism. Criticism is part of the job when you’re a county commissioner, and we’ve all had our share from time to time. While criticism can be news worthy, we would hope that positive news worthy events like the ones above, which affect so many of our citizens, will receive responsible coverage and warrant a place in the paper.

If the Bryan County News chooses to highlight these individuals’ seemingly ongoing feud with the Commission, that is certainly their prerogative. However, if the public is to depend upon the Bryan County News for coverage of local government, then, it shouldn’t be too much to expect the "news" to, indeed, be the news.

 

Ed Bacon, 1st District Commissioner

Blondean Newman, 2nd District Commissioner

Glen Willard, 3rd District Commissioner

Toby Roberts, 4th District Commissioner

Rick Gardner, 5th District Commissioner

 

 

Editor's note: This letter was faxed and emailed to us by Fourth District Commissioner Toby Robertts. Please see our editorial on page 4A.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Showing gratitude for service
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Dear editor: Another election cycle is finally over and the voters of Bryan County have spoken. We will have three new county commissioners in January 2011.
My congratulations go out to Jimmy Henderson of District 5, Carter Infinger of District 4 and Wade Price of District 2. I look forward to working with them as we continue to take care of the business of the county.
All three races were contested, which gave the voters a choice of who they wanted as their commissioner. Those who did not prevail in this election are to be applauded for offering themselves as candidates.
Our county owes a debt of gratitude to retiring commissioners Rick Gardner with eight years of service, Blondean Newman with eight years of service as a commissioner and 30 years as tax commissioner, and Toby Roberts with 18 years on the county commission.
These three spent many hours establishing policies and procedures for our county government and many meetings with state and local officials to achieve the best possible outcomes regarding our county on numerous issues. Their many years of experience will be sorely missed.
I well remember the first time I ran for public office and lost. Sometimes those who are not elected are the winners because they don’t have to go to all the meetings – that is said with tongue in cheek, of course.
After my loss, someone sent me the following quotation from President Theodore Roosevelt, which I keep on the wall in my office:
“It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, if he wins, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
And my wish for all the citizens of Bryan County is to have a truly blessed Christmas and a prosperous and happy New Year’s.

Jimmy Burnsed
Chairman
Board of commissioners

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