Politics

Time crunch as Fayette map awaits OK

If redrawn district map isn’t fast-tracked by Justice Dept., it can’t be used in July primaries

A big question mark hangs over three Fayette County Commission elections this year, including the shapes and sizes of the districts and whether current qualifying dates will hold. Read More»

Copeland to seek District 63 House post

T.J. Copeland at a news conference last week. Photo/Ben Nelms.

Fayetteville native and Fulton County school teacher T.J. Copeland has thrown his hat in the ring as a Democratic candidate to fill the new District 63 seat in the Georgia House of Representatives. The district includes portions of Fayette, Clayton and south Fulton counties.

A former Fayette resident, Copeland said what he brings to the table and to the voters is someone who has spent time on the ground in the communities he wants to continue to serve in the House. Read More»

Judge OKs new Fayette Commission map

5-district plan may be in place for July election

The new five-district map for the upcoming Fayette County Commission election might be back in play after all. A federal court judge signed a consent order Tuesday that gives the county another shot at having five population-balanced districts in place for the May qualifying period. Read More»

Tax law will end ‘birthday tax’ for autos, help married couples

State Rep. Matt Ramsey (R-Peachtree City).

Starting March 1 of next year, Georgia residents buying an automobile will no longer pay an annual ad valorem tax or the one-time sales tax on the transaction.

Instead, they will pay a one-time 6.5 percent title fee that will increase Read More»

F’ville’s Mabra to run for new House Dist. 63

Fayetteville resident and attorney Ronnie Mabra last week announced his candidacy for the newly created Ga. House Dist. 63 seat. Mabra was joined by his wife Dawn (L) for the March 22 announcement at his campaign headquarters at the Fayette Pavilion. Photo/Ben Nelms.

For Fayetteville resident and Atlanta attorney Ronnie Mabra the time has come to take on what he says is a new challenge.

The Fayette County High School graduate and Democratic candidate announced last week that he will be running for the new District 63 seat in the Georgia House of Representatives that includes portions of Fayette, Clayton and south Fulton counties.

Mabra spoke to supporters March 22 at his campaign headquarters at the Fayette Pavilion. Read More»

Stokely to run for Dist. 71 House seat

Coweta County Solicitor Robert Stokely announced Wednesday that he will be qualifying in May for the Dist. 71 seat in the Georgia House of Representatives currently held by Billy Horne (R-Sharpsburg). Horne will not be seeking re-election and Stokely believes this is the time to continue his public service. District 71 includes much of the east Coweta County area and a small portion of Fayette County. Read More»

Coweta voters to decide on Sunday alcohol sales

The ability to have a glass of wine with dinner on Sunday or to purchase a six-pack on Sunday afternoon in unincorporated Coweta County is an idea whose time might have come. The Coweta County Commission on March 20 agreed to have those questions included on the July 31 ballot.

The unanimous vote to include Sunday package sales and consumption on the premises came after a brief discussion during which commissioners said voters should be the ones to make the decision on the issue. Read More»

Fayette’s new 5-district map dead for session; Rep. Fludd blames legal organ foul-up for bill’s demise

State Rep. Virgil Fludd (D-Tyrone).

The new five-district map approved by the Fayette County Commission on Feb. 14 will not come to fruition this year.

Although the commission met a Feb. 15 deadline to submit the new commission district map to the Georgia legislature for consideration, the associated legislation couldn’t be introduced until after a public notice ad ran in the county’s legal organ, according to Rep. Virgil Fludd, D-Tyrone.

That legal notice was not published until Feb. 29, which didn’t give enough time for the bill to be approved by both sides of the legislature, and be signed by the governor, Fludd said. Read More»

Kingsley wants to restore confidence in U.S. Congress

Congressional candidate Kent Kingsley at GOP meeting. Photo/Ben Nelms.

The setting was a March 8 introduction of District 3 Congressional Republican candidate Kent Kingsley who laid out his platform to members and guests at a luncheon in Fayetteville sponsored by the Greater Fayette County Republican Women. The Milner Realtor and former Lamar County Commissioner is a believer in a balanced budget amendment, the Fair Tax and paying off the national debt. Kingsley will face Congressman Lynn Westmoreland in the July GOP primary.

Kingsley in his opening remarks spoke about his education and family and gave the audience a view of his political background. Read More»

Coweta voters OK another 6 years of SPLOST, 53 to 47%

More than 26 percent of Coweta County voters went to the polls Tuesday and most of them cast a vote on the extension of the local 1-cent sales tax (SPOLOST). That vote showed nearly 53 percent favored continuing the tax for another six years for a variety of county and municipal projects.

Election results from the 28 precincts tallied 15,520 SPLOST votes cast out of total of 71,046 registered voters. Of those, 7,998 votes (52.81 percent) were in favor of the extension while 7,522 (47.19 percent) were opposed.

The six-year extension carries a maximum collection ceiling of $120 million. Read More»