Local forum features City Council Post 1 candidates

The Winning Church, at 621 Walnut Street, Warner Robins, hosted a City Council Post 1 Forum, where all candidates were invited, and a panel asked questions based around the various responsibilities of council members. The forum took place on the evening of Thursday, February 18. The only candidates to accept the invitation and be present were Catherine Harless and Derek Mack. Jeffrey Walker did not attend, reportedly due to health concerns, and David Reid reportedly offered no reason for his absence.

On the panel, asking questions was Teresa Taylor, a Warner Robins native and Northside High School graduate, Charles Richardson, an Artist in Residence at Middle Georgia State University and a contributing writer for Columbia Journalism, and Alex Vining, a Houston County High School graduate and currently, a third-year student at Georgia State University. Moderating was Bishop Harvey Bee, senior pastor of The Winning Church.

The audience was not permitted to ask questions during the panel.

The first question of the night asked the two candidates what they thought the role of a city council member was. The candidates responded in turn, Mack taking the lead.

“I feel as though it’s the opportunity to serve others; it’s an honor. There’s a sense of reverence, and that ties in with the burden of responsibility. It’s one of the most serious roles a person can take, can have in city government, because you’re a direct liaison to the people within your district and/or post. With city-wide Post 1, that’s the greatest responsibility out of all the councilmen because it all falls under your umbrella,” Mack stated. “I see the concern in [the people’s] faces, which, in turn, delivers the message to me that this is a very serious job, and their livelihood relies on the judgment calls that you make on behalf of their tax dollars. As far as I’m concerned, as we move this city forward, a city councilman is not the MVP. The people of the city are the most valuable players.”

“What I think the role of a city councilmember is,” Harless replied, “is to have a voice for the citizens as well. We have a big responsibility to legislate, procreate tax dollars and pass ordinances. Unfortunately, for the past few years, some of that has not been well taken for the community; there’s a lot of unknown issues there,” Harless explained. “There’s some things I don’t even know about, [that] we need to know about. We need to be the ears and voices for our citizens, and I would like to do that this upcoming term, and I hope the people can trust us, and that we’re doing the best we can for this community.”

Each member of the panel asked the potential council members multiple questions over the next two hours.

When it comes to the qualifications of these candidates, both are stacked. Harless attended Macon State College, has held multiple contracted Department of Defense positions, and has held the position of Deputy City Clerk in the City of Centerville.

Mack was enlisted in the United States Army, and there, served as direct assistant to his Colonel, as well as his Sergeant Major in managing day-to-day operations at a Tactical Operation Center. After receiving his degree at Delgado Community College, as well as Southern University at New Orleans, Mack returned to Warner Robins and entered into civilian service. Here, he began as an Aircraft Mechanic, climbed through the ranks, became a Work Leader, and then eventually became a, Aircraft Logistics Specialist; a position that he still holds today.

Both were in agreement on Warner Robins’ need for a City Manager or Administrator, citing the Warner Robins City Charter. Both also mentioned its necessity in building a checks and balances process within the Warner Robins government.

Mack and Harless also shared stances that the council needed more transparency, and stated that they would be more available to the public with information, good or bad. In driving home his point, Mack referred to himself the ”all-access candidate.”

When asked about how each planned to create jobs for highly educated Warner Robins students outside of Robins Air Force Base, Harless made multiple points on being self-sufficient and being community driven, such as becoming an entrepreneur or turning Warner Robins into a smart city. Mack, however, went in another direction, opting instead to strengthen the city’s relationship with the base by finishing many incomplete projects, such as the A2D Open Access Fiber Optics network. This project has gone unfinished for multiple months now, even after A2D laid out much of the groundwork.

Both candidates were in favor of creating complimentary relationships with independent government authorities within Warner Robins.

As the forum came to a close, the candidates were provided time to give their final statements. Harless began.

“I’ve lived in Warner Robins for 37 years, and always enjoy being a part of this community. My goals will be to continue supporting and implementing ideas that are in the best interest of Warner Robins’ citizens. I want Warner Robins to become financially strong and resilient. I want the city budgets to balance and not to exceed. I will be involved in supporting groups and entities that support cost effective projects and that comply with environmentally safe businesses for Warner Robins. One of the primary reasons I’m running is to have a change and a new voice here. I hope you will want that same change and seek for a voice that cares enough to embrace our differences so that we can aim higher than what we have before.”

Mack followed with, “As I’ve stated before, I’m the all-inclusive, all-access candidate. I consider myself homegrown, basically a native of Warner Robins, Georgia. I want to recapture the spirit of the ‘International City.’” Mack asked for a show of hands for who had experienced the International City, and then proceeded to say, “The International City is the spirit that I would like to recapture, because we were a co-mingled community. We didn’t always have to agree, but we always agreed to disagree, and keep it moving, and keep enjoying each other’s company regardless of where you lived, who you grew up with or where you went to church. We were a co-mingled community, and I want to be all-access, basically a liaison, from the streets and boroughs of this city to the city hall to really address the concerns of the citizens.”

The forum closed shortly after Mack’s statement. The candidate forum in its entirety can be viewed on The Winning Church’s official Facebook page. The special election for the ESPLOST as well as the voting for the City of Warner Robins Council Post 1 seat will take place on March 16. Voter registration has already closed, however early voting begins February 22, and ends March 12.

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