An in-depth look at Houston County’s Post 2 candidates – Zachary Ivester

HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — Only a few short weeks in 2022, Houston County Commissioner Chairman Tommy Stalnaker and Commissioner Jay Walker, III, announced that they would not be seeking re-election. Following their announcements, Post 4 Commissioner Dan Perdue announced that he would be stepping down from his place on the board so he could seek a campaign for the Post 1, Chairman seat. Following the final day of qualifying, only one candidate qualified for Post 1: Dan Perdue. A number of candidates, however, qualified for Posts 2 and 4.

A Primary election will take place on May 24 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Early voting will take place from May 2 to May 20, with two Saturdays available for voting on May 7 and May 14. Voting locations will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays

Here are your Post 2

candidates:

Zachary Ivester

As Zachary Ivester tells it, his grandmother was a Watson — his roots run deep in this county. Ivester was born in Warner Robins in 1999 but recounts his family history as if he was there along with them. His grandmother’s family farm used to be where the old DJ’s Galaxy Quest building is, and his other grandmother’s family farm used to be where the Publix on Watson Boulevard now sits.

“My blood roots run deep in the county,” Ivester said. “I’ve never left home, [and I] don’t plan on leaving home.”

To his own merit, Ivester is an early graduate of Warner Robins High School and went on to continue working in the funeral business — a venture he started when he was only 16. In addition to his professional career, Ivester is also enrolled as a student at Mercer University.

If elected, Ivester told The Journal that he hopes to focus on some key topics: growth and development for the county while also respecting the boundaries of rural areas, consideration for the needs and wants of upcoming voting populations, providing equipment and personnel for first responders and the public works department, and recruitment and retention of county employees.

Ivester expressed concern for Houston County’s low voter turnout, urging people to cast their vote. Ivester said he hopes to help ensure that constituents feel their voices have been heard, while also insisting the good of the county is always taken into account.

“I am willing to listen to anyone,” Ivester said. “But I’m not going to allow anyone to dictate what I do.

“I’m a man of integrity. I will stand up with morals and what I believe is best for all citizens, not for one specified group of individuals. We have to think of the county as a whole.”

As the youngest candidate vying for the Post 2 seat, Ivester expressed gratitude for the work of each of the former commissioners and said that he plans to build on the legacy they are leaving behind.

“To be debt free is a success; it speaks volumes to their work,” Ivester said. “I want to build on their foundation with new ideas while keeping the morals they had, because our county has great morals.”

With “fresh eyes and young blood,” Ivester has a number of ideas for development in Houston County, such as: a performance center intended for private use, as well as the needs of the Board of Education and housing developments to fulfill the needs of a growing population, while also respecting local farmers and the space they need for agriculture. His hope is to work alongside commissioners on the board to help make Houston County even greater than it already is.

Finally, Ivester told The Journal that with his race for candidacy, he hopes others like him will follow.

“I am representing so much more than myself,” Ivester said. “I am representing thousands of stories.

“I have met thousands of people on the campaign trail, thousands of people with a common trend — they keep saying ‘young blood.’ What I’m excited about is to see who else would step forward with new ideas, a fresh set of eyes, and say ‘hey, he did it, I can do it,’ in both county government and city government. If I can do it, so can they. I would be so intrigued to see how the next generation of leaders can make what I call home even better. Houston County is already great, but how can we make it even better than it already is?”

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