Houston County residents hear from city candidates at Monday night meet and greet

Editor’s note: This article is part one of a two-part series.

WARNER ROBINS – Earlier this week, the Houston County NAACP hosted a Meet and Greet, where both incumbents and new faces shared their priorities with residents. 

Each city and its candidates had an opportunity to answer questions and introduce themselves to attendees. The event was not a debate, but instead a candidate forum to keep citizens informed about the upcoming municipal elections. 

Centerville

Bob Bird, who represents Post 1, and former council member Justin Wright, who represented Post 2, were present at the panel. Candidates Logan Cowperthwaite and Lisa Lowe are both vying to represent post three, and shared their campaign with attendees on Monday night. 

Bird said that Centerville has accomplished a great deal during his four years as a council member. 

In the next four years, Bird hopes to move forward with a plan for a city center and focus more on public safety.. He said a town center will attract businesses and feature mixed-use buildings that combine retail and housing. 

Another project the city hopes to implement is bringing an amphitheater into Center Park. 

Wright then spoke to attendees, saying he served two terms on the city council. He said he would be glad to serve a third term beginning in January. Wright shared that it is a privilege to continue to serve their neighbors and the people they live with.

Wright then said national elections get everyone’s attention, but he believes municipal elections are just as important. 

“My challenge to you would be to make sure you vote and take a couple of people with you because we need to see the turnout in these elections get higher and higher,” he said. 

Cowperthwaite then took the stage, speaking about what he would like to change in the city, if elected. He first discussed the need for greater transparency between citizens and the city council. 

He believes there are times when questions are asked, but no clear and concise answer is given to citizens. However, he believes there are times when the city council does a good job and gives thanks to both Bird and Wright. 

Cowperthwaite said that hard questions, such as those regarding gun violence and homelessness, not being addressed, motivated him to run for city council; he wants to tackle challenging issues. 

The next issue he addressed was public safety. According to Cowperthwaite, officers rotate in and out of the police department every two years. He believed that this was due to the city not paying officers enough.

Cowperthwaite hopes to collaborate with the county and nearby cities to offer officers more competitive salaries.

The last point he discussed is growth, which he believes is good and healthy in the city. According to Cowperthwaite, the city plans to add 1,000 homes over the next four years and stated that property taxes will help fund efforts to address issues in the city. 

Echoing Wright’s comments, he challenged attendees to vote and bring along other residents they know. 

“We would be amazed at how much people don’t vote in the city. I think there was a total of roughly 900 that voted in Centerville this past summer. I want to see that number doubled, I want to see it tripled,” he said.

Also running for post three, Lisa Lowe spoke to attendees about her vision for Centerville. Lowe is a Houston County native, and shortly after graduating from Georgia Southern University, she came back home. She bought a home in Centerville and has lived there for 25 years. 

One of the first things Lowe did when she moved to Centerville was find a way to be a part of her community. This is when she joined Keep Centerville Beautiful, a group consisting of six members. Lowe said they found ways to recognize people who took pride in where they lived and made sure to enhance their community’s appearance. 

“Wherever I was I wanted to know what the community needs were and be a part of the solution,” she said.

She said that as the city grows, she would like to see the reestablishment of KCB because she believes it’s important for citizens to take pride in their community. 

Another one of her priorities involves public safety, and she wants to help ensure the city has the resources available to have low crime and safe neighborhoods. 

Lowe shared that in her career, she has secured grants and would like to incorporate her skills into the city council if elected.

Lowe also brought up Robins Air Force Base and said that, regardless of the community’s size, they need to maintain their partnership.  She also heavily believes in educating the community.

“I enjoy living in Centerville. I want the residents to have an open communication with council and mayor. I believe in fostering relationships with your working family…the importance of fostering those relationships is important because you can disagree but it’s also learning how to heavily agree to disagree,” she said. 

The panel then opened the floor for questions, with one mentioning economic development. The attendee inquired about the top economic development priorities and challenges they would like to see addressed, given the city’s vacancy of an Economic Development Director.

Lowe and Cowperthwaite expressed a desire to have an Economic Development Director and more businesses in the city. Lowe believes the role is vital. She said economic growth is significant because it brings more businesses to the community and ensures fairness to employees.

Bird and Wright took another approach, stating that before hiring an economic development director, they need to ensure the mayor and council have a unified vision. He shared in the past, they had hired a director but did not provide a vision. 

Perry candidates

Moving on to Perry, Amy Fouse was the only city council candidate in the city to attend the event. She is running to represent District One, Post One.

Fouse believes the city’s future should be built with people at the center. She said the city is growing, which is good, but she believes it should be done in a responsible manner. 

She also believes taxpayers should not carry the burden of utility fees, which is one of her priorities. 

Fouse believes the city needs leaders who are present, engaged and willing to ask hard questions. Fouse said she will be a council member who not only attends meetings but also represents the people. 

“I will listen, I will question and I will fight to make sure every single resident in my district has a voice in decisions that impact all of us. My promise is simple: you will see me, you will hear me and you will know your voice is heard and it matters,” she said.

Although the majority of attendees were not Perry residents, Fouse said their presence matters. She said what happens in every municipality impacts everyone in Houston County. 

A Perry resident spoke with Fouse and said that many of her neighbors were concerned about the city’s water bill. She asked Fouse if there was a way to lower the cost. 

Fouse explained that when examining the itemized portion, multiple fees are listed. She then said the city has not conducted a rate study to adjust the city’s impact fees, the amount developers pay when constructing new buildings.

New projects, such as the Eastwater Treatment Facility, cause utility fees to increase by 3% to 7% to cover the cost of expansions, according to Fouse. 

She said that other municipalities have found ways to handle fire protection fees while maintaining their facilities without requiring double taxation of residents. 

Write-in candidate for mayor, Robbin Jackson, also attended the event, encouraging Perry residents to vote for him. Jackson is a lifelong Perry resident and has shared his accomplishments over the years, including making it more accessible for African Americans to run for office in the city.

He said he is a qualified write-in candidate, and although he is not on the ballot, he told voters to type his name on Election Day. 

To learn more about Cowperthwaite’s campaign, read HHJ’s conversation with the candidate here. 

To learn more about Fouse’s campaign, read HHJ’s coverage here. 

To view the livestream of the event, click here. 

The forum continued with insights from Warner Robins City Council and Mayoral candidates. Look out for their perspectives in a future edition of the Houston Home Journal.