Josh Anderson running for Dist. 3 Commission seat
With the tumultuous county primary behind us, and many county races effectively decided, it’s important to remember that all 16 seats of the nonpartisan county commission race are on the Aug. 2 ballot.
After Commissioner Emert announced he would not seek re-election to county commission last year in order to pursue his mayoral bid, I made the decision to run one more time since there would be an open seat in District 3 (the Norris, Andersonville, Fairview and Glen Alpine precincts).
Building community and improving quality of life — those are my main goals. As a fourth generation member of this community, who is currently raising a fifth generation member here, I want to incorporate those two things into my life’s work. I’m proud of my involvement with Norris Little Theatre, and I believe the level at which a community supports the arts and cultural enrichment pays dividends in the long term progress and viability of that community.
Our community faces challenges that are, unfortunately, not uncommon to the rest of the country. The opioid epidemic has devastated the lives of classmates, friends, relatives of all of us. I’d like to be a part of a team of people from law enforcement, health care, ministry, and particularly local employers to help people turn their lives around. Many of the people who are struggling to find employment in Anderson County are those who are trying to overcome criminal records, drug addictions and troubled pasts. I’d like to serve as a liaison between individuals needing a second chance and the local business owners who are willing to give someone a second chance.
Our county is facing multiple challenges in the upcoming months as we work to heal from a particularly negative primary election season and try to solve issues such as funding our county EMS. There aren’t any answers that can fit in a campaign slogan or on a bumper sticker, but I believe through maintaining transparency in the process and being communicative with the residents that I can be an effective commissioner and a true representative of the will of the community.
Other issues I want to work on as a commissioner include streamlining the liquidation process of delinquent tax properties so that they can be sold and be put back on the tax rolls, so that revenues can be increased without having to always raise property taxes; solving the senior center issue and supporting more local initiatives for seniors; and, being more proactive on how we fund capital outlay projects.
This is my home. I’m very fortunate to have grown up somewhere I never wanted to leave and to always run into people who recall fond memories of my grandparents and even great-grand parents. That’s very special, and I’m very grateful for a life and a community that gives me that experience.
I plan to make myself as available as much as I possibly can to residents in our district by having town hall type gatherings at local businesses like Sweet Cafe and The Chunky Monkey before and after regular commission meetings. I want to hear from you and keep you updated on issues facing our county. I will make every possible effort to explain issues to all of you; I’d like to take a poll among District 3 residents to see how you want me to vote on each issue.
I feel it’s my main duty as a commissioner to make sure my vote truly reflects the consensus of my district.
The county commission is composed of two commissioners from eight districts.
Commissioners are responsible for approving the county’s $114 million annual budget and setting the property tax rate; they also serve on various committees, with the two primary ones being Budget and Operations.
We live in one of the two largest districts geographically and, because of our rapid growth, we typically have a population of about 1,000 more residents than any other district. This results in our district consistently having an abundance of well-known and well-qualified individuals running for all county offices, but it also leads to a crowded field of capable individuals in our commission race. Every vote counts!
Early voting begins July 13 and Election Day is Aug. 2. I would sincerely appreciate your vote. Please feel free to reach out to me any time at joshandersondistrict3@gmail.com. You can also follow me on Facebook at Facebook.com/voteforanderson.