MACON, Ga. — Election day is less than four weeks away, and we're watching races all over the state.
One of them is close to home in downtown Macon: the race for Macon Water Authority District 2. We caught up with several candidates to give you a clearer picture of the race.
Water is everywhere, and in Macon, one group manages it all. It's the Macon Water Authority, and there's a board seat up for grabs. Five people are running to fill the District 2 seat held by Sheddrick Clark.
Desmond Brown held the seat until March and stepped down to run for chair as the board investigated him for possible state ethics violations.
Also running is bartender Marshall Talley. His main issues are revitalizing aging infrastructure and developing new ways for the authority to raise money.
"Coke, Pepsi, Dasani, Aquafina, they're just using municipality water and putting a label on it. So, I think that's an opportunity where we may be able to create more revenue," Talley suggested.
Talley says one of his strengths is customer service. Dentist Lindsay Holliday says it's also one of his strong suits, along with stormwater experience.
"Ten years ago, I ran for stormwater commissioner in Bibb County, and I got it. So, I've been serving as stormwater commissioner for 10 years," Holliday said.
Retired Bibb Sheriff's deputy Jeff Howell's primary focus is customer service. He wants people to feel comfortable calling their representatives and asking for help.
"If they've got a problem with the water authority, to get immediate satisfaction. Whether it's what they want to hear or not, at least have something that's very clear and understandable," Howell said.
One more candidate, Michele Parks, agreed to an interview but had a family emergency. Instead, she sent us a statement outlining her goals for the position.
"...Find the best practices by researching other states' water infrastructure systems to find best one, revisiting policies and procedures of the stormwater system, sewage spillovers, and storm drainage water issues around Macon," Parks wrote.
An issue important to each candidate is stormwater. They all told 13WMAZ they'd work toward ensuring Macon-Bibb has enough money to fix the aging pipes and drains.
Desmond Brown did not respond to multiple requests for comment. When we knocked on his door, his wife told us he was not home.
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