Jackson County will hold a special election to determine its next commissioner in district three.
That comes after a shakeup in the Jackson County Commission earlier this year when two sitting commissioners in district three and five decided they would run for county commission chair.
Now, Ty Clack and Steve Wittry will face off on Nov. 5 for the district three seat that covers Braselton and Hoschton.
Background
After former district three commissioner Chad Bingham stepped down to run for chair and former district five commissioner Marty Clark also stepped down, it opened the door for two special elections.
District five’s special election happened in March, with Cole Elrod winning with nearly 74-percent of the vote.
Due to when qualification for the commission chair race in May occurred, district three’s special election was slated for Nov. 5.
Qualifications
Ty Clack said some of the main issues are roads and infrastructure, water, and school safety.
Clack said he is in tune for what is needed for school safety after serving on the school board for two years.
Wittry ran for the same position in 2022, and did not win. Prior to that, he served on the Jackson County Planning Commission for eight years. He said he decided to run because he has the time, experience, and ability to serve.
“Ever since I moved here in 2012, I’ve gotten more and more involved and invested in the people in this county,” Wittry said. “I want for my grandkids this to be the kind of county they can be proud of in the same way that I’m proud of it.”
Clack said he wanted to make a bigger impact.
“It was something that was put heavy on my heart,” Clack said. “I’m a man of Christ and he put that on my heart to run for that, and this is just another step in that.”
Issues
According to US News and World Report, Jackson County is the fourth fastest growing county in the country. Growth has been a hot button topic there, especially near Braselton and Hoschton and the I-85 corridor.
Clack said that Jackson County’s growth has also impacted the school system.
“It has put a tremendous amount of pressure on the school system,” Clack said. “I see that being one of our biggest challenges besides water.”
Wittry said that resources in the county need to be used properly.
“When you look at the resources in this county. … all the things at our disposal, we have a responsibility to protect that and use it in the best way possible,” Wittry said. “You’re not going to stop it … so we need to embrace it.”
A Transportation Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST) referendum is also on the ballot for Jackson County voters. Both candidates said they supported the TSPLOST.
“Jackson County, in my opinion, we’re 20 years behind on road infrastructure,” Clack said.
Clack added that road infrastructure is one of the biggest issues, and the TSPLOST will pay for engineering to do a traffic study to offer the state and expedite the process.
“There are many people who use our roads passing through,” Wittry said. “It seems like a reasonable thing to do to help offset the impact that we make on those roads.”
Wittry thinks mass transit is one of the things TSPLOST can be used for, but it will also free up money to do other projects that are already on the books.
Wittry also added he would like to see bike paths open up in the southwest part of the county he would represent to help mitigate some of the traffic.
Another contentious issue in the county is the Vulcan Materials Company proposed rock quarry.
The winner of the special election will likely be sworn in at the Nov. 18 voting session, meaning Wittry or Clack will have a say in deciding on that among other issues on the agenda.
The proposed location is in the fourth district, but either of them could vote on it in less than three weeks.
“There are some things that I wish they had been more specific about,” Wittry said.
Wittry added that he was concerned about the potential impact on the water, an already fragile resource in the county. He also said he would defer to Marty Seagraves, who represents district four as he knows his district the best.
Clack echoed a similar sentiment.
“I’m going to default to the district commissioner in that district, because he knows the people there better than I do,” Clack said. “If I’m asked to vote on this in November, I’m voting no. That doesn’t mean no forever, but that definitely means no for November until we can have a study done that’s from a neutral party.”
Both candidates also said they would like to see better communication between government and citizens.
“The other big change I’d like to make and I plan to make is to increase our communication with the citizens about Jackson County,” Wittry said.
Clack has “Honest Transparent Communication” on his website, and said that is a key message in his campaign.
“Here is my promise to the people of Jackson County: honest, transparent communication,” Clack said.
Final message to voters
Wittry said people should go to his Facebook page.
“Point to my willingness to give up myself and to serve,” Wittry said. “Can we give them everything they want? No, but we should do our darndest to make sure that we work to do the best for the most.”
Clack said he is going to make the best decision he can and be open about it.
“I can’t tell people I’m going to vote how they want to vote, I can’t tell them how I’m going to make decisions,” Clack said. “But what I can tell everybody is, no matter what the scenario, I’m always going to be honest, I’m going to be transparent, and I’m going to do my best to communicate.”
Early voting runs through Friday at 5 p.m. with Election Day on Nov. 5 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
