Debate gets ugly in Columbia County Commission race
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Recent posts
Somehow Ms. Couch reason for running for the Commission was “she was called by God to run”. However, her demeanor during the debate should raise some doubts about that call.
It appears what she read is not her own words or feelings. The question now is who is the real candidate Couch?
I think it’s one of those “I want to fix somerhing” that isn’t broken…
“Galeas said that wasn’t true and that when he has gone to Harlem City Council meetings the mayor and council members refuse to recognize him as an elected official and said if he wanted to speak at the meeting he would have to fill out a form and wait for the public portion of the meeting.” LOL!!! Just like any other citizen! Being an elected official does not make him special especially when he is mostly an empty suit when it comes to issues in Harlem!
William Speer was the Harlem water works problem being taken over by Columbia County a good thing for the city of Harlem? I think you would agree that was a great benefit to the citizens of Harlem.
Dewey deserves at least an “atta boy” for leading that charge!
When you proclaim you’ve been called by God to run for office, you shouldn’t be calling anyone pompous.
Bill Lesshafft you are correct.
Correct Bill and Dave!
David Barbee, Mr. Galeaz led nothing on the water deal in Harlem. I was there, at every meeting. He was not present. We dealt with the Commission Chairman and the County Administrator. The only thing that he may have done was a vote to support it. The votes were there without his vote.
He has stated Harlem’s water system was in financial problems. This to is a lie. We were dealing with growth and having a small residential system. Expansion and costs to deal with growth would be pasted on to customers. This increase was more substantial than what Harlem City Council wanted to pass down to our customers, so we approached the County Administrator to propose that Columbia County consider acquiring the system. Again, Mr. Galeaz was not involved. Mr. Galeaz has stated Harlem has 7 million dollars added to our General Fund thanks to the County. This too is not true. The money received from the County is in a seperate Water Sewer Fund. It cannot mix with General Fund monies due to being a Enterprise Fund. Harlem’s plan is to use those funds for quality of life projects in the future that will benefit ALL citizens in and around Harlem.
Commissioner Thigpen, can you explain why Harlem water customers who reside outside the city limits were charged so much more than those customers inside the city limits?
To be hooked in. The fees weren’t astronomical.
Not according to the residents outside the city limits. Perhaps Mr Thigpen could post the amortization schedule that shows Harlem could have retained ownership without huge rate increases for both in city and out of city limits customers? While he’s at it could he also indicate what Harlem pays the Columbia County Sheriffs Office annually to
conduct the Harlem Police department’s investigations? I believe it’s $0.
Watching the debate, I have 3 takeaways: 1) Dewey is appalled that he has a challenger. 2) He doesn’t talk to Harlem elected officials because they don’t acknowledge him (sounds like WWE Roman Reigns.) 3) Although he claims to have had a role in the water transfer of Harlem, it appears both at the debate and in the comments that this isn’t true. As a follow on, Dewey previously asked Alison how she was going to represent Grovetown and Appling; it appears that the question should be, how is Dewey going to represent Harlem.
Phones work both directions, why don”t the Harlem elected officials reach out to Dewey? Or is Mayor Whitaker still holding a grudge from a disagreement in the Thomson Hospital OR with Dewey 8 years ago? Perhaps it’s the failure of the annexation end around in 2019 with HB 598? Is the burden of a failing water system too embarrassing? Is Meridian Waste abandoning Harlem in the middle of the night still an issue? Perhaps it’s not paying State Bank the mutually agreed upon price for the parking lot they built at Harlem’s request? Leaders reach out regardless of the issues at hand.