Voters will begin heading to the polls for early voting beginning Monday, Oct. 16, for the mayoral election and two city council seats up for grabs.
Incumbent Mayor Gary Jones is running for a third term and faces two challengers, Deborah Fisher and Ceretta Smith.
Smith has been a city councilwoman for the past three years and says that while the government is supposed to be non-partisan, party politics still creep into the process to the detriment of some residents.
“I have seen a lot of things as a councilwoman and as mayor, I will set the tone where everyone’s, citizens and employees, voices can be heard,” Smith said.
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According to Smith, affordable housing and police staffing are her top priorities.
“I believe we should offer potential police candidates tuition assistance and even help with buying a house in Grovetown so that we can retain them,” Smith said.
Meanwhile, Jones says his successes in office over his past two terms should be all the reasons voters need to support his reelection.
“We have stopped the embezzling and streamlined the processes to ensure it can’t happen again. The $25 million wastewater treatment plant is online and operating, pavilions and gazebos have been added to city parks and we have refurbished the Municipal Court building,” Jones said.
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According to Jones, the city’s finances are in the best shape they have ever been in, with a $6 million emergency contingency fund that would ensure government services continue in the case of an emergency, such as a resurgence of Covid.
Fisher, a retired former city councilwoman, did not return calls for comment.
In the same election, there are two council seats up for grabs. Incumbent Councilman Eric Blair as well as Marsha Keating and Richard Bowman are vying for the at-large seats.
All of the candidates are urging voters to head to the polls, since generally off-year elections tend to have a turnout of around 5% of eligible voters.
Early/advanced voting will take place Monday, Oct. 16 through Friday, Nov. 3, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be Saturday voting on Oct. 21 and Oct. 28 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Early voting will only take place at the former Euchee Creek Library, 5907 Euchee Creek Drive in Grovetown.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 7 and voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the following precincts:
- 030/Liberty Park – 1040 Newmantown Road, Grovetown
- 031/Grovetown Methodist Church – 206 East Robinson Ave., Grovetown
- 033/Grovetown Dept. of Public Safety #2 – 5555 Harlem Grovetown Road, Grovetown
- 034/Grovetown Branch Library – 105 Old Wrightsboro Road, Grovetown
Scott Hudson is the Senior Investigative Reporter and Editorial Page Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
