Covington native Lamar Brown will run for Covington City Council against incumbent Keith Dalton.

Brown, 48, is a six-year Navy veteran, who has spent the last 11 years working in Norcross with Fire and Life Safety America, which designs, fabricates, installs and services fire protection systems.

"I'm not interested in politics for the sake of politics, but I'm concerned by the direction the council has taken recently. We seem to be losing sight of the importance of long-range planning and the need for proactive leadership," Brown said in a press release.

In a follow-up email, he said Friday that there seems to be a lack of team work or even willingness for open discussion.

"With discussion comes enlightenment; we may not agree but can come to an understanding," he said.

Brown said he hopes to emulate past leaders like his father who served 19 years on the Newton County Water and Sewerage Authority and was part of the team that made the Lake Varner reservoir a reality.

"Our prosperity today is a result of men and women who had the vision to see what needed doing and the courage to act," he said in the release. "We need that spirit today if we want our children and grandchildren to have the same quality of life we've enjoyed."

Brown graduated from Newton County High School and attended Gwinnett Technical College before joining the U.S. Navy as an electronics technician from 1981 to 1987.

He returned to Newton County and worked for his family's nursery business for 12 years, before joining Fire and Life Safety America.

He believes his professional experience has him "a tenacious problem solver who believes in teamwork and clear, open communication.

"The job of a council member is to listen with an open mind to all sides of an issue, but at the end of the day, I have to make the decision that is best for the long-term interests of the city," he said. "I believe people want and respect that, provided you discuss those decisions in the light of day and you explain yourself clearly. That's the kind of open government I believe in. It's how I work."

Finally, while acknowledging Newton County has been hit hard by the economic downturn, he says the city must continue to plan for the future.

"People say they are conservative; and that's all fine and good. But, it's too easy to become penny wise and pound foolish," he said. "Growing our local economy is like growing any business. You have to keep your eyes on the ultimate objective. In my company, I was recently part of a team that increased annual revenues from $900,000 to $6 million over a very tough three-year stretch. You don't achieve good results with luck or by waiting for things to happen. You figure out what it will take, and you make it happen as a team."

He and his wife, Kimberly, have two grown daughters, one step son and one grandson; they live on North Dearing Street in Covington.

To contact Brown email him at lbrownforcovington.gmail.com or visit his Facebook page "Lamar Brown for Covington City Council Post 3."