CONYERS, Ga. — Two candidates in the Newton County Board of Commissioner races took turns answering questions at the Springfield Baptist Church Social Justice Ministry Candidate Forum on Monday in Conyers.
Incumbent District 2 Commissioner Demond Mason and District 4 candidate Nytravious “Nytro” Smith were among the dozens of aspiring political candidates that participated in Monday’s event. District 2 candidate Tamara Strong and incumbent District 4 Commissioner J.C. Henderson were absent.
In the 40 minutes the candidates had on stage — which was shared by three candidates for the Rockdale County Board of Commissioners — each commissioner spoke at length about property taxes and the subject of growth and development.
Each candidate was asked how they would balance property tax rates while still providing essential government services. Mason says that’s something the current board is actively looking into.
One suggestion from Mason would be to look into any excess money that Newton County has to provide additional relief for the citizens.
“We are currently looking at possibly taking additional monies in our budget, investing back into our homestead exemptions to increase that to possibly be able to provide official relief to our residents,” Mason said.
Smith said that keeping in line with the listed budget is a forgotten key in balancing property taxes. While he noted the clean audits from Newton County in recent years, he wants to make sure that department heads stay in line with what is budgeted to them and not go over that mark.
“My main priority is to hold people accountable,” Smith said.
Later in the forum, the candidates were asked about the possibility of eliminating property taxes for seniors or other groups such as veterans or disabled veterans. Neither candidate outright revealed a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ position on this matter, but both cited the complexity of the issue.
Mason cited research that was done at this year’s legislative session, where legislators looked to eliminate property taxes but potentially increase the sales tax. He said that this data showed that an increased sales tax could actually cost taxpayers more money than what they would have paid on property taxes.
Overall, Mason says he wants everyone at the table to come together to create a strategy for tax relief.
“There has to be a balance where you’re not making the rich richer and the poor poorer by eliminating property tax,” Mason said.
Smith cited his situation growing up, where he lived with his great-grandmother in a purchased home that is made up of a rental-based community. He acknowledged that property taxes still make up a large portion of the county’s revenue but added that he also felt a greater balance was needed to help those who may be struggling.
“When we talk about property taxes, we have to find a balance that helps people but also is fair to the entire community,” Smith said.
In conjunction with property taxes, each commissioner candidate was asked about how they would make housing more affordable and accessible.
Smith said that he will seek to bring “inclusive rezoning,” which he defined as the zoning of a place or property with others around them in mind. He cautioned against the idea of too much affordable housing, as he felt it could overpopulate the community. However, he added that diversifying the economic development across the county could lead to higher-paying jobs that would bridge the financial gap.
Mason contended that he and the board need to “empower” the Covington Housing Authority and create conversations on how to deliver what he calls “workforce housing" for the citizens.
As for new development in the county, Mason said he is a firm believer in the Future Land Use Map and will look to follow any zoning decisions through that as well as the Unified Development Ordinance that's currently in development. He wants to make sure that any development that’s proposed is done properly and within the right areas.
“We want to make sure that industrial doesn’t mix with residential and residential doesn’t mix with industrial, and then too, when there’s some overdevelopment when it comes to residential, we’re now finding a balance of commercial,” Mason said. “We want to make sure that those that are living in our residential areas, they still have some commercial where they can have a great quality of life.”
Smith preached the “power of being an advocate.” He feels that commissioners should look into additional measures, such as community land trusts or land conservations, that could protect zoning.
“There’s ways to create or bring commercial development but also keep the prices down when you talk about property taxes and cost of being a property owner,” Smith said.
Early voting for the primary election will begin on Monday, April 27, and will run until May 15. Primary election day will take place on Tuesday, May 19, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
