COVINGTON, Ga. – Spencer Arnhart qualified Friday, March 9 as a Republican candidate for the District 4 Commission race. He is a small business owner of a local construction company.
Arnhart has volunteered with various non-profit organizations to help low-income families with improvements to make their homes more energy-efficient. Along with his charitable activities, he has also played the part of “McGruff the Crime Dog” at educational events for children.
In his free time, Arnhart enjoys playing video games, spending time with family, and is an avid sports fan.
“Newton County is such an unbelievable place to live and work,” Arnhart said. “My goal as District 4 Commissioner will be to represent everyone in this wonderful district. Every neighborhood is vital to our community’s wellbeing. But, the 4th District is much larger than most people realize. And, with such a big, diverse area. we cannot afford narrow representation focused just on a few areas. I believe we are strongest when all neighborhoods work together for the good of Newton County.”
”We can no longer allow what divides us to define us, ”he added. “The citizens deserve a commissioner who is available to hear their thoughts and ideas. I commit to all residents that I will be accessible to them. Citizens can be assured that they will be able to reach me with their concerns via phone, email, and social media.”
Asked what prompted him to run, Arnhart said “I’m not the type of person who talks a lot. I listen. And, what I’ve heard repeatedly is people feel there has been mismanagement of the county by some elected officials. People are tired of politicians making decisions to line their own pockets or benefit their friends.”
Issues Arnhart finds most pressing are legal fees, solid waste management, and public safety. “One of my top priorities as the people’s voice is to address our still out-of-control legal fees,” he said. I’ve looked at spending on legal fees in other counties, and Newton County is the highest per capita. We must get legal fees under control. My goal is to cut spending on legal services and expand services for seniors.”
On solid waste, Arnhart said “We must address our needs now. This has been another issue that keeps us from providing better services to our citizens. We must move forward with technology to turn our trash into a profit center for the community. We must also recognize that our landfill is an unfair burden on neighbors who live around the facility. These residents need assurance their voices are heard and understood. We must make changes to more fairly respect these citizens who have lived with this unpleasant situation for far too long.”
As to public safety Arnhartsaid, “We must do whatever it takes to ensure our citizens are protected. We have to support our public safety officers and not spread them too thin. Reports of long wait times for response to crimes is unacceptable. I commit to working with our sheriff to make a plan on how we can achieve our goals together for the citizens.”
By qualifying, Arnhart becomes a candidate for the May 22 Republican Primary. If successful then, he will face a Democratic opponent in the Nov. 6 General Election – Commissioner J.C. Henderson, who has held the seat for more than 20 years
