In this past election some folks who took on this noble adventure did not reach the goal they had set for themselves. They and the folks who did reach their goals to represent us deserve our respect and special thanks
A fond farewell
Aaron Varner served as our county commission chairman. He guided us through some very difficult times and still kept a balanced budget and was always a gentleman. We appreciated his honesty.
Ester Fleming retired as the District 3 commissioner this year and was a conservative voice that has served our county well.
Monty Laster also retired this year as District 5 commissioner. He helped make Newton County one of the most fiscally sound counties in Georgia as well as worked diligently as a member the Newton County Historical Society to preserve the heritage of the area. We hope he will continue to serve in that capacity.
Sheriff Joe Nichols retired as well this year. Nichols has brought a sense of pride and organization to this position during his tenure.
Rickie Corley ran for the board of education in District 2. Also a local businessman, he gave of his time and efforts to see that our children received a good education.
Robert Mumford, retiring Georgia House Representative for District 95, had the difficult task of representing a people that only represent a small portion of his district and we appreciate his presence.
Mark Patrick ran for District 1 commissioner, and he gave it his all against a well-liked incumbent.
Keith Mitcham ran for District 3 commissioner. He is a great family man who never lost sight of what was important to him during his campaign.
Randy Vinson ran for District 5 commissioner. He is an expert on land use, and we hope he will still offer his expertise to our community.
Erik Hunt ran for Georgia House representative for District 95. We still believe he would have better represented the interests of Newton County and certainly been more accessible.
Nicholas Day ran for tax commissioner and had the courage to speak out for what he thought was right for the senior citizens of this community.
Lt. Bill Watterson ran for sheriff and gave his best in a clean campaign. He showed a great deal of class by not requesting a re-count of a very close race that would have cost the county a great deal of money. He is an asset to the Newton County Sheriff's Office.
Rudy Cox ran for State Senator in District 17 and addressed issues many of our state legislators are ignoring.
A warm welcome
Cathy Morgan won the position of Newton County Commission chairman. She will bring new energy to the position, and has promised to ask advice and to be accessible to all county residents.
Mort Ewing was reelected as District 1 commissioner. He gives the county a grandfatherly stability and does a great deal of research on every decision the commission makes.
Nancy Schulz earned the title of District 3 commissioner. She brings a great deal of enthusiasm to this seat as evidenced by her door-to-door campaign efforts to introduce herself directly to the residents of her district.
Tim Fleming will now serve as the District 5 commissioner. He worked hard in his campaign and could be a rising star in Republican Party. We hope he works hard for his district first just as his father did.
Barbara Dingler was reelected as the county tax commissioner. She has made the department much more efficient and is a hometown gal who has the temperament to work with the citizens of the county.
Ezell Brown has made local history as the first black man to be elected sheriff of Newton County. He has an amazing breadth of knowledge gained from his decades-long experience in law enforcement and a great desire to really be the face of high quality security offered by the NCSO.
Almond Turner ran for the District 4 Board of Education seat unopposed. This is probably because potential opponents know how well respected and admired he is in his district as well as the county as a whole.
Eddie Johnson, new District 2 Board of Education member, brings a new excitement to this position and seems willing not to accept the status quo of our education system.
Toney Collins, the new Georgia House Representative for District 95, has a nice smile.
Doug Holt, Georgia House Representative for the 112th District, ran unopposed and has proved he is a capable representative of this district.
John Douglas, State Senator for the 17th district, narrowly rode to victory and not with the help of Newton Countians. Perhaps he will consider the county's changing demographics in his work under the Golden Dome.
John Lunsford was reelected as State representative for District 110. We hope he continues to consider this area a vital part of Georgia's future economic growth.
