Dear Editor: After the Nov. 4 hearing in Superior Court, I decided to err on the side of caution and began the selection process for possible replacement candidates. For various reasons, the list of viable candidates narrowed quickly due to current obligations and/or eligibility status.
On Nov. 22, a duly qualified quorum of the Board of Elections must be present to make the official call for the March 6 elections. If the GOP or the Democratic Party did not have a member to sit with current at-large member Cary Bond by this deadline, the elections would have been jeopardized. It therefore became imperative that we do everything we can to ensure the elections take place on time. Keep in mind, selecting a member is only part of the process: The name has to be fast-tracked through the Secretary of State's Office so they can authorize the new member to be sworn in. The last time it took three weeks for the paperwork from the SOS office to arrive. This time thanks to Cynthia Welch walking the paperwork through, I am very pleased to report that both members will be sworn in by Judge Lillis Brown on Friday Nov. 18. Judge Nation in his ruling called the Dem. member an obstructionist and cited that as one of the reasons he was removed. If we had not acted when we did, Judge Nation could just as easily go after both parties for the same reason by not getting the business done in a timely manner. The decision by Judge Nation did in fact help in one regard. By expelling both members citing that they had not done what was required of them (selecting the at-large member within 30-60 days) he has now set the precedence of the missing penalty of the enabling act. This means that no further legislation is required to ensure the election process and the operation of the BOE will continue, as it needs to. The bottom line as far as the voters in Rockdale are concerned is that the elections will take place on time as they should. Don Williamson Chairman, Rockdale GOP
