Education/Work Experience — Colbert Elementary School / Madison County High School / Athens Technical College; Owner of Bruce W. Scogin Construction Company — 35 years
Years lived in the county — 55 years
1) What makes you the most qualified candidate for this position?
— I’ve lived in Madison County since the day I was born. Home grown, you might say. I know the people. I know the county.
— I have represented the fifth district for nine years, holding the distinction of the first ever commissioner to attain advanced certification through the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia in 2003. I serve on the Association of County Commissioners General Government Committee, Natural Resources and Environment Committee, and represent Madison County on the Region I All Hazards Council.
In addition, I am an 18 year veteran (still actively serving) of the Colbert Volunteer Fire Department. My wife, Pat, and I have served as foster parents for Madison County. I have taught Sunday School, served as Sunday School Superintendent and Treasurer, and Church Bus Driver.
My entire life is invested in my family, my community, my county, and I represent the fifth district and the county with all my heart.
If all that doesn’t qualify me for this position of fifth district commissioner, there is nothing that can qualify anyone.
2) What do you think is the most important issue facing this county?
— The same issue our entire nation is facing, soaring energy prices amid a declining economy. And on the heels of that, we are in the middle of another drought. Without an adequate water supply, taxes, growth, and other issues become secondary.
3) Name three specific things you want to accomplish if elected.
— 1) A property tax freeze similar to Greene County. Property taxes are frozen at current levels. Assessments rise in relation to sales, but the new assessment wouldn’t take effect until such time the property is sold.
— 2) To implement developmental impact fees that would absorb the cost of providing services to new development rather than raise property taxes to cover those costs.
— 3) With fuel and energy prices soaring, I would like to see the county explore mass transportation, like buses, for example.
4) Please offer your opinion on how this county should grow (or not grow).
— I am a modest growth candidate. For our own sake, we need to aggressively promote the conservation of our land and natural resources. The days of haphazardly permitting sprawling, cul-de-sac type subdivisions are gone. We must take the initiative to grow smart and at a modest rate by permitting residential growth to occur around and in the six towns located in our county. Connectivity to those towns should be provided through expansion of existing street grids, quality housing, planned business sections to promote sustainability, sidewalks, recreation, and tree and vegetation buffers. And that, only if the development absorbs the cost of the needed infrastructure, roads, water, and sewage expansion.
5) Do you feel there are situations in which property tax increases are warranted? If so, can you give an example?
— From the federal level to the local level of government, elected officials are sworn to provide for and ensure the public health, safety, and welfare of the public. I believe to achieve those goals, within reason, property tax increases are sometimes warranted.
6) Do you feel all departments in the county government are appropriately funded? If not, where would you like to see additional money go, and where would you like to see cuts?
— I believe most county departments are adequately funded. However, crime, accidents, medical emergencies, all seem to be on the rise, so I believe we need to plan for additional money in those areas.
— As far as cuts go, we first have to figure out how we’re going to budget for rapidly escalating energy costs and still provide an adequate level of service to our citizens.
7) In your opinion, what is the best decision the BOC made over the past four years and what is the worst? Please explain.
— The board has made many good decisions over the past four years. We brought EMS billing in-house and that has paid off tremendously. The collection rate is up from around 30 percent to approximately 70 percent and is projected to improve even more once old outstanding accounts are dispersed with.
— We hired a new chief appraiser and staff. Our property digests are being completed on time now. Tax assessments and bills should be mailed on time and the county doesn’t have to borrow money to operate.
— We created a finance committee that meets quarterly to keep the board informed of any budget problems and to recommend solutions to those problems.
— In order to maintain accountability and fairly distribute the workload on our staff, we streamlined our finance department, and after some period of adjustment, that seems to be working smoother and more efficiently now.
— We made mistakes also. Having the burden of the public trust on our shoulders doesn’t make us perfect, only more scrutinized. And more accountable to the public.
— In the recent SPLOST referendum, we should have fully funded the jail expansion project. And we should have allotted more funds for the road department. The board intends to borrow the money for the jail project, and I think in the long run we’ll save money that way, interest versus the cost of construction five years from now. But I have a real concern that future road projects will suffer from our lack of foresight.
8) Is there anything that has not been mentioned that you would like to discuss?
— Yes. Generation after generation of Americans have lived through tougher and leaner times than most of us can imagine. We are America. They survived. We will survive.
