Early voting for the Hall County Primary runoff elections is underway as of Monday, and two candidates are facing off for Hall County Commission Chair.
Incumbent Richard Higgins and David Gibbs were the top vote-getters on May 21, with Higgins coming just 164 votes shy of the 50% mark needed to avoid the runoff and Gibbs coming second with just under 39% of the vote. Craig Lutz finished third with just under 12% of the vote.
Speaking on WDUN’s The Martha Zoller Show, Higgins said should he be re-elected, he plans to continue to work to manage the growth within the area.
“I'm trying to be conservative as far as the taxpayers' money,” Higgins said. “I think we’ve done that… even the rollback is only going to increase by 5%, so that's a good steady growth.”
Higgins also noted that in his time as chair, the commission has worked to create a Unified Development Code, which will replace the county’s outdated Land Use Comprehensive Plan.
Higgins was elected as chair in 2016. Prior to his time on the Hall County Board of Commissioners, he also served on the Hall County Board of Education.
Gibbs also spoke on The Martha Zoller Show, also emphasizing plans to address the rapid growth in the area.
“We don't want to stop growth,” Gibbs said. “Growth happens naturally. But, we have to control it and get it under control because it's outrun in our infrastructure by 300 to 400% That's the problem.”
Gibbs also shared his concern for protecting the one-acre minimum for housing within the county.
The Hall County Commission chair is voted on county-wide. Early voting for the runoff election ends June 14.
The Runoff Election Day will take place on June 18.
