District 1:

Housing and homelessness were among the topics for Hinesville City Council District 1 candidates at Friday’s Azalea Street neighborhood forum.

Challenger Marcello Page said the No. 1 priority is housing.

“I truly believe if we believe in more low income housing, incentivizing more construction more, bring in more competition,” he said. “I believe it is going to lower prices, it is going to be more affordable.”

Page also said he would like for the city to build a shelter for the homeless population, giving them a place where they could have some security and “an address so they can boost their chances of thriving in this community and become a productive member of this community.

“The city is doing whatever they can for the homeless but I think a voucher should be the last option.”

Incumbent Diana Reid said the city is not a onesize- fits-all community.

“But we’re just not talking about it,” she said, “we’re walking about it. We have a project in place to build 80 houses, affordable houses. This is why I must go back in. I have been a voice for each and every one. If you need help with food, I’ve left my job, used my truck, my gas, to make sure they have food. Whatever it is they need, they call me. I am a public servant, not a politician — period.”

Alan White, also running for the District 1 post, said he wants to make it easier to open and run a business in the city.

“The city of Hinesville is a very beautiful place and it is so difficult to start a little business in Hinesville,” he said. “I have a restaurant but it took me so long to open that restaurant. It shouldn’t take that long to open a small business. My job is to make that dream a reality.”

A resident of Hinesville for nine years, Page said he found it difficult to find who his city council representative was. “Finally, when I did find my representative and I spoke to them about the different issues that mattered to me, they didn’t take it very serious,” he said at Friday’s candidate forum in the Azalea Street neighborhood.

Reid, who has served on the council since 2015, refuted Page’s claim.

“I’m one of the easiest people to find,” she said. “My phone number is on my Facebook page. Anybody who says they can’t find me, that’s not true. If anybody says that I’m not listening, that’s not true. I have listened to the voices. I even appointed Mr. Marcello Page to one of the committees for the City of Hinesville.”

District 2

Amenities for Hinesville’s residents, and how they should be established, were central to the City Council District 2 candidates’ forum.

Challenger Robert Cunningham, who has been a Hinesville resident since 1995, said he wanted to see the city bring in such features as a bowling alley or a puttputt course and more parks. Hinesville had a putt-putt course back in the 1980s which eventually closed.

“I see the sky is the limit. I want to be somebody in there helping the people,” he said. “I want to help the children to come outdoors, to have a facility to play in and be safe in.”

Cunningham retired from Range Control on Fort Stewart and said District 2 residents needed leadership and a help in solving problems, such as those with ditches in his neighborhood.

“They need a voice,” he said. “They need somebody strong enough, tough enough and not scared enough to fight for them, get in somebody’s face and say this is broken, we need to fix it.”

Incumbent Jason Floyd, a Hinesville native, has served on City Council since 2010.

“I love Hinesville,” he said. “I live a stone’s throw from where I grew up, so I know my community, I know my district.”

Floyd said he is proud how the city has handled its growth.

“If you don’t do it thoughtfully, it can get away from you,” he said. “The council has been very thoughtful in how that growth happens. There are a lot of amenities that people want that aren’t here yet. But there are a lot of amenities that are here now that weren’t here 10 years ago. It takes time and it takes the ability to work with others. As a council member, you are one vote. If you can’t work with the people sitting next to you and build a collaboration toward an effort, you won’t get anything accomplished.”

Floyd also said there are plenty of opportunities for those who want to get involved in making the city better.

“One of the biggest things I can say is if you want to serve, get involved,” he said. “You can get involved with many of the volunteer organizations in the community that work closely with government. It’s easy to make some big promises when you don’t understand the process. Once you get into office and you see the process, you see the challenges. As a young person, if you can know those challenges going in, it will make you that much more effective a leader.”

District 3 

The Hinesville City Council has been a good steward of the residents’ money, incumbent Vicky Nelson said.

The city’s budget is balanced and the millage rate has been lowered. Nelson also pointed out the increase in the number of businesses in the city since she took office.

“In 2016, when I was first elected, we had 964 businesses. Currently, we have 1,527,” she said. “Not only that, we have streamlined the home occupation certification, so it’s easier for citizens to have their own businesses.”

Nelson also said the city is working with the Hinesville Housing Authority to build seven houses that will allow low-to-moderate income families to become homeowners and build 80 units to house low-to-moderate income families.

“Combating homelessness is hard, but we’re diligent,” she said.

Challenger Arthur Nixon said his agenda is simple — to educate, to advocate and to lead.

“This is a greater call,” he said. “This is the moment, this is the time in this city that we need to move this thing forward.”

Nixon, who was in the military for 23 years, cited that education is power, and council members should be great advocators for the residents in their district.

“I know about leading, I know about motivating, I know about how to get the job done,” he said. “If you live in the 3rd District, it is time to move forward.”

A faith leader in his church, Nixon said he wants to take that same mentality into city service.

“I want to change the dynamic,” he said. “I want to shift the atmosphere so we can be positive in everything that we do.”

District 4

District 4 residents will have a new council member after the November election, with Keith Jenkins’ decision not to seek re-election.

Mike Alamo, a businessman and former firefighter, said that while the city has lowered its millage rate, property taxes are still high for residents.

“And it’s going up and up and up,” he said. “And people on fixed incomes, when it goes up, that’s less money that goes into your pocket.”

Alamo said it should not be the responsibility of the government to build such amenities as bowling alleys, but if residents want the government to do so, it should be put on a referendum.

“I ran a business in this community for many years,” he said. “It takes money to do a business. If someone feels like a bowling alley will make money, do you not think someone would not come in and build a bowling alley? You can’t expect the government or the taxpayers to fund those kinds of entities. If the taxpayers are willing to pay for it, put it out there, let them vote for it.”

Dexter Newby, who is also seeking the District 4 seat, said he is running to be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem.

“Getting out, working in the community, working with the local government, that’s being part of a solution,” he said. “That’s what I want to be. That’s what I’ve always been. I’ve always been part of the solution. It’s easy to sit on your hands and complain. I promise you from day one is when I hit the ground. Not in four years, but day one.”

Newby, who works with Recovery Place as a substance abuse counselor, said his job has prepared him for public service.

“It’s about the work,” he said. ‘It’s about watching people grow. It’s about the smiles when they say, ‘I reconnected with my children, I reconnected with my family, I got my first vehicle, I was able to get my house.’ That’s what is important.”

Joe Nicholson Jr. said he wanted to press the issue of accessibility.

“I feel the city needs new leaders and a new vision,” he said. “I want to do things for the youth and get the youth more engaged. Community policing, infrastructure and youth engagement is motivating me. I want to get the youth more involved in the community.”

Nicholson also pointed to the work triangle as the basis for his campaign.

“If you want something good and fast, it won’t be cheap, and if you want something fast and cheap, it won’t be good,” he said. “I committed to my own triangle. It’s people, passion and purpose. If you have a passion for the people, you will fulfill a purpose.”

District 5

Amenities for kids and how to tackle homelessness were part of the platforms offered by District 5 candidates.

With current District 5 representative Karl Riles running for the mayor’s seat, a new District 5 council member will be chosen this November.

Henry Covington said homelessness will be an issue within the next five years and the city needs to be proactive.

“What we need to do is get with the cities having this issue, find out what’s working, what’s not working, come back to the table, take the policies already in place and see if they are relevant to today’s action,” he said.

Candidates also delved into opportunities for local youth.

“There is not a lot of activity in Hinesville for our youth,” said Covington, who also advocated bringing in a bowling alley or skating rink. “We have to give our kids something to do and something to look forward to it.”

“One of the things we need to do collectively is to come together as one body, liberty and justice for all,” said candidate Eric Hollis. “So how do we do that? I’m glad you asked. We do that by implementing more programs for our youth, the middle-aged and the senior citizens.”

Jose Ortiz said he was grateful to be on the platform as a candidate for Hinesville City Council.

“I want to give thanks to the city of Hinesville for this opportunity and for this country to be up here standing with you as a Hispanic,” he said. “I’m not politician, but I know politics. I know right from wrong. I know good and bad.”

Ortiz said the city needs to offer its young people something to come back to once they leave home to go to college or start a career “I love this place. This is my home,” he said. “I’ve raised my two boys here. What I hear is my kids leave and don’t come back. I don’t want my kids to leave and not come back. Let’s bring in jobs that can raise a family. We’re going to run out of land in Hinesville putting gas stations on every corner and car washes on every corner. We’re going to run out of land and all that stuff is going to Liberty County. We’ll still benefit from it, but not as much as we would if we had it right here in Hinesville.”