Midterm elections are set for May 24, and two candidates, Briana Divens and Alex Shirah, are challenging County Commission District 2 incumbent Justin Frasier.

The Courier reached out to the candidates with some questions, and their replies follow.

Question: What are some of the main concerns you’ve heard from your constituents?

Briana Divens: The main concerns I have heard from the constituents of District 2 include a desire for neighborhood parks and recreation, and the need to address high property taxes and battered roads.

Alex Shirah: As I have been campaigning, some of concerns that I have heard from my constituents are the lack of transparency and accessibility from our current leaders and the fact that the current incumbent embraced the office that he holds when he was arrested for DUI/ refusal and open container. He tried to use the office of District 2 commissioner to put himself above the community.

I have heard the complaints about excessive property taxes and that Liberty County is ranked 11th for the highest millage rate in the state out of 159 counties. I have heard the complaints about SPLOST being a tax on our citizens and the soldiers who are stationed here, while at the same time, big box stores such as TJ Maxx, Hobby Lobby and Walmart get to come into town without having to pay their fair share of the property taxes.

I have heard concerns that there is nothing for our youth to do and few good-paying jobs coming into the area to support the cost to live here. Finally, I have heard the concerns that businesses coming into the community are being packed into Hinesville, eroding the small-town feel, when they should be spread responsibly throughout the county.

Justin Frasier: Some of the main concerns I hear in District 2 are activities and opportunities for our youth to do. Throughout the past 10 years, one of my initiative projects has been to obtain a family entertainment center here locally. I was able to finance the renovation of the basketball courts at Stafford Park.

Another concern is speeding in residential neighborhoods. In District 2, roadways and sidewalks are a project of mine throughout the district. For example, Madison Drive is one of the locations that have high-traffic usage, and speed bumps were placed for the safety of our constituents and kids.

Q: As candidates, what do you want to accomplish on the commission, or, as the incumbent, what are some of your accomplishments in your time as commissioner?

Divens: This is my first time running for any office. I have reviewed the financial report from the county commission and noticed that this last fiscal year, none of the funds collected from T-SPLOST were used in District 2. We are collecting money, but it’s sitting in the bank. The city has made some improvements around the district, but at the county level for District 2, we need better stewardship over these funds and the taxes that we collect.

I also plan to improve the quality of living for the people in the district by staying continually engaged in the community and meeting their needs as requested. In addition, I want to work with community stakeholders to improve the safety and overall quality of our environment.

Shirah: Once elected, I plan to bring my experience as a Realtor and a real estate broker to grow our community responsibly. I want to make sure our retail and restaurants go where we will get the maximum use of them and to attract people driving up and down I-95. Contrary to what Commissioner Stevens said at the NAACP candidate forum, no one is driving all the way up from Miami to Exit 67 or Exit 76, then driving another 30 minutes into Hinesville to eat at Longhorn, then driving another 30 back out to I-95. Instead, they are continuing on their way to Pooler, where everything is within three miles of I-95.

I want to focus on bringing more warehouses and manufacturing into our community so that people will be able to have good-paying jobs and be able to afford to live in our community.

Next, I want to address at-risk youth in our community. Having been a juvenile probation officer, I see that families are struggling. One issue is that parents are having to work two or three jobs to support their families, leaving little time to be home with their children. Second, the at-risk youth see their parents struggling and feel that they have no choice other than to make bad decisions just to get by.

I want to partner with the school board, juvenile courts and business owners in our community to start an internship program for at-risk youth. The requirement will be that the employer must be able to provide a certification to the youth at the end of the program that can be taken anywhere in the country to get a good-paying job. The employer must also have a path and opportunity for the youth the get a job with them at the end of the program and must be able to provide transportation to and from the workplace at no cost to the youth or their family.

Frasier: Over the past 10 years as District 2 county commissioner, I have had the opportunity to accomplish several initiatives and projects. To date, I have been able to accomplish and create an array of initiatives, projects and goals set forth during my tenure. Some of the most notable mentions include:

• Served as vice-chairman of the Hinesville Development Authority I was responsible for the development of Oglethorpe Square and the inception of the small business incubator project.

• Successfully completed several infrastructure projects (Madison/Olive intersection, Point South resurfacing, Palm Street resurfacing, Madison/ Olive Street intersection project and Bacon Road sidewalk project).

• Developed the Liberty County Youth Commission to work alongside county department and community groups to identify and discuss issues facing youth in the county and develop strategies to resolve them. They will help to educate young people in the community about their roles as citizens.

• Created a youth summer internship program granting teens the opportunity to work in a variety of local government sectors and gain experience while promoting civic engagement.

• Hosted multiple annual Christmas benefit celebrations, collecting over 1,000 toys for children for Liberty County.

• Allocated direct funding for Miller Park renovations and the renovation and renaming of the Stafford Park basketball courts.

• Helped facilitate 45 under 45 for Liberty County.

• Supported a living wage to make sure that all of our employees make at least $15 an hour.

• Supported having a full-time fire department for the first time in Liberty County history.

Are there any obstacles like lack of transparency or no communication that you perceive within the county commission?

Briana Divens:

I do believe the county as a whole has made many strides to be more transparent by showing meetings live on Facebook. However, we have much more to do. For district 2, many of the citizens had no idea who represented them. I want to know my constituents. I plan to meet quarterly with the community of District 2 and establish an open-door policy. During these meetings, I plan to not only gather information on what constituents want and need, but I also want to share what has occurred during the quarter as well. I have included a phone number (912-514-0325) on my palm cards where my constituents can call or text me with their concerns. I understand that as commissioner, it is my responsibility to be accountable to the constituents of my district and I plan to do just that.
Justin Frasier:

As the County Commissioner for District 2 I am openly and available for communication for my constituents. Our local citizens are welcome to attend our meetings to listen what is going on in our community. I have Facebook page Justin Frasier Liberty County Commissioner District 2 so our constituents can stay informed through social media. I have Instagram page Frasier4Liberty or email info@Frasier4Liberty.com
What the main message of your platform?

Briana Divens:

The main message of my platform is Transparent Leadership for a Better Future. If elected, I plan to focus on three main elements: safety, taxpayer dollars, and the environment. The goal is to make a better future for all of the people of Liberty County by being transparent and engaged and representing my community in a way that would make them Liberty County proud.
Alex Shirah:

The message of my campaign is that I am a member of the community and not above the community. Being that I am not originally from Liberty County, I do not have the baggage of having to say no to a childhood friend who wants to do work for the county and wants to get paid more than other people who bid on the project. I want to be fully accessible to everyone in the community and while I am running for the district two commissioners’ seat, I want to do what is in the best interest of the entire county and not be selfish and only help people in district two. What happens in our county effects everyone and if it makes more sense for something to happen in a different district other than district two, I will support it to grow our community responsibly.

Justin Frasier:

My campaign platform is Moving Forward. Just recently, I introduced the idea of creating a Liberty County Development Authority Board that would focus on bringing more business throughout Liberty County. While on the Hinesville development authority we were able to create the small business incubation project that will help small business ownership. Moving forward through Economic development, Youth Projects and continue to improve infrastructure in district 2.

Candidate bios:

Briana Divens is a district two native and the daughter of Rev. Dr. Graylan and Dr. Camilla Quarterman of Hinesville, GA. She is a dedicated member of this community who has been employed as an educator in the Liberty County School System for the last 9 years. She has also worked for the Flippen Group as a Leadership Strategist for the last 7 years. Briana attended Florida A&M University, but later transferred and graduated from Georgia Southern University with a degree in Middle Grades Education. She later received a Master’s degree from Western Governor’s University in the area of Learning and Technology.  Briana is the wife of Brandon Divens and mother to Madison. Briana, who has been actively involved in local civic groups her entire life is no stranger to community service. Briana values the members of District 2 and will work tirelessly to address the needs of the people. She is ready to listen and serve her community.

Alex Shirah was born and raised in Central Florida. In 2001 his junior year of high school he had planned on studying to become an attorney at the University of Florida> But when the terrorist attacked the twin towers in New York on Sept. 11, 2001, Shirah enlisted in the Army Reserves as a 12B combat engineer and went to basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. After completing high school, he returned to Fort Leonard Wood and completed his advanced training. In 2004 he left the army reserves he reported to active duty at Fort Stewart, Georgia. He was assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division, Engineer Brigade, 10th Engineers Bravo Company.

Shortly after the 3rd Infantry Division reorganized into units of Action and Engineer Brigade became 4th Brigade and the 10th Engineer Bravo company become 4-64th (Tuskers) Engineer Company. Shirah remained with them until July 2006 when 4-3 Brigade Troops Battalion was established, and he was reassigned to the Headquarters company 4-3 Brigade Troops Battalion and tasked with training a squad for soldiers to be a security detail for the 4th Brigade Infrastructure Coordination Element (ICE). In January 2005 he deployed to Baghdad Iraq and his team’s mission was to rebuild the infrastructure of a war-torn nation. On September 5th, 2005, while leaving Doura Sewage Treatment Plant located in the Arab Jabur area of Doura District in southern Baghdad Province, Shirah was the driver of a M1026 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device. The explosion caused considerable damage to the wheels, suspension, and radio antenna of the HMMWV, but he was able to maintain control of the damaged HMMWV and continued to drive the HMMWV all the way to the Baghdad Combat Support Hospital. During that attack he sustained an injury to his back that he still deals with to this day and at times he has to use a cane to get around. On December 31st 2005 his unit redeployed to Fort Stewart, Georgia. In July 2006 he married his wife Lori Beth Shirah who he said is his greatest supporter and she and their oldest sons Julian and Roman became one family. They purchased their home in Hinesville officially becoming residents of Liberty County, Georgia. In January 2007 his wife gave birth to their son Benjaman. In May 2007 he completed his time in service on active duty and joined the Georgia National Guard and was assigned to the 122nd Rear Operations Command (ROC) in Glennville, Georgia. In March of 2008 the family added a daughter, Mary Ann Elizabeth. In May, 2008 Shirah was hired by the City of Hinesville Police Department as a patrolman and he worked for the department until December 2010.  He then returned to school at Savannah Technical Collage to obtain his degree in Criminal Justice then transferred to South University to finish his studies, all while serving as juvenile probation intake office for Liberty, Long, Bryan and McIntosh Counties. Later he was a full-time juvenile probation officer on the High Intensive Team Services (HITS) in Chatham County. In 2014 Shirah took a Real estate course and after passing the state exam he joined the Hinesville Board of Realtors and officially became a realtor. Shirah later opened his own Brokerage Firm, Hinesville Military Homes and Property Management.

“My experience and training as a realtor makes me the best candidate to responsibly grow our community,” he said. “My experience and training as a Juvenile Probation officer and a Police officer makes me the best candidate to address the at-risk youth struggles within our community and finally my experience working with contractors, checking on infrastructure projects, while under enemy attack and rebuilding a war-torn nation makes me the best candidate to address the deteriorating infostructure in our community.”