Editor, Thank you for allowing me to share my first political experience. I have always voted, but I never did much research on the candidates, until now. I joined #TeamFrasier after listening to Charles Frasier speak about Hinesville at the first kickoff meeting. It was clear to me that he had a true love for this city and he wanted to continue to be a part of the future growth. One point Charles Frasier spoke about was his vision to make Hinesville a place our children will want to come back to and raise their families. A place they can call home. The military brought my family to Hinesville 15 years ago, and I never considered this home until now. It is promising to me that Hinesville can offer professional-level jobs, new business opportunities and affordable housing. Charles is a strong supporter of family entertainment, city-funded youth programs, concerts and festivals at Bryant Commons.  

I did a lot of canvassing with #TeamFrasier and there were a few common concerns that I encountered. One of them was people not understanding what “mayor pro-tem” means. I explained to them that the mayor pro-tem is like vice mayor. The City Council members elect a council member for this position. Charles has been mayor pro-tem for eight years. I feel Charles Frasier is the natural choice for mayor, especially since the City Council members felt he was qualified to stand in for the mayor.

Another concern I encountered from people was, “Why should I vote for SPLOST?” I explained that the money from the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax would help pay for roads, parks, new library, sidewalks and public-safety equipment. For some people, this wasn’t a detailed enough explanation, so without any hesitation, Charles would elaborate further to answer all their questions. Charles always made sure they received the correct information, even if they didn’t agree with it. SPLOST is by far the most equitable tax. All who purchase any goods or services participate whether they live here or are passing through. This gives some relief to the property owners and enables the county/city an opportunity to provide quality-of-life projects for our citizens.

This was a great learning experience for me. I hope that some of the people reading this will become inspired and take an active part in the future of this city. The best way to do this is to go out and vote. I know I will be back at the polls on Dec. 1, 2015, casting my vote for Charles Frasier!

Respectfully,
Kimela Combs
Hinesville