With 8 of 9 precincts reporting, it looks like Jim Baskett has been reelected as Decatur’s Commissoner-at-large with 55% of the vote.   It was a surprisingly close race, considering that Alvin McNeely’s main argument for election was “I really, really want it!”.  Perhaps there were some unstated reasons why some would choose McNeely over Baskett, but I had a hard time picking up on them.

Across the rest of DeKalb the headline is “Tough night for Incumbents!” as several mayors got the ax.  This included Avondale Estates incumbent Jerry McCumber, who was ousted by challenger Ed Rieker.  Both candidates voiced support for the city’s redevelopment plan, but recent criticism against McCumber about secret meetings with the DOT and the developer may have led to his defeat.

Click here for all DeKalb election results

Vote Baskett or McNeely tomorrow (Nov. 6th) for Decatur Commissioner-at-Large at your local precinct.  Everyone else is running unopposed.  If you don’t know your precinct click here for Georgia’s poll locator  [hattip: InDecatur]

If you need some last minute info or the AJC voter’s guide didn’t really do it for you, check out pages 8 and 9 of this month’s Oakhurst Leaflet, which have more extensive discussions with the candidates on where they stand on the issues.

In my opinion, McNeely hasn’t done or said much to differentiate himself from the incumbent Baskett to make a compelling argument for change.

Go DeKalb has some new statements from Decatur commissioner Jim Baskett and his opponent Alvin McNeely in the upcoming Nov 6th election.

After reading it, I’m left wondering if there is any difference between these two candidates other than their professions.

Read the rest of this entry »

Photos Courtesy of the AJC

When the AJC voter’s guide asked the two men running against each other for the only disputed city commission seat on Nov. 6th , both made sure to include elements of the city’s drafted Community Transportation Plan in their response to the question “If elected, what will be your priorities?”

In addition to both making promises of tax relief, current commissioner Jim Baskett specifically mentioned “Improve safety at railroad crossings” (pages 12-21 of the Streets section of the Transportation Plan) while challenger Alvin McNeely gave a synopsis of the plan “I want to make sure that the bike lanes, sidewalks, greenspace, traffic calming, and other quality-of-life measures get implemented. Quickly.”

Both also mentioned addressing the concerns of future development, with Baskett looking to “protect the property owners that are in R-60 zoning from being overwhelmed by adjacent commercial properties“, (originally a concern brought about by the E Howard/Hillyer St condo development), while McNeely wants to address the issue of infill (see DeKalb Infill Overlay Ordinance).

To see how the candidates answered other questions like “What experience will help you in this job?”, “What’s the best thing an elected official in the post you are seeking can do for your community?” and “If you were stranded on a desert island…” (I’m serious) click here.