The Candidates
Hardy, Vickery Square Off In Race For Mayor
A record six seats are being contested in next Tuesday’s city elections.
Here are the candidates:
For Mayor
Charles L. “Buzzie Hardy Jr
Hardy, 66, is completing his 18th year as mayor. He lives at 473 Dogwood Trail.
A native of Gainesville, Hardy is a graduate of Gainesville High School and of the University of Georgia, from which he received a bachelor of science degree in journalism.
He has been in Commerce for 45 years, during which he worked for and was part owner of The Commerce News, which he eventually purchased in its entirety. After selling the newspaper, he continues to own and operate Commerce Printing and Office Supplies.
Hardy and his wife, Paula, have three grown children and five grandchildren.
He is a former member and officer of the Commerce Jaycees, has a long affiliation with the Boy Scouts of America, including stints as Scoutmaster of Troop 35 and as a district executive board member, served as president of the Commerce Booster Club, is a member and former president of the Commerce Kiwanis Club and is on the board of directors of the Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce.
Should he be re-elected, Hardy said he’d like to see the continued development of the Commerce 85 Industrial Park, which he also lists among the city’s major accomplishments during the past term, and the development of the Bana Road industrial site.
Paul Vickery
Vickery, 64, lives at 102 Madison Street. A native of Commerce, he is a graduate of Commerce High School and attended the University of Georgia. He is retired from the Georgia Revenue Department and he and his wife, Betty, have four grown children. He is pastor of Newtown Baptist Church in Rayle.
Vickery also worked for the city for 18 years, serving as city clerk and director of operations. He was actually elected on a 4-2 council vote as the city’s first city manager — just days after the same council had voted to fire him — but resigned without serving in that capacity after enraged citizens began a successful recall effort against the councilmen who elected him.
“I feel like I learned a lot in those 18 years,” Vickery says. “Being a lifetime resident, I’m interested in the city. I’d like to see it grow, see people come into the town and see the school system continue to grow.”
Ward 1
Mark Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick, 43, lives at 480 Sam Brown Boulevard with his wife, Robin, and daughter, Abby, 5. He is a business systems technician with Windstream, for whom he has worked for 22 years. He is a graduate of Commerce High School
Fitzpatrick seeks his third term of office.
“I’d like to see us do some type of program through the Recreation Department for our senior citizens,” Fitzpatrick commented. “The feeling I get is they’re sort of left out. I’d like to get more sidewalks in the city, continue the revitalization of the downtown and see Commerce continue to be a safe place to live, work and play.
J.D. Morris
Morris, 66, is retired from Westinghouse and ABB after 32 years and works part-time for Baker & Taylor. He lives at 759 South Elm Street and has three children. He is a graduate of Commerce High School.
If he is elected, Morris said he would like to see the city focus on its water infrastructure “because what we’ve got now, the way the area is growing, it’s going to run short somewhere down the line.” He’d like to see the lake dredged.
“I’d like to take a look at the overall spending and see if there is something we can do to maybe give people a break, or something,” he said. “But the way things are now, I don’t much see how we can do it.
Ward 4
Bob Sosebee
Sosebee, 69, is completing his 24th year on the city council.
He graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in finance, served in the banking industry for 10 years, was a commercial loan broker for 20 years and has been with Century 21 Community Realty for five years.
Sosebee is an elder in Commerce Presbyterian Church, is serving his third term on the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia (MEAG) board of directors. He’s served on the Executive Committee of the Georgia Municipal Association since 1996, as well as on its board of directors. He was appointed by Gov. Roy Barnes to a five-year term on the Department of Community Affairs board. He served 10 years, the last two as chairman, on the GMA Employees Benefit System board of trustees and chairs the Deferred Compensation Committee.
He and his wife, Donna, live at 141 Dogwood Trail. They have two grown children and twin granddaughters.
“I want to see Commerce continue to grow and prosper and see new industry locate here to provide more jobs,” Sosebee said. “We’re well positioned to attract industry with the Rooker industrial park and another industrial park starting across I-85 in the near future,” Sosebee said. “I’d like to see us expand our recreation programs, continue to expand and improve our infrastructure and work with neighboring cities and counties so our children and grandchildren can stay in Commerce and have good-paying jobs.”
Ward 5
Steve Ayers
Ayers, 59, lives at 386 Orchard Circle. He and his wife, Betty, two grown children.
Ayers is graduate of Jefferson High School and has a degree in computer hardware technology from Total Technical Institute, Norcross. He is a retired truck driver.
Although he was a member of the concerned citizens group, Ayers says he is no longer affiliated with the group, having “stepped aside.”
“I think it’s time for a change,” he says. “I would like to see the city reduce spending. A lot of spending, they all approve, but nobody ever mentions how they could cut it to maybe make something better. I was always taught you don’t waste money and you don’t waste food.”
Richard Massey
Massey, 73, is completing his 18th year in office. He and his wife, Charlotte, have a grown son and two granddaughters.
A native of Commerce, Massey is a graduate of Commerce High School and the Grady Memorial Hospital School of X-ray Technology. He is retired after 40 years in the Radiology Department at BJC Medical Center.
“I’d like to see us continue to keep taxes as low as we can,” Massey said. “We really haven’t raised taxes in 17 years. We have a very good staff at City Hall and Clarence Bryant does a real good job of managing.
“I’d like to see us continue with good planning for the growth we’re going to have, and for us to continue working with the various boards and people who govern our destiny. We have a good small-town atmosphere, which is good, and we need to make sure we keep up with all the trends that come down so we can have quality growth.”
School Board
District 4
Rodney Gary
Gary, 53, lives at 234 Stark Road. He attended Commerce High School, and he and his wife, Mary, have two grown children and three grandchildren.
“I stand for what’s right and for treating everybody fair,” Gary said. “I am a positive person; I don’t like negative stuff.”
Gary is active in the Commerce Booster Club, where he has been in charge of the Super Tiger program for years.
If he is elected, Gary said he like to see the new Commerce High School built.
“It’s something that needs to be done,” he said. “Times are changing.”
Rick Massey
Masssey, 38, lives at 112 Woodland Trail with his wife, Terri, and their two daughters.
He is a 1987 graduate of Commerce High School and received a bachelor of business administration degree in finance from Georgia Southern University. He is senior vice president of Northeast Georgia Bank and has been in banking 15 years.
He is the immediate past president of the Commerce Kiwanis Club, serves on the BJC Medical Center Authority, is on the board of the Jackson County Boys and Girls Club and on the Commerce Civic Center and Tourism Authority. He is a member of the Commerce Booster Club, the Commerce Area Business Association and the Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce.
If he is elected, Massey said he would “like to see us build a new high school within budget, and I’d like to see us improve some programs and things we can offer. I’d like to see the city council and school board work together to make sure we’re providing the resources that the schools need so our kids can be successful.”
BOE District 5
Carolyn Brooks
Brooks, 32, lives at 173 Northview Drive. She and her husband, James, have a daughter who attends fourth grade at Commerce Elementary School.
She is a graduate of Hart County High School and Athens Technical College. She is a nurse and bookkeeper at Urology of Athens and, with her husband, owns James Brook Automotive, for which she serves as bookkeeper.
“I would like to see the high school completed,” she says. “One thing brought to my attention is textbooks for children. They need to be updated and some kids just need textbooks. My daughter didn’t have a math or English book until she was in the fourth grade. This is the kind of thing the parent of a child in the school system would know more about.”
Dr. Paul Sergent
Sergent, 60, is seeking his second term on the city school board. He lives at 121 Northview Drive with his wife, Lois. He has three grown sons.
Sergent is a graduate of Norcross High School, got his bachelor of science degree from Mercer University and earned his medical degree from Emory University Medical School. He’s operated a general practice in Commerce since 1973.
“I would like to see the school system stay good, like it is,” he said. “Of course, we’re going to build a new high school, gym, auditorium and track.” Sergent predicted that the system will be able to complete the construction — which is due to start after the first of the year — within budget.
