Who am I?

I am a neighbor, a loving brother, a dedicated uncle, and a resident deeply rooted in the future of Dougherty.My life has been defined by service to others, from earning the rank of Eagle Scout to serving as the President of the Central Georgia Model Investment Club through Better Investing, and as a Board Trustee for Cray Chapel CME.Living with ADHD has been my training ground for leadership. It has taught me how to cut through the noise, filter out distractions, and maintain a relentless focus on the mission at hand. I am running to bring that same intensity to the Commission.

Why run?

Dougherty county has been experiencing a decline in population since 2010 due to lack of strategic economic development, increasing property taxes, and the lack of initiative to bring development that enhances the quality of life each and everyone in our district deserves.We want people to grow up in Dougherty and stay in Dougherty because they love it here and they know it has more to offer. I want people like my niece to be able to graduate from Dougherty high and confidently stay knowing a future is bright here. I want the same for your family members. Inspired by the tenacity of President Obama, I too believe that I can make a change that will inspire those to come.

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Platform

Homegrown Talent:
Instead of exporting our future, I will champion our homegrown talent through economic and workforce retention strategies such as cancelable service loan programs for high demand sectors like nursing and education and a five year residency program for law enforcement from an equitable lens not just merit based. The county needs to invest in long term revenue generation through stabilized property taxes of those who remain in our beautiful county.Build Dougherty:
We have a chance to not just tear down blight but to transform the properties for the use of building community. I aim to advocate to use a portion of our blight budget from demolish only to model a clear to construct pipeline. We want opportunities not deprivation.Jails to Jobs:
The Dougherty County jail system accounts for a large portion of the budget. However it is not the only way we can retain funds. I plan to be aggressive and proactive in pursuing federal funds from programs like the Department of Justice's second chance act community based reentry program. I will advocate that the funds be used for reintegration services allowing us to improve our workforce participation and public safety.Tax Transparency:
State legislation coupled with inflation has caused the county to make difficult decisions to raise property taxes. However you, as a resident, deserve honesty and clarity about where tax dollars are going. I plan to propose a tax payer transparency portal for the county to know exactly how we spend your hard earned dollars meant to benefit your life, where you live.Transparency in general:As a service position, commissioners work for the residents. I am committed to making sure there is better access to commissioners and the decisions being made on your behalf. I am committed to town halls for information dissemination and making lines of contact more viable.We have paid the current commissioner nearly $120,000 and I haven't been to a Townhall, a meet and greet or received a newsletter. It's the job of a commissioner to represent us on the board. How can someone do that if they never speak to us? That ends in November.My Promise:
If elected to serve, I won’t just show up for meetings; I’ll show up for you. I will be your reachable guide into the machinery of our county government. Instead of waiting for you to come to me, I will come to you with a town hall every quarter, giving you a direct line to leadership without the commute.I am running to ensure that your voice is heard and that our leadership remains responsive, visible, and accountable. I don't just want to represent District 4; I want to empower it.I am Anthony Patterson, and I am ready to work for you.

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