Crime Statistics For Henry County

Mr. Britt, I have been following the crime statistics for Henry County for some time now.  Many people have been wanting this influx of people that we have today.  They have also brought their crime with them from Clayton, DeKalb, and Fulton Counties.  Since 2003, Henry County has seen an increase of 94% in crime including 93% in violent crimes.  The Crime index for Henry County cities shows McDonough with 20 (100) being safest); Stockbridge 16 (100 being safest); and Hampton 47 (100 being safest); Ellenwood 21 (100 being safest).  Henry County in 2013 alone had 12,802 listed crimes.  The bulk of the crime being theft.

The counties districts are interesting to view.  District 1 makes up approximately 15% of the crime; District 2 makes up approximately 10% of the crime; District 3 makes up approximately 18% of the crime; District 4 makes up approximately 21% of the crime; and District 5 makes up 36% of the crime in the county.  Burglary and Larceny make up a huge part of the pie in the amount of crimes committed.  As we can see a higher number for the 4th and 5th districts due to the influx of people from DeKalb, Clayton and Fulton Counties.  Gang activity, theft and violent crime with drugs involved are a big problem in that area of the county.  Henry county wants to hide the numbers, but the FBI publishes the facts for the people to decipher.

The key here is there needs to be an elimination of the gangs, drug houses, and other street crime in that area.  When the people came they really brought some bad seeds with them and now the area is paying the price for all the greed of the past years.  And the 5th district commissioner recently said in a talk to the Neighbor Newspaper that he doesn’t understand why the people in Henry County didn’t want to be like Atlanta.  The problems brought here by people from Atlanta should answer that question.  The people who live in Henry County wanted to live in a quiet atmosphere not a region like Metropolitan Pkwy (Old Stewart Ave) that is settling into Stockbridge along N. Henry Blvd.  A prostitute can be found on Fridays and Saturdays at the Wal mart.

Henry County must reverse the crime element in this area before anything good will come of it.  Crime is something that cannot be swept under the rug or discussed over and over again in town hall meetings.  Action must be taken and taken soon before there is no way to prevent it.  And why hasn’t the area been better protected and the elements of crime removed?  Maybe ask that at the next town hall meeting.

John Weebly
Henry County, GA Resident

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Another Lawsuit For Stockbridge Georgia

Just when you think it is safe to cross the street in Stockbridge then this happens out of the blue: “Former Stockbridge City Clerk Rhonda Blackmon filed a complaint against the city last month, alleging retaliation and racial discrimination in her non-reappointment last year.
Blackmon, who is white, started as interim clerk Aug. 31, 2012, and became the city clerk Oct. 22 that year. The complaint alleges that she was informed “Jan. 3, 2014, that she had been terminated by the newly elected, majority African-American City Council.”
Named as defendants in the suit, filed Dec. 15 at the Atlanta Division of the United States District Court, are Mayor Tim Thompson, who is white, and African-American council members Lakeisha Gantt and Anthony Ford, whom she said were not lawfully sworn into office, according to the city’s charter.
The three were sworn in Dec. 20, 2013, according to the suit, but they should have been sworn in Jan. 13, 2014, at a regular scheduled meeting that is called to order by the city clerk, and at a meeting in January following their election.”
After all the lawsuits of the past few years in Stockbridge and the mud and gore that has gone on it is never safe to say its over.  There have been lawsuit on top of suit since the Eminent Domain Issue of a few years ago.  It seems to never end.  Stockbridge’s reputation as a quaint and quiet little Georgia town has gone south with the winter geese.
Concerned Citizen of Henry County

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Commissioners To Hurt Henry County

Hello at the Henry County Community News Blog,
I am writing today about something that is in the Henry Herald Newspaper about the commissioners and their plans to hurt Henry County.  Moving here five years ago was thought to be a good idea, but we are having second thoughts.  These people are not using common sense and letting their egos rule their thoughts.  They want to give the county manager who is not an elected official too much power, they also want to give the powers to themselves as well and it will cause problems just as it did in Wilmington, N.C.
Here are their ideas for his duties: Included in the proposed resolution to the legislative delegation is for the commissioners to have the authority to appoint, hire and fire the county manager, county clerk and county attorney, as well as delegate their duties and responsibilities. The county manager would have to power to supervise all county departments and personnel (with the exception of the county attorney, county clerk and executive assistant), administer personnel policies and ordinances adopted by the board, and have the power to hire, fire, suspend and discipline county employees (with the exception of the county attorney, county clerk and executive assistant), according to the proposal.
They would be taking key responsibilities from the chairman of the BOC and giving it to themselves in a coup.  In N.C., the people were to vote on this type of legislation before it became law and they didn’t get the chance and took it to court and won.  Thus costing the not only the taxpayers money, but those involved their jobs.  My husband and I see the same thing happening here and the people should say something before it is too late.

Ida McClure

The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following a link on this site.  Any article sent by citizens are their own property.

Commissioners Court Needed In Henry County

I have lived in several cities and states over the years, but this county and it’s cities are something like I or my friends have never witnessed before.  This county has an excellent D.U.I. Court and I watched the presentation of January 20th by Judge Ernest Blount about how it is operated and the video was very impressive.  They are to be commended fully with taking and working with a disease called alcoholism.

The issue that came to mind while watching this video is this; can a court take the sitting commissioners and work with them.  The only person on that board with any previous and long term government experience is the Chairman Mr. Smith.  The rest are like a B-Movie script that went wrong.  They are about as unprofessional as they can possibly be and they hire people to be yes men to them.  That has all the ear-marks of children on the playground who have to have a bully take care of them.  These people need to be molded back into shape before they can properly lead a large county.  And what really looks bad is for them to have a cheerleader for the playground bully.  In the Christmas Story, they called him a toadie.

When they do devise a program to rehabilitate them hopefully they will have plenty of little wagons and buckets with shovels to play in the sand of the 9th fairway sand trap. This would save money.  They could also eat some of the food the schools give our children to eat.  That would help to shed a few pounds and maybe grow some hair on the new know it all who said he worked on a county plan that involves millions before he was sworn into office.  And his newly found friend who gives Clairol a lot of trade admitted it.  My brother called me afterwards and asked me what is wrong with these people.  And I told him that from the way it looks this has been the normal for sometime here in this county that could be something.  My brother asked me if there was in breeding in this area and I said possibly and he said that explains a lot.

Joseph Phillips
Oakwood Community

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Clarification By Chairman Tommy Smith

 Dear friends,

 Commissioner Preston told me about 30 seconds before I called the December 16, 2014 meeting to order that he would be amending the agenda to present an issue and resolution. He gave me a package that I had not seen before the meeting. The resolution called for a new act to be created that would strip the Chairman of all the duties that was approved by the voters in the November 1990 election and give all of the power to run Henry County to a County Manager. The vote was 5 yes votes to approve and 1 no vote. I voted no. I signed the resolution as Chairman, even though I voted no simply because it is the duty of the Chairman to sign all Board resolutions as well as the County Clerk has a duty to attest. I am adamantly against taking the power from an elected official and giving it to a hired "At Will" employee. The current County Manager was hired by 4 Commissioners. The current Chairman was hired by almost 46,000 citizens. In the event you agree with me it is imperative that to contact your state representatives and state senators and share your thoughts with them. If they are successful any future election of a county wide Chairman will be merely a voting exercise. Please feel free to share with your family and friends.
Thank you,

Tommy N. Smith

Henry County Act 1990

Commissioners Seek Legislative Action On Board Authority

Click Link to see Document

Resolution Requesting Henry County's Local Legislative Delegation To Submit Local Legislation Clarifying The Authority Of The Board Of Commissioners, The County Manager And The Chairperson.

We Are At A Standoff

This is an article that I wished I did not have to write.  It concerns the upkeep of our abandoned cemeteries here in Henry County, GA.  I am  Alfred Britt, the Founder of the Cemetery Research Group of Henry County and one of our tasks is to see that abandoned cemeteries are cleaned by the appropriate authorities.  In many cases, the abandoned cemeteries are cleaned by the Juvenile Court who do a pretty fair job.   But there are cemeteries out there that haven’t been taken care of and need work.  These are the graves of our ancestors who fought, worked and died for this land that they are buried upon.  It is a total disgrace for this county that wants to be world class in nature can’t even take care of the old cemeteries that are dotted across the landscape.

One such cemetery is the Dodson-Gossett-Hanson Cemetery that lies at the corner of Flat Rock Road and Belair Drive in the 5th district of Henry County.  My senior researcher contacted the Commissioner Mr. Holmes about that cemetery back in the summer.  He passed the buck along to people who have no idea what they are doing about cemeteries.  And then the Chairman was contacted by the researcher.  Mr. Smith tried to get something done, but was blocked along the way by the County Manager Mr. Walker.  Now he wants us to have a world class county then we need to step up and fix our ancestors graves.  That cemetery contains an early pioneer to the area before Henry County was created in Mr. Hanson.  Then Mr. Gossett is buried there who was a commissioner for the City of Stockbridge and a founder of the Stockbridge Presbyterian Church. It’s sad that these historical figures lie in a patch of weeds and over growth that could be easily cleaned now that it is
 winter.

Here again are the laws that were put in place by the State of Georgia pertaining to abandoned cemeteries.  Being a world class county would not go against State Law.

 TITLE 36. LOCAL GOVERNMENT
PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO COUNTIES AND MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS
CHAPTER 72. ABANDONED CEMETERIES AND BURIAL GROUNDS
§ 36-72-1. Legislative findings and intent (a) The care accorded the remains of deceased persons reflects respect and regard for human dignity as well as cultural, spiritual, and religious values. The General Assembly declares that human remains and burial objects are not property to be owned by the person or entity which owns the land or water where the human remains and burial objects are interred or discovered, but human remains and burial objects are a part of the finite, irreplaceable, and nonrenewable cultural heritage of the people of Georgia which should be protected. (b) It is the intent of the General Assembly that the provisions of this chapter be construed to require respectful treatment of human remains in accord with the equal and innate dignity of every human being and consistent with the identifiable ethnic, cultural, and religious affiliation of the deceased individual as indicated by the method of burial or other historical evidence or
 reliable information. HISTORY: Code 1981, § 36-72-1, enacted by Ga. L. 1991, p. 274, § 3.

§ 36-72-3. Authority of counties and municipalities to preserve abandoned cemeteries Counties, anywhere within the county boundaries, and municipalities, anywhere within the municipal boundaries, are authorized, jointly and severally, to preserve and protect any abandoned cemetery or any burial ground which the county or municipality determines has been abandoned or is not being maintained by the person who is legally responsible for its upkeep, whether or not that person is financially capable of doing so, to expend public money in connection therewith, to provide for reimbursement of such funds by billing any legally responsible person or levying upon any of his property as authorized by local ordinance, and to exercise the power of eminent domain to acquire any interest in land necessary for that purpose. HISTORY: Code 1981, § 36-72-3, enacted by Ga. L. 1991, p. 924, § 3; Ga. L. 1992, p. 2508, § 2.

Being involved with seeing that cemeteries are preserved have been my chore for the past 8 years and it has been a hard one.  I tried to have a church stopped from building upon a slave cemetery on Hwy 42, but everything fell upon deaf ears and now those graves were bulldozed up some seven years ago now. It was bad enough that they built I-75 over Native American graves and when re routing Stagecoach Rd. they paved over several slaves graves then at that time. What does that say about our people.  There are other cemeteries across the county that have been threatened and not being taken care of properly.  This should be a duty of all who sit upon the Board and for the County Manager to see that they are properly taken care of.  This problem has surfaced many times and it will continue to surface until those who serve us finally do the right thing and take care of those who came before us.  One day they will pass on and would they like a service station
 or road built over them?  Probably not and that is the point here.  No one deserves to be forgotten in a patch of weeds.  I am asking the people of this county to voice your opinion if you care about those who came before us and where they are buried.  This shouldn’t have to be this way, but it seems that is how they want to conduct business here in Henry County, GA where shame is written upon the faces of those who shirk their duty for the people of today and yesterday.

Alfred Britt, Founder of the Cemetery Research Group of Henry County.

An Open Letter to the Citizens of Henry County

An Open Letter to the Citizens of Henry County
On January 1, 2013, I had the honor of beginning a four-year term to serve you as Chairman of the Henry County Board of Commissioners.  I took an oath to uphold the laws of the land. I take this oath seriously. Honor and duty in service are core principles that guide me every day.
I learned duty and honor as an Eagle Scout.  I was proud to serve in the military. I retired from the FAA as an Air Traffic Controller after 32 years of service. I had the privilege of serving my friends and neighbors as Mayor of Hampton for 24 years.
I was proud to serve as Executive Assistant to the Henry County Board of Commissioners for 7 years. While in that position I was asked to serve in many different capacities including Purchasing Director, Human Resources Director, Code Enforcement Director and Director of Animal Control. These positions gave me great insight into the day to day workings of county government.
Needless to say, I was ready to hit the ground running on day one of serving you as Chairman of this great County.
By County Charter, the Chairman is the Chief Executive Officer of the County.  This has been the case since 1991 when the citizens of this County voted by referendum to amend the Charter to create this position and the duties that go along with it.  The duties of Chairman are different from the duties of district commissioners. By Charter, the Chairman as CEO "may delegate administrative duties" to a County Manager. Every Chairman since 1992 has been allowed to function in their elected position, until now.
Since taking office, I have chosen to exercise my right to vote. The Charter states the Chairman "shall be a full voting member" of the Board. I believe that citizens have a right to know where their Chairman stands. There are district commissioners who do not want me to exercise this right
I take issue with the public accusation made by the District 5 Commissioner against me at the December 16th Board meeting.  He and the other Commissioners seem to think that I want to fire all of the Department Heads in the county.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  As I have said repeatedly, I believe that our employees are our best asset. I am committed to ensuring that we have policies in place that protect employees and the public.  The Board and I have disagreed on several personnel issues.

For example:

The County has an obligation to ensure that your tax dollars are being properly used. When I learned that certain police officers were engaged in sexual misconduct while on-duty and at times, inside County vehicles, I demanded that action be taken. When I learned that some of this misconduct involved the most vulnerable in society and female subordinates, and that upper police management was not taking sufficient action to rid the department of this behavior, I called for a change in leadership in the police department. The Board refused to take action.


I believe it is wrong for a county employee to violate county policy and State law by transporting an infant in the front seat of a county car, on county time.  The lack of judgment is worsened by the fact that the employee lied about the incident until there was a mention of a video tape footage from a local convenience store she attended. I brought this to the attention of the Board.  The Board refused to take action.

I believe that it is unfair to fire a county employee for using a curse word in a meeting with her bosses when one of the bosses had used the same word himself. This was brought this to the attention of the Board.  Once again, the Board refused to take action.

I believe that firing a Department Head and eliminating a Department under the guise of saving money without having any calculations to save money and be more efficient is wrong.

I believe it is illegal when the Department Head who is being fired was the victim of harassment at the workplace by another Department Head.  An independent outside investigation found the incidents of harassment true and the perpetrator Department Head received 40 hours off without pay.  However, now she is fired and he still has his job and additional allegations of harassment within the workplace by other co-workers have been filed. I brought this to the attention of the Board. The Board continues to refuse to act.

I have stood alone in voicing opposition to these matters. I offer no apology.  I take my oath to faithfully uphold the laws seriously. I will continue to serve the citizens to the best of my abilities and in accordance with the responsibilities set forth in the Charter that was approved by you the people, not politicians.

I was elected upon the campaign promises of changing the way we do business in Henry County.  My mission has been to conduct county business in the light of day for all to see, to treat our employees fairly, and to make sure that the county operates in a fiscally conservative manner.

The Commissioners continue to complain and say that I am not a team player. The District 2 Commissioner even met with me early on to say that the Commissioners did not like my leadership style.  When I inquired about the specific complaint he stated that if the majority of the Commissioners agree on a matter that I should be with them and vote along with them.  We are not elected to come to a consensus. Elected officials develop the best solutions when they each bring their perspectives and constituent concerns to the table. We will not always change each other’s mind. However, we will vote and move in the direction of the majority vote.

I certainly understand the art of compromise as it is something that all of us do every day.  I would not have been elected to public office for over 30 years without understanding how and when to give and take.  However, there are some issues upon which I am simply not willing to compromise.   And for that I make no apology.

Thank you.
Chairman Tommy Smith

New Orleans finds homes for all its homeless veterans

In a US first, New Orleans finds homes for all its homeless veterans

     More than 300 mayors have vowed to end veteran homelessness by the end of 2015. New Orleans celebrated the new year by becoming the first city to do so.
Most people celebrate the New Year by making resolutions. The city of New Orleans rang in 2015 by keeping one.
At 6 p.m. on Jan. 2, social workers in New Orleans moved the city’s last known homeless veteran into his new apartment – becoming the first US city to effectively eliminate veteran homelessness.
Homelessness advocates around the country are hailing New Orleans as a model for cities around the country looking to end homelessness, not just for veterans, but for all people needing a permanent home.
The solutions that work for veterans are the solutions that work for all people,” says Laura Zeilinger, executive director of the US Interagency Council on Homelessness. “The problem is absolutely solvable when we invest in the practices that we know work.”

This time last year, nearly 50,000 US veterans had no home to call their own, according to an annual count. On Independence Day, first lady Michelle Obama launched the Mayor’s Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness. Since that time, more than 300 mayors, six governors, and 71 other local officials have joined the pledge to house every veteran by the end of 2015.
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu took that pledge one step further, promising to meet the goal by the end of 2014.
“We owe our Veterans our eternal gratitude for their service and sacrifice to this nation, and making sure they have a place to call home is a small but powerful way we can show our appreciation,” Mayor Landrieu said in a statement Wednesday, announcing that New Orleans had housed all known veterans in the Crescent City.
In total, the city has placed 227 veterans in housing since the start of 2014.
“There’s been a lot of skepticism as to whether this is a problem that we can actually solve and I think that [New Orleans’ progress] is a proof point for us as a nation that this is something that can actually be done,” says Ann Oliva, deputy assistant secretary for special needs at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Part of the reason New Orleans was able to achieve this goal first is because the number of veterans needing housing was relatively tenable.
The annual point-in-time count taken in January 2014 found just 193 homeless veterans. Over the course of the year, outreach workers identified an additional 35 veterans who had not been included in that count. However, in the end, the total number of people needing housing placement was relatively small compared with the numbers seen in larger metropolitan areas. The January 2014 count found 714 homeless vets in Chicago, 1,645 in Los Angeles, and 3,739 in New York.
“There are of course other cities and states that have higher numbers, but the kinds of barriers that they have been able to overcome as a partnership within the city of New Orleans is really just a landmark,” Ms. Oliva says. “If they can do it, I think that other communities can do it. And they can definitely be a model for other communities to tackle this in their own community.”
On any given night, homelessness advocates say, there are as many as 600,000 people in the United State sleeping in emergency shelters, abandoned buildings, and park benches because they have no place to go.
The country as a whole has made strides in addressing chronic homelessness. Since 2005, the number of people categorized as homeless declined by 17 percent, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
But the New Orleans story is the first inkling that total eradication, even for one specific subgroup, is actually possible, Oliva says.
The New Orleans model has been built on an all hands on deck approach that relies heavily on coordination between local, state, and federal agencies as well as the non-profit outreach community and private landlords.
UNITY of Greater New Orleans, the lead agency responsible for coordinating all homeless housing and services in the area, worked with 60 nonprofit and government agencies to meet the mayor’s deadline.
An apartment complex was renovated specifically with the goal of housing homeless veterans and is operated by UNITY.
Now that all known homeless veterans have homes, the city has implemented a rapid response plan to make sure that newly homeless veterans can be placed into housing as quickly as possible. The city has committed to housing every newly identified veteran within 30 days.
In most cases, outreach workers are able to finalize housing placements in as little as two weeks, says UNITY Executive Director Martha Kegel.
“We can’t say that no veteran is ever going to be homeless again,” Ms. Kegel says. “But what we can say is that we are not going to have veterans living as homeless for very long.”
Thanks to the Christian Science Monitor for this Report

Thinking Of The Homeless Tonight

Hello everyone I am Ruth and I am a 75 year old widow who lives in Ellenwood.  Tonight I am worried about our homeless citizens in the area and there are many. When my son takes me to the doctor I see them in the woods around the I-675 and I-75 exits.  Lord I pray they will not freeze to death tonight because there is no homeless shelter in the area.  It seems that Henry County and the local cities can spend money on things we really don’t need, but they cannot have a homeless shelter in an empty building in the area which there are many.  The Christian community needs to step up and speak about this issue soon before they find people frozen to death.  I feel that the NAACP should get involved as well to help those in need.  Not everyone under those exists are there because they want to be.  We see everyone complain about ego built problems yet they can’t see what is needed in front of them.   I thank this man who has this blog so I can have a place
 to voice my opinion because I have sent it to another site that refuses to print what I have to say on this matter. It isn’t what they call politically correct to find false with an area that has many.  No town or county will ever be perfect and Henry and it’s cities are far from it, but there are good people here who do see this same problem.  Please don’t turn your back on those who need help in this very cold weather.  The reason I am so adamant about this is because I am an old black lady who remembers when her uncle froze to death in Chicago because no one would let him in back in 1923 because he was black.  Please remember it doesn’t matter what color you are to be homeless.




Ruth Sims

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After Years Of Getting It Wrong, Stockbridge Finally Gets It Right.

After Years Of Getting It Wrong, Stockbridge Finally Gets It Right.

R.G. Rudy Kelley

Many of my readers are familiar with the saga that has become Stockbridge. Of course I'm referring to the ineptitude of leadership on display at City Hall the past several years, beginning after the defeat of Mayor R. G. "Rudy" Kelley at the polls in 2009, and the death of (arguably) a visionary City Manager, Frank "Ted" Strickland shortly thereafter.

Frank "Ted" Strickland

Throughout the past several years, citizens have been on a roller coaster ride of what may best be described as an old "Twilight Zone" episode, in which the main character is continually caught off guard by strange and unusual events that cannot be explained logically. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention the residents of the county as well, since they have also had to endure the sometimes laughingstock-nature of the politics that have become associated with the city of Stockbridge. Sighs of, “That’s Stankbridge fer-ya!” are quite commonly heard from our neighbors outside the city limits.

So without going into the sordid details and naming names or re-living the past, I just wanted to pen an article that gives readers a little bit of hope! Because I can see a tiny light on the horizon with the recent appointment of Vanessa Holiday, my friend and former opponent during the mayoral race last year.  She was confirmed and reappointed to a position she formerly held: City Clerk for the City of Stockbridge. In my humble opinion, Mayor Thompson and the current City Council members have all displayed an amazing amount of good political instincts, mature decision making and intelligent compromise.

Current City Council

For too long we've had to endure the pettier side of politics. Whether it’s the media's attention on the personal squabbles of individual city council members, or the lengths that a mayor will go through to be vindictive against those whom he feels have wronged him. And of course the only ones that are truly hurt in these exchanges are the citizens themselves; the very people that these elected officials were sworn to protect.

Well, during a recently called Special Meeting held on Thursday, December 18th, at 3:30 pm, the City Council, in its effort to replace the former City Clerk who had resigned, made a very difficult decision. Out of the two dozen or so candidates that applied for the position, only a handful were actually qualified. And even less had actually served as a clerk in some capacity. So when I say that the stakes were high, you can believe me, they were VERY high.

Stumbling out of the gates of last year’s historic election, one that saw more voters participate than had ever done so before, the City Council’s track record with appointments to some of the top government spots last year had been dismal. Interim City Manager Ron Finnell resigned back in mid-January before he could really get started. Mike Bush, the former Henry County Finance Director, now the City Treasurer, left after little more than a year on the job. Then, during this past holiday season, our (former) City Clerk, Stephanie Tigner, decided to leave as well. One of the bright spots in all of this has been the appointment of Michael Harris, the former Henry County Planning & Zoning Services Division Director and Interim County Manager. Talk about a “grinder!” That man, his staff and a full host of other municipal employees continue to faithfully execute the task of being about the City’s business.

So here are some of my thoughts regarding the pros and cons of re-hiring the former Clerk to serve again at this critical juncture, and why I think they made an excellent decision.

Vanessa Holiday

- Character: Vanessa’s character is tested, proven and unimpeachable. As long as it’s ethical, moral and legal, we will not have any difficulties in the way she executes the responsibilities of the clerk’s office. This is not to say that others seeking the position didn’t have the same quality of character, but at this critical time, the citizens can’t afford to have another issue with picking the wrong person for this very public, appointed position.


- Experience: Vanessa brings a wealth of experience to the appointed office of the City Clerk; experience that was forged under the bright lights of public scrutiny during one of the most volatile times in the city’s recent history.  During all of the various lawsuits, employee disciplinary problems, a contentious budget process, a much divided city council, and confusing directives -from both appointed and elected officials, including direct and indirect orders to break the law, she never once chose sides and remained a consummate professional.


- Commitment to the Citizens: She is not “hired gun!” She has displayed on numerous occasions her commitment to this community with both her work ethic and community involvement. Again, that is not to say that anyone working for the city as an employee or in an appointed position must live in Stockbridge or Henry County.  But one of the biggest complaints citizens have with the way our local municipalities handle human resource decisions and other appointments, is the tendency to look outside of the county for talent, when what we need is right under our noses! Add to that the fact that 70% of the residents of Henry County travel outside of the county to commute to their jobs and you realize that appointing a qualified applicant, who lives in the area, Stockbridge City Council would be helping to reduce that number, not adding to it. It also cuts down on a lot of unnecessary problems such as transportation issues that do arise from time to time. She could walk to work if she needed to, and I could think of about 524 people who would give her a lift in to work if she needed one.


- Rapport with Current Staff: It would be a very easy transition for Vanessa to integrate with both the (old) staff and the new team of professionals leading our city, because she has maintained great relationships with almost everyone involved. Simply put, her reputation precedes her.


- Community Involvement: The added benefit of choosing Vanessa is that she is also a resident homeowner living within the City of Stockbridge! Her participation over the years within the community with churches, civic organizations and civil rights groups raises her hiring stock to a level unmatched by any other candidate. Not only would it be impossible to require a potential candidate to commit the amount of time and energy necessary to be a “good will ambassador”, it would be illegal.


- Nearly Certified: She is only three hours short of the mandated 100 hours for her certification. On top of everything else she had to contend with, the fact that she was only three hours short of her certification yet again shows her dedication to the city and the citizens. It normally takes the average person four years to be certified.


-Fair Pay: Generally in life, good things don’t come cheap, and cheap things are rarely ever good –or long lasting. In other words, you get what you pay for. The citizens are fed up with the hiring of “hirelings” who are here today and gone tomorrow. Anyone advocating the hiring of someone solely based on how little they can be paid to start is missing the big picture with regard to loyalty and longevity. That’s not to say that we should break the bank, but it is to say that Vanessa has already proven that she not only deserves her former salary, but that the citizens get the better end of that bargain.  Most can testify to her spending late nights and most weekends to stay on top of all that was needed to attend to the incredible volume of work that was needed to keep up with the exhaustive volume of the city’s records-keeping business.

So congratulations are certainly in order for the Mayor, members of the Stockbridge City Council and most importantly, Vanessa Holiday. I’m sure she would have applied without me encouraging her, but I’ll take solace in the fact that after years of getting it wrong, Stockbridge got it right. Look out Henry County, because the City of Stockbridge is on the move!

Houston Nelson.

Houston is a former candidate for Mayor for the City of Stockbridge, Georgia and community leader. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Henry County branch of the N.A.A.C.P., as 2nd Vice-President and Chair, Political Action Committee, the Democratic Party of Henry County, as 2nd Vice Chair as well as the Progressive Citizens of Stockbridge, as Vice-President. He was also recently appointed by Commissioner Bruce Holmes to serve and represent the 5th District on the Board of Directors for the Henry County Council on Aging as an advocate for senior citizens. He can be reached by email at houstonenelson3@gmail.com

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