Tuesday, August 21, 2012
See who's still left in the race, find out where to vote and see sample ballots.
Today Cobb County voters decide the fate of several candidates who made it to the runoff election including Cobb County Chairman candidates Tim Lee and Bill Byrne. On the Republican ballot, Smyrna-Vinings voters will chose their party’s nominee for Cobb County Chairman. The party’s nominee will be the Chairman by default because no Democrats sought nomination to the office. Lee led in the July 31 primary with 39.71 percent of the vote with Byrne coming in second with 26.52 percent. Republican voters will also choose between Rebecca Keaton and John Skelton for Cobb Superior Court Clerk. There is no Democrat on the November ballot. Democrats who live in northwest Smyrna will decide who represents them in the race for District 41 State …
Thursday, August 16, 2012
The Cobb Commission Chairman is denouncing his predecessor's anti-gay vote in the early 1990s.
Cobb Commission Chairman Tim Lee won't debate his Aug. 21 Republican runoff opponent in his bid to keep his job. But Lee is spending the final days before his head-to-head electoral clash with Bill Byrne attacking him in other ways. After Byrne proposed a City of East Cobb last week, Lee has elected to step back in time, reminding voters of an anti-gay resolution the Cobb Commission passed in 1993 that cost the county an Atlanta Olympics volleyball venue at the Cobb Galleria Centre. Byrne, who was chairman from 1992-2002, voted for the resolution, which was a general condemnation of "the gay lifestyle." "The Olympics pulled volleyball out of Cobb County -- and all that economic impact and all the positive things that could have been …
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Incumbent Tim Lee received 40 percent of the vote; Bill Byrne was edging Mike Boyce for second place.
The bruising battle for Cobb Commission Chairman is far from over. Incumbent Tim Lee garnered nearly 40 percent of the vote in a four-candidate race for the Republican nomination in Tuesday's primary. But it wasn't enough to prevent an Aug. 21 runoff. Complete results had not been tabulated by early Wednesday. But partial returns had Lee with 27,619 votes, or 39.9 percent. Former chairman Bill Byrne received 18,205 votes, or 26 percent, while first-time candidate Mike Boyce had 16,178 votes, or 23 percent. Larry Savage, who ran against Lee in 2010, collected 7,212 votes, or 10 percent. (For updated totals, visit the Georgia Secretary of State's elections website.) The winner of the runoff will be the next chairman, since no Democratic …
Thursday, July 26, 2012
The final Cobb Commission Chairman candidates forum before the July 31 primary featured some heated sparring between the likely frontrunners.
The usual topics of taxes, transportation and immigration didn't dominate the final debate on Wednesday featuring the four candidates for Cobb Commission Chairman. With just six days remaining before Tuesday's Republican primary, the most explosive rhetoric centered on allegations by incumbent chairman Tim Lee that his chief opponent, former chairman Bill Byrne, made disparaging remarks about Cobb County when attempting to qualify to run for the Polk County Commission in 2008. Lee's campaign mailed out a flyer to Republican voters over the weekend quoting Byrne's testimony before the Polk County Board of Elections, which was examining his residency claims: "The last thing I wanted to do is live in Cobb County. I want to make damn sure …
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
With the July 31 primary election less than a week away, the former Cobb commission chairman, who is seeking the office again, responded to these questions on TSPLOST and more.
Former Cobb Commission Chairman Bill Byrne is one of four Republicans running for the office, the others being retired Marine Mike Boyce, incumbent Tim Lee, and retired businessman Larry Savage. With no Democrats in the primaries, it appears the GOP winner will take office. Primary elections are Tuesday. What are the most important issues facing Cobb in the coming years? The most important issues facing Cobb County is to stop the loss of property values, reducing the 16 percent unemployment rate and to address the massive foreclosure rate. Getting the county budget under control is the first step, and reducing property taxes will send a clear message to all. What's your position on TSPLOST? I am totally opposed to the TSPLOST and have …
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
With primary elections almost a month away, incumbent Tim Lee's opponents continued their criticisms of 2011's hike in property taxes, as well as the proposed transportation tax.
The three Republican challengers vying for Cobb commission chairman continued to blast incumbent Tim Lee at a forum Tuesday for 2011’s property tax increase, and offered firm opposition to the proposed transportation tax. One of the three, financial consultant Mike Boyce, led the attack on the current administration in his opening comments, saying cuts should override tax increases as the solution to financial woes. “I’ve spoken to businessmen across the county, and anyone who runs a business or their family budget knows that if you have a 10 percent shortfall, you find a way to cut back your expenses,” he said. “I’ve spoken to no one in this county who says what you do is go out and borrow money and have a stimulus program or raise the …
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Cobb commission chairman Tim Lee has been accused of poor management by former Cobb commission chairman Bill Byrne.
Cobb commission chairman Tim Lee announced his re-election bid last week by scheduling an initial campaign fundraiser and by calling out one of his rivals. Lee will hold a fundraiser Monday at the home of Marietta couple Mary Lou and Dan Stephens. He's already drawn the opposition of former Cobb commission chairman Bill Byrne for the Republican nomination, with the county's fiscal situation a central issue "As we meet the challenges of today and focus on tomorrow, we cannot pretend we’re living in the past. The same old politicians, the same old political ego games, and the same old angry rants won’t solve these problems. We can not allow Demagoguery to become a substitute for real leadership in these critical times. This election is a …
SmyrnaCitizen
9:30 am on Friday, August 17, 2012
I am so tired of the negative jabs that Tim Lee continually makes against Bill Byrne. It is time for Lee to talk about the issues rather than try to deflect what should be the focus of the election. more ›