Clayton elections could bring dramatic change

The result could be the biggest county leadership shakeup in years, and inject new blood into a community that residents say has fallen behind its metro Atlanta peers because of a lack of vision.

“We have been a Tier 1 county, meaning at the bottom, for 14 years,” Clayton resident and Mixx 106 radio host Donald “Dee Cee” Craddock said, referring to a state designation for counties in economic distress.

“We need fresh, new voices that understand that it’s about the people and it’s about bringing better services to Clayton County,” he said.

Clayton has struggled to attract significant businesses or jobs while much of the rest of metro Atlanta has experienced growth. Instead, the county has made headlines for dysfunction on the county commission, Hill’s felony federal convictions, and the collapse of a proposed $800 million development.

Another embarrassing incident happened in October when Clayton Commissioner Felicia Franklin alleged she had been given a “date rape” drug during a night out at a Morrow sports bar that resulted in her passing out on the sidewalk at Southlake Mall. An investigation by Morrow Police concluded that Franklin lost consciousness because she drank too much, not because someone tampered with her drinks.

Franklin, who is one of the commissioners stepping down from her seat, has said she stands by her belief she had been drugged.

“I’m being hopeful that maybe this thing about new people coming may change the trajectory of where Clayton County goes from here,” said Pat Pullar, a Clayton resident and former Georgia Democratic Party deputy director. “This is a perfect storm for something good to happen.”

There have been bright spots. Clayton economic development officials announced in early January that the county is adding hundreds of jobs after snagging new locations for, and expansions of, national and international manufacturing companies, including a supplier of eyeglasses and a business that stamps names on steel in cars.

But voters say some longtime problems have gotten worse in recent years.

They argue the overcrowded Clayton County jail needs a turnaround specialist while the commission is crying out for members with business acumen and the legal skills to handle a continued parade of new and outstanding lawsuits against Hill and the jail.

Clayton also needs leaders who will vet projects such as the much-maligned $800 million Roman United mixed use development proposal that collapsed embarrassingly after numerous problems were revealed, including questionable financing and the lack of vetting by the county’s economic development officials. By the time Clayton officials parted ways with the project developers, the county had handed over $559,000 in advance payments for a business incubator that was never built.

Credit: Courtesy Roman United, Yamasaki and Bad Consult

Credit: Courtesy Roman United, Yamasaki and Bad Consult

Drew Andrews, a Clayton homeless advocate, said even duties such as preparing space for the unhoused during bad weather seems to catch leaders off guard in a way not experienced in neighboring metro Atlanta communities. Andrews appeared before the commission in January asking the county to open emergency shelter during a severe cold snap that had been a topic for days.

“We don’t have that same intentional approach,” he said of dealing with homeless issues, “because if we did we wouldn’t be struggling to getting warming centers every year until the 11th hour.”

Along with Franklin, Commission Chairman Jeff Turner and Commissioner Alieka Anderson are leaving their respective positions on the commission board. Turner has said he plans to run for Clayton Sheriff while Anderson and Franklin are leaving their District 1 and District 3 seats to run for chairman. The fifth commissioner, DeMont Davis, won’t be up for reelection until 2026.

Exactly who will run for the vacated seats won’t be fully known until qualifying ends this week.

Clarence Cox, chief investigator for the Fulton County Solicitor General’s Office, also has indicated he will enter the sheriff’s race.

Anderson, who’s term is not up until 2026, also will have to step down as District 1 commissioner if she qualifies to run for commission chair, according to the Clayton County Elections & Registration Office. That would set up a special election that would run concurrent with the May vote, the office said.

Clayton resident Marla Thompson-Kendall, an adjunct professor at Life University, said a shake up would be good for the county. But she cautioned that it’s not just about new faces, but the quality of the candidates.

“In some ways we are hopeful” we get new faces, she said. “Some of the people who plan to run ain’t ready for prime time.”

David Shock, a professor of political science at Kennesaw State University, said it’s also important to keep in mind that change is not always positive.

“It’s an opportunity for the county to lay out a new road ahead, but it’s going to be up to the commissioners working together to achieve,” he said. “But one person can’t do that, you’ll need three working together at least.”