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MIKE'S POSITION ON ISSUES
POSITIONS
Some solutions are simple, too often made complicated by “politics”. I try to simply do “the right thing”. Here are my positions on numerous issues. Please contact me with your opinions. I would be glad to hear from you.
Re-zoning
Re-zonings for higher building density should be rare - but in fact have been too frequent in the past. Since my election, I have voted against EVERY increase in density requested in a re-zoning application. Developers interested in the future of our county must understand that managing growth promotes a better quality of life for everyone – and in turn – better development.
Zoning decisions ultimately drive just about everything. School crowding, congested roads, commercial creep into neighborhoods, loss of air and water quality, increased crime and general QUALITY OF LIFE, all are impacted for better or worse by zoning decisions your county commission makes.
In the past, too many re-zonings undermined “The Plan” – the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) and Zoning Map. A property owner has a right to apply for a re-zoning. They do not have a right that it will be approved without a good reason.
Good zoning is a key to preserving the many quality of life aspects around our neighborhoods and businesses. Increased housing density, traffic congestion, school crowding, diminishing air and water quality, loss of tree cover, noise and light pollution are all shaped by the effects of zoning changes. Because of the economy, there have been very few re-zoning requests. However, the present planning and zoning commission understands the need to adhere to our CLUP unless there are unusual circumstances to recommend override it. The commissioners very rarely go against their recommendations.
Annexation
Annexations for the purpose of increasing residential densities have been an issue since before 2000.
Years ago, an annexation was likely to be driven by alcohol sales, “better” city schools or water lines. More recently, annexations have been driven by two goals – by developers seeking higher building densities than allowed by the county and a city’s desire for more tax revenues and population.
I am opposed to annexation in most cases because of the impact of increased residential densities on our schools and on our roads. For the most part, the cities in Douglas County do not provide any additional essential services (law enforcement, water, schools, fire/EMT, etc.) to this increased population; the taxpayers of the county (including city residents) shoulder the increased financial burden for the added services and infrastructure driven by higher residential densities.
Protecting Neighborhoods from Commercial Encroachment
Protecting neighborhoods is a high priority for me. We have a zoning map which homeowners should be able to rely on when making the biggest investment of their lives – buying their home. We should “stick to the map” consistently, but occasionally property owners will exercise their constitutional right to request a rezoning to a different use.
I do not look favorably on commercial development coming too close to residential areas. Where commercial developments are approved, they must have adequate buffers and transition areas to protect the quality of life of nearby residents. Clearly, properties on state highways are more appropriate sites for commercial development than single family housing.
Prospective buyers, both residential and commercial must research where they plan to buy and build. The reference document must always be the Future Land Use Map and the existing zoning map.
Environment & Character
This is not just a “tree-huggers” issue, but a serious economic issue. Loss of a healthy environment drives up costs related to air quality, water quality and general health – particularly of children and the elderly. General quality of life is diminished as the environment is compromised.
It is critically important to manage our water resources. Water conservation must become a primary focus in planning. Even with our present water storage capacity, all it will take is another extended drought combined with the un-foreseen implications of a tri-state water agreement or court rulings and we could be far worse off than we have ever been. Over development and poor site management will have serious impacts on our water quality. Effectiveness of erosion control measures and protection of stream buffers and wetlands are essential. Equally important, future development must recognize larger flood plain zones and building sites must be planned in a way to prevent future catastrophic loss of any homes due to floods.
The treatment of our environment – good or bad – drives the “character” of our communities. The fundamental question is simple: Do we want to preserve a unique character among metro counties or do we want to look just like Cobb or Gwinnett? I’m for remaining “different” by retaining those things that make us unique.
Parts of Douglas County retain a very rural character, in part because of present zoning. I want to preserve these areas by maintaining the present zoning and enhance opportunities for building conservation subdivisions. Green spaces are a legacy for future Douglas County citizens and the preservation of water quality, tree cover, habitat and passive recreation areas will ensure that we remain unique among the metro Atlanta counties.
Development / Smart Growth
Good development can enhance a community’s character and quality of life, just as poor development can diminish it. There is a “balance” between growth and quality of life. A good balance improves our ability to attract better growth. Bad decisions hurt our ability to bring in good quality development. I have worked consistently to upgrade the quality of development for our county by improving our architectural standards.
I see the biggest challenge is correcting the imbalance between residential and non residential growth. Put another way, we have too many homes and not enough businesses, thus our tax digest depends too much on homeowners. We must do all that we can to recruit the best “mix” for our county’s future.
We must try to overcome being just a bedroom community to Atlanta. We are well positioned because of interstate access and proximity to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. We must realize that businesses look at the quality of schools, roads and recreational opportunities as location criteria. We have work to do here; but progress is being made.
We all know we cannot stop development, but surprisingly I am still asked to deny rezonings which comply with our Future Land Use Map. This would only lead to costly litigation, at taxpayer expense, with a court-ordered rehearing in favor of the developer. My goal is to limit commercial development to where it is planned, and not allow encroachment into residential areas.
Impact Fees
I have favored impact fees for years and have stated so in public meetings. There is nothing wrong with asking newcomers to help fund the bulk of infrastructure needs their arrival causes. By law, impact fees must be applied to both residential and all non-residential building.
The impact fee collections would come from new home and commercial development as required by state law. The challenge of enacting impact fees is one of balance. They must be adequate enough to provide much needed infrastructure which in turn encourages a cycle of quality development. They cannot be so high that they discourage new commercial growth or impede expansion of existing hometown businesses. These issues can be addressed in the policies of how and when impact fees will be imposed.
Some criticism of impact fees is that they are just another tax slush fund for elected officials to pay for pet projects. WRONG! The funds collected from impact fees must go towards specific projects and are time limited. State laws are very specific regarding accountability to taxpayers.
Unfortunately, impact fees are not permitted by Georgia’s Constitution to address school system needs; this needs to change.
Roads
Whatever I say on this topic will not be good enough. I drive the same streets everyday as you, and I am just as frustrated. Before I was elected commissioner, I attended many public meetings to oppose the decisions the previous commission made in approving so much high density development that our roads would not bear. I am living with my predictions now; as a commissioner I deal with road problems almost daily.
Good news! Some real traffic improvements are nearing completion on one of the most heavily traveled corridors in our county -Chapel Hill Road. Much needed work is underway to improve the King’s Highway-Central Church Road intersection. But this is all “history”.
Looking forward – The County recently adopted its first ever Comprehensive Transportation Plan. This is our map to the future with planning that goes out 20-25 years. This plan will of course require funding and with today’s economy, that will be slim. But as our economy returns, annual funding must be dedicated to our Transportation Capital fund. With these two things - the comprehensive plan and “seed” money, we can leverage to acquire more regional, state and federal money to improve our road system. These improved roads will be essential in attracting better commercial development and the jobs that come with them. Without these road improvements, I am afraid the jobs will go elsewhere and I don’t plan on letting that happen.
Parks and Recreation
I led the effort to approve the SPLOST that brought many of the enhancements we see at our community parks today. Part of this effort was to acquire permanent green space under a previous Georgia green space matching funds program. Without the SPLOST, our county could not have acquired 1300+ acres of green space, 500+ of which are in our district’s Boundary Waters Park, where we have eight new ball fields that hosted state tournament play and thus out of town visitors.
I am a strong believer in very good recreation facilities and programs. These are big factors in Quality of Life measures and they provide positive influences in our children’s lives. I would rather put the money in P&R than in the juvenile court system! Parks programs have expanded over the last five years significantly. I intend for that to continue at the same time facilities and programs are upgraded for our special populations.
Libraries
I feel we should have at least two more libraries – one in the Southern part of Douglas County and one in the Western part. A new main library in the 3rd district is needed for the simple reason that this is where the greatest population growth has happened. We presently have two libraries – one in the North (Douglasville) and one in the East (Lithia Springs), both above I-20.
Our population was approximately 28,000 when the two original libraries were built. We have too few libraries for a county with a population of over 125,000. I see libraries as more than a place to house books. Well-designed libraries become a community focal point and centers for many activities that bring people together. These ingredients are essential to improving quality of life in Douglas County. We are in planning stages for a new branch library in the western part of the county on Hwy.5.
Animal Shelter
Pretty straight forward here, especially if you’ve ever been to our present shelter. We need a new shelter badly. The present one is poorly designed, outgrown and deteriorating. It needs to be replaced and at the same time we must begin to prohibit the adoption of animals that are not already spayed or neutered. | 
