August 3, 2018
By: Dwayne Page
DeKalb County residents apparently want change on the county commission.
Only four of the current fourteen members on the legislative body will be returning for another term September 1.
In Thursday’s election, two members lost their bids for re-election, Betty Jean Atnip in the sixth district and Larry Summers in the seventh district. During the Democratic Primary in May, five other incumbents were swept out of office including Joe Johnson in the second district, Jack Barton in the third district, Wayne Cantrell and Jonathan Norris in the fourth district, and Kevin Robinson in the seventh district. Three other members, Mason Carter in the first district, Jimmy Midgett in the second district, and Bradley Hendrix in the third district did not seek re-election to the commission.
The remaining members, Julie Young in the first district, Anita Puckett and Jerry Adcock in the fifth district, and Jeff Barnes in the sixth district held on to their seats Thursday.
New members include Dennis Slager in the first district, Sabrina Farler and Myron Rhody in the second district, Jenny Trapp and Bobby Johnson in the third district, Janice Fish-Stewart and Scott Little in the fourth district, Matt Adcock in the sixth district, and Bruce Malone and Beth Pafford in the seventh district.
The commission will consist of ten democrats, Slager, Young, Rhody, Trapp, Johnson, Fish-Stewart, Little, Puckett, Barnes, and Pafford and four republicans, Farler, Jerry Adcock, Matt Adcock, and Malone.
In the election Thursday, Slager and Young defeated Tom Chandler , a republican in the first district. Slager had 383 votes, Young 310, and Chandler 305.
Farler and Rhody beat democrat Nora Harvey in the second district. Farler received 373 votes, Rhody 278, and Harvey 248.
Third district voters chose Trapp and Johnson over republican Renee Steff. Trapp had 396 votes. Johnson received 306 and Steff got 225 votes.
In the fourth district, Fish-Stewart and Little beat republican Greg Matthews. Fish-Stewart led the ticket with 420 votes. Little had 349 and Matthews 324.
Both incumbents won in the fifth district, Jerry Adcock and Anita Puckett. They defeated democrat Lloyd Emmons and independent William Rutherford. Adcock had 345 votes. Puckett garnered 252 votes. Emmons received 227 votes and Rutherford 207.
Incumbent sixth district member Jeff Barnes was re-elected with 267 votes along with newcomer Matt Adcock, a republican who had 305 votes. Incumbent Betty Jean Atnip lost her seat with 256 votes.
Seventh district voters chose Malone and Pafford over incumbent Larry Summers. Pafford received 275 votes. Malone had 231 and Summers with 211 votes.
The terms are for four years and the winners will take office September 1.