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• Non-partisan election for 4-year term (2008, 2012, 2016, ...)

• Establishing policy for the operation of the government
• Helping make decision about land-use in the city-county (zoning issues)
• Assisting constituents (particularly) and others in solving problems related to government
• Deciding how taxpayer money will be spent
• Being available to the public in an educational way

• ACC has a large budget.  I am a part (there is a mayor and 10 commissioners) of developing that budget.  I have essentially no control of the budget except for my role as 1 of 10 commissioners.  The money comes from a variety of sources: property taxes, sales taxes (regular and SPLOST), grants, fines, user fees, etc.  I suggest that you visit the budge online for details.

• Ability to listen and understand problems that need to be solved
• Interest in and record of community service
• Honesty and integrity (actually number one)
• Ability to work with others (even some you don't respect or like)
• A strong work ethic (willing to work hard to serve)

• A commissioner can spend full time or little time doing the job.  We have examples of both among the 10 commissioners in ACC.  I spend about twice the time I spent as a regular employee (Professor of Plant Pathology at UGA) some 80 to 100 hours per week.
• The base pay for a commissioner in ACC is $15,000 (one of the highest in the state).  Additionally, a commissioner is paid (by state law) and additional $100 per month if he or she has completed certain educational courses offered by the UGA Vinson Institute.  There are also cost of living increases that come yearly.  I have finished the courses, etc.  My total annual pay is $17,837.04

My new term started on January 1, 2005.
The top issues since then have been:
• Zoning issue related to Prince Ave. medical building
• Zoning issues related to Cedar Shoals Drive (in my district)
• The 3-laning of Prince Ave.
• Government takeover (from GDOT) of the Prince Ave. - Milledge Ave. corridor
• The 3-laning of Hawthorne Ave.

• Follow the issues.  Learn the candidates and their attributes.  Do not depend entirely on newspaper accounts (as newspapers increasingly have their own agendas).  Having a truly educated voter is extremely important.  Unfortunately, most voters are not really all that prepared to make a selection when they go to the polls.  Sad, but true.  Perhaps this is why we have the kind of government (at all levels) that we have?  Folks complain a lot about governments and politicians but let both get away with murder because of their lack of attention (all this is my own opinion).