Published 10/17/04
By SARAH FAY CAMPBELL
sarah@newnan.com
Tim Higgins has always believed "you're supposed to be involved in your community," and has always had a love of politics.
With the birth of his daughter last year, he decided to get involved more, and felt that the Coweta County Board of Commissioners was the best place to get involved.
Higgins, a Republican, is running against Democrat Sarah Thomas for the fifth district seat being vacated by Democrat Robert Wood.
For Higgins, the foremost issue is growth.
"On the industrial side, we've got to have more of it, to improve the tax base, and bring in more jobs," he said.
"On the residential side, we may need to look at ways to manage it better."
As for commercial growth, "with more residents, the commercial's going to come. We've got to keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn't negatively impact our quality of life, and traffic," he said.
"It comes down to more planning."
He's also concerned about fiscal issues. He's looked at the county budgets for the past few years with an accountant's eye. Around 2006 or 2007, he said, "if growth patterns remain the same, our budget isn't going to balance."
Over the past five years, he said, the county's expenditures have increased nine percent, while revenues have increased only five percent.
But he feels that revenues can be increased without raising property taxes.
One way is by increasing the tax base with more industrial growth.
He'd also like to look at having more collaborative projects between the county and city governments. "It'll spread costs out. We're all serving the same people," he said.
In the fifth district, especially, "the city and county have the same constituency. It's natural we should work together for the common good of everybody."
He'd also like to look at streamlining some government processes, making them more customer oriented and making the county "more like a business."
For example, there's a different department for planning and streets. "Maybe we can bring these units together more efficiently," he said. Helping businesses run more efficiently is part of what he does as a CPA.
But the streamlining would be done "without reducing the head count," he said.
"There's good folks up there. I don't want anybody to think they're going to lose their job, because they're not," he said.
If elected, Higgins wants to have the county commission "start being very proactive and looking at the big picture and moving the county forward. Where do we want to be in five, 10, 15 years? What steps do we need to take now?"
Coweta County is at a crossroads, he said. He's worried that Coweta will end up like Henry or Gwinnett counties. "We're going that direction, if we don't act now."
When it comes to industry, Higgins feels it is imperative for the county to develop, in the very near future, sewer service along Interstate 85. The county has plans to eventually run sewer to that area, for industrial use only.
"That's essential for any industrial development," Higgins said.
He'd also like to see Coweta get a college, where people can get a four year degree staying in the county.
When he spoke to Joe Harless, who is an advocate for bringing a university center to Newnan, Harless said that Newnan is the largest city center in Georgia that doesn't have a university in it.
A college in Coweta "tells a potential industrial client that they're going to develop an educated workforce here" that they can use for their business.
"They say this is going to be our educated workforce, why don't we come here?"
Coweta has a lot going for it -- cheaper prices than some other metro counties, close proximity to the airport and "great people."
"We've got all the natural attributes. If we've got education and sewerage, I think the industrial development will come."
Higgins also wants to make sure that the county continues to maintain a good relationship with our current industries.
Residential development is a hot issue.
The 1.6 acre minimum lot size has "served us well by slowing down growth in residential areas. It's done a good job pushing it into cities where the infrastructure is," Higgins said. But "I don't think it's the only alternative."
He's interested in the plans of the Chattahoochee Hill Country in south Fulton County. Under that plan, people call sell "development rights." If a developer buys the rights to three acres, he can then put four homes on one acre. The other three acres cannot ever be developed.
"You don't increase your overall density. You only have high density in one particular area. I think that's something we could look at going forward with."
On the west side of the county, people might want to have larger lots, while areas around Hwy. 154 could have more dense zoning.
"It's going to take a lot of work to get to that point," Higgins said. That would include having community meetings to see what the residents of Coweta want the county to look like in 10 years. He feels that we can use the comprehensive plan as a tool for this.
Higgins would also like to strengthen the county's tree and landscape ordinances.
You can see the difference in comparing a new shopping center parking lot in the county and one in the city of Newnan.
"I don't think the city's ordinance is strong enough. I know the county's is not," he said.
"I'm a Republican, but I like my trees."
Keeping close tabs on the esthetics of commercial development is also an issue. And when commercial development is proposed, the commission should consider how it will affect the quality of life, and how it will affect traffic.
"We've got to, as a community, come together and decide what we want our community to look like," he said.
Bringing more development to the west side of the county is an issue. With the closing of Quality Foods, many people who don't drive are having a hard time getting to the grocery store.
One way to attract commercial to that part of town is to attract more residential. "Maybe you could do some moderate reduction in lot sizes," he said.
Developing the tourism industry is another issue. He'd love to see a tourism center in the old court house when the Justice Center issues.
"This county has a lot to offer. If we have a central location for people to come in -- they're going to spend money here, and maybe stay overnight."
And he's interested in increasing recreation and parks in the county.
Higgins grew up in a small town in Alabama and attended Jacksonville State University, where he got his bachelor's in accounting. He got his master's at the University of Alabama.
Higgins met his future wife, Kim, while visiting a friend at the University of Georgia.
"She always told me how great Newnan was and how she wanted everybody to move here. I figured out she's right. It is a great place to live. We both love living here in this town," he said. They moved to Newnan four years ago, and are expecting their second child.
Higgins was involved with the College Republicans, and was the Coweta coordinator for the Sonny Perdue campaign. When he decided to run for office, Higgins had to resign his position as treasurer of the Coweta County Republican Party. He's currently the president-elect of the Newnan Civitan Club and a member of the Coweta Council on Aging. He and his wife are active at Newnan First Baptist Church.
Why should people vote for Higgins?
"I guess I could sum it up by saying I'm real concerned for our county. I want to work for our county's future.
"Above everything else, I'm going to listen and do the best I can to serve the constituency of this district. Above all else, I'm going to be honest with them. I may not be able to do everything somebody asks, but at least I'll be honest with them about it," he said.
And he will not support increasing millage rates, Higgins said.
"I'm a father and a husband. I've got the same concerns that many of the folks in Coweta County have. I worry about our children's education and safety, I worry about our jobs. My job is supported by the local economy," he said. "I worry about getting from A to B with traffic issues," he said.