LOWNDES COUNTY, GA – Citing the need to protect taxpayers and promote growth for Lowndes County, Tally M. “Mark” Wisenbaker, Jr., announced his candidacy for Lowndes County’s Third Commission District seat in the April 20 Republican Primary. Wisenbaker, 62, a founder and managing partner of Custom Relocation Specialists, LLC, is a life long resident of Lowndes County.
“Over the past 43 years I have started, owned or worked for several successful businesses,” Wisenbaker said,” I know what it’s like to meet a payroll, make a loan payment and make difficult management and personnel decisions.” He believes this “common sense, business approach” to decision making is just what the county needs.
Wisenbaker wants the County Commission to take the lead in “creating an environment where all businesses, big and small, feel welcomed and wanted.” Alluding to the recent Lowndes County/Deep South Sanitation dust up, Wisenbaker added that the county “should be in the business of issuing business licenses, not rescinding them.”
Filling in the blanks in Lowndes’ industrial parks is also one of Wisenbaker’s priorities. Making sure the Industrial Authority has the tools it needs is important, he said, as well as demonstrating to those looking to relocate that the county and the municipalities can get along. He cited negotiations over SPLOST funding as an example where cooperation is important.
“It’s time to hang out the ‘No Vacancy’ sign on our industrial parks,” Wisenbaker said.
Maintaining an adequate infrastructure, such as making sure the Lowndes water/sewer operations are properly maintained to meet future demands, is also one of Wisenbaker’s priorities. The City of Valdosta is recently dealt with a water/sewer treatment plant issue which spawned threatened EPA fines and local lawsuits. Wisenbaker believes the county should be proactive rather than “leading from behind” on infrastructure issues.
Being business friendly, planning ahead and establishing municipal-county cooperation benefits the entire county, Wisenbaker believes, because it encourages growth and jobs.
“The naturally expanding tax base protects against tax hikes yet makes sure Lowndes County can provide the services our citizens expect and demand,” he said, pledging to be a “faithful steward of [the county’s] tax dollars”.
Recalling a verse in Proverbs stating “where there is no vision, the people perish”, Wisenbaker pledged to take a vision “for a growth and prosperity that benefits all our citizens and businesses alike” with him to the County Commission. “After all,” he said,
” ‘a rising tide lifts all boats’.”
Wisenbaker and his wife of 43 years, Carol, reside near Dasher, Georgia. They attend and are active in the First Baptist Church of Valdosta. They have two children and six grandchildren. This is Wisenbaker’s first run for public office.
Source: Press Release
