I urge each registered voter to take the time to look closely at the candidates to determine who you believe has the experience and knowledge to deliver the best results. Some of the characteristics you might look for are: 

Is the candidate truly a public servant?  Public servants have already served the community in some capacity.  Some candidates may be running merely to secure a well-paying job.  A public servant puts Fannin first and has been serving the community prior to running for office.

Current and past work experiences – does he/she possess the basic skills required to perform the duties of the job? A word of caution: experience with road graders and tractors is only relevant if someone is applying to be a road hand and does not lend itself to the skills needed to perform the fiscal duties that are engrained in the offices that are on the ballot. 

What are the candidates saying they will do, if elected? Do they have a plan? Listing personal qualities does not constitute a plan. Making broad statements about issues they will address, if elected, does not constitute a plan. Details about HOW they will address the issues does constitute a plan.

 Have the incumbent candidates performed in the best interest of Fannin County? Consider what they have already done during his/her term(s) of service.

Who can you trust to stand in the gap between special interest groups, who are not putting Fannin first?  Who can you trust to do what is best for Fannin County, at large, not just doing what is best for a small group of individuals or a segment of our county? Have the candidates, as private citizens, worked with current county officials to keep special interest groups in check (i.e., solar and wind farms, Battery Energy Storage Systems, etc.)? Have they voiced their opinions in the public space?  Who has been, and is currently, demonstrating this characteristic?

I avoid supporting candidates whom I believe are seeking office for the following reasons:

Candidates who have no plan for how they will execute the duties of the office for which they seek;

Candidates who are seeking office to push a specific agenda of their own or on behalf of another; and

Candidates who are running solely because they need a job or desire a higher salary.

During the Candidate Forum on January 31, I heard many “motherhood and apple pie” statements that contained nothing of substance…statements and claims that provide no hope for a better future for Fannin County, ten years from now.  I tend to believe that past performance is a good indicator of future performance.  In addition, beware of any candidate claiming that he/she will reduce property taxes by lowering the county tax rate. The tax rate has been reduced each of the past five years (see NOTE below). Bear in mind that school taxes make up the majority of property taxes. Another thing to consider is that the roads cannot be improved with less money (reduced/no taxes). Candidates claiming they can reduce your property taxes are counting on votes from citizens who are ill-informed about taxation.

We have a chance to elect individuals who can make a positive difference in our county government. Let us make the most of this opportunity. When we elect the most qualified candidates, the whole county benefits.

NOTE: County tax rates have declined steadily from 0.5890 in 2020 to 0.3503 in 2025.

Mike Nejtek