slideshow

Deedee Williams is proud of Troup County, like she’s proud of her children, and that’s why she said she’s running for Troup County Commission District 3.

Williams, the Democratic candidate for the seat, said she wants to help bring Troup County to the next level. A Troup County native, educated and working in the county her whole life, Williams said that it’s in her DNA.

Williams said the county needs more jobs for residents. The West Point resident said she is grateful for Kia and the jobs it brought to the county in the wake of the textile industry collapse, saying unemployment could be much worse if it had not come.

Now is a time of reinvention for the local area, she said, but there is a gap in the skill level in what the new companies need and what many residents offer.

She said making people feel they can relocate locally, instead of commuting to jobs in Troup County, is important. Adding diversity of jobs available also is important, also attracting those who grow up in Troup County and get a college degree to come back and live and work is important.

The county also needs to plan for smart growth, Williams said, and that’s where her experience on the Troup County planing boards comes into play. She said there are lots of examples in other communities of poorly planned growth.

The county needs to have a plan it can update and adhere to that plan, she said, and offer amenities that will make it attractive for people to move here.

Troup County can be a place of potential opportunities for everybody across all socio-economic levels, genders and ages with good planning, Williams said. She said the county is a good place to live and pointed to its designation as one of the 100 Best Communities, but said there are still some areas that need work.

With good planning, the county can be “the complete package” so people agree it’s a great place to work, raise and family and start a business, Williams said.

Williams said she will bring civility and ethics with her to the commission seat. She added that she would be fiscally responsible for the county’s money and manage it as her own.

She also pledged to ask questions of how county money is being spent. She said she would attack an problems and due her due diligence and research to make a determination on any issue and said a long background in human resources gives her experience in those areas.