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Commission candidate speaks out and sparks change
Posted: 08.15.2012 at 11:05 AM
Jessica Fairley

Jessica Fairley is a reporter with FOX 31 News

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Lee County Commissioner discuss agenda items.  / Jessica Fairley
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ALBANY, GA. --

Lee County Commission candidate approached the board about discrepancies in the Lee County Sign Ordinance and during Tuesday night’s meeting commissioners made changes to the ordinance.

Tim Nelson, a commission candidate for District 4, says commissioners failed the community by not standing by the ordinance that they passed in 2011.

“It all goes back to the electronic TSPLOST signs. I laid out the whole process from beginning to the end for the board. The signs were illegal,” says Nelson, .

He says the board broke state laws when passing the ordinance.

After listening to the Nelson speak, commissioners decided to making three amendments to their sign ordinance. First by changing wording that they have no control over where political signs can go and how long they stay up and they also made several other changes.

“Political signs are not defined as temporary signs because temporary signs have a time limitation and under the Supreme Court of Georgia decision we can't have a time limitation with respect to political signs,” says Jimmy Skipper, Lee County Attorney.

In addition to approaching the board about the sign ordinance, Tim Nelson also made a plea to the board to place Sunday alcohol sales on the November ballot.

He says lawmakers left it up to voters to decide whether or not they would have Sunday alcohol says but Lee County Commissioners took away that right by not having it on the ballot.

“By their silence they chose not to do that. They don't want to listen to the people,” says Tim Nelson.

During the commission meeting, Dennis Roland was the only board member to speak about the issue.

“I'm here to represent the people and until enough people say they want it. I see no need to have a vote on it,” says Lee County Commissioner Dennis Roland.

He says if 25 people from his district approach him about placing Sunday alcohol sales on the ballot, then he will push for the issue.

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