Democracy in Action in Savannah, GA with Aaron “Adot” Whitely

David Martin: This is the good government show.

Aaron Whitely: There’s so many issues to get fired up about right now. And unfortunately, you know, we’re seeing so much partizanship, play out in ways that are hurting democracy as a whole.

I believe that good government governance includes giving people opportunities, but not necessarily dependencies.

Not everybody works as a public servant for the same reason that I do. So I have to know that I have to respect that and move forward in spite of.

You know, right now I’m 39 years old, and, all of my colleagues on my board of commissioners are old enough to be my grandparent.

We need those people who can see tomorrow, to be a part of the decision making today.

David Martin: Welcome to a good government show. I’m your host, Dave Martin. On this episode, we’re going to meet a county commissioner from Chatham County, Georgia. That’s Savannah, Georgia. You’re about to hear from Aaron Whiteley. I’ll let him tell you where the dot comes from. First, there are several things impressive about Commissioner Whiteley. First, this is a guy who at one point lived off of food stamps.

That gives him a personal perspective on what it’s like to live off assistance that he says helps me better helping others in need. But he’s also able to turn his life around, in part by joining the Army. He’s a combat veteran who served time in Afghanistan. He came home, married and is raising a family in his home town.

He’s also a coach for both boys and girls sports. He’s an entrepreneur and he owns a small business. Mostly, he’s someone who cares about preserving democracy. We spent some time talking about another Georgia County commissioner, Jerica Richardson, a Cobb County commissioner. As you will hear Commissioner Whaley explain. She was redistricted out of her seat after she was elected.

She was told her seat is no longer a valid county commissioner seat. We talked to Commissioner Richardson back in season three, and that was episode 17, and that was over a year ago. She outlined then what was going on. If you haven’t listened, make sure you do. She’s a dynamic and exciting commissioner, pulled into public service for the reasons you want someone to run for office.

Check out the link on our website or listen now. I’ll wait. Okay. I’ll wait. Or check it out after you listen to this one. Either way, make sure you listen to her. That’s Commissioner Jerrica Richardson currently, as of the fall of 2024, Commissioner Richardson is serving as de facto Cobb County Commissioner. She has petitioned the court, and she’s allowed to take her seat in a de facto category.

She’s awaiting a ruling by the Georgia state courts, which will decide if she can represent a district that didn’t vote for her, or if the redrawing was not proper. Either way, as she explained in Commissioner Whiteley will tell you it shouldn’t have happened this way. Anyway, back to my conversation with Ada. We talked about Savannah. It’s a beautiful, historic city.

We talk about the movie Forrest Gump. You’ll hear we talk about Savannah’s growth as a port city. There’s a lot going on, and I’m glad Commissioner Whiteley is an artist. And when you listen to him, you’ll be glad to. Nassau coming up right after this.

The Good Government show is sponsored by our. That means our community. Our Co has found a way to make government more effective. Our Co provides the o u r platform. And this is an app that blends in-person and digital interactions to connect people with their government, their county, their town, their state. The Our Co app transforms meaningful conversations into reliable data.

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Aaron Whitely: My name is Aaron Whiteley, commissioner of Chatham County. The sixth district, Chatham County, Georgia, that is, there is a Chatham County, North Carolina. our biggest city is the city of Savannah. I’ve been in office for three years now.

David Martin: You also have another name. Tell me how. Tell me where that comes from.

Aaron Whitely: Yeah. So not as a nickname that, I came up with when I was in high school. basically my first initial in the period, if you will. so a dot, but we spell out the dot, and that name has stuck with me, since, high school.

David Martin: So what’s happening in Chatham County? What’s happening in Savannah? What’s the big issue you’re dealing with?

Aaron Whitely: so we’re experiencing a tremendous amount of growth and economic development in our area. So we’re welcoming the economic development. but of course, every, no good deed goes unpunished. So we’re really dealing with a shortage of housing, as well as a need to build up our infrastructure in ways that we hadn’t built up up to this point.

So we’re really faced with a time crunch to try to find funding, to expand our infrastructure, to meet the increased population that’s making their way in for jobs. some of those jobs that are coming, Hyundai is is in the process of building a, $7 billion electric vehicle manufacturing plant in neighboring Bryan County. that deal was part of the largest economic development deal that the state of Georgia has ever undertook.

so the county of Chatham, Bryan County, Effingham County and Bullock County partnered together to create a state authority to purchase the land, which is where the manufacturing plant is going. Another, job producer in the area are some of those those suppliers to Hyundai. They’re coming and bringing thousands of jobs. So we’re looking at about 15,000 jobs within the next three years.

David Martin: Why does everyone want to go to Savannah?

Aaron Whitely: well, we are very strategically placed for manufacturing. We have, one of the fastest growing ports in the country. one of the. I think it’s the second busiest in the country. and Savannah is part of it. And then an hour down the road, is runs Brunswick, which has another port that all fall under the Georgia Port Authority.

I think the other part is just the access to the interstate and where we are on the eastern seaboard, you know, you have Florida. That’s an hour and 15 minutes down the road. South Carolina is 20 minutes up the road, up Interstate 95, not to mention we’re, 3.5 hours from Atlanta, and.

David Martin: It’s pretty.

Aaron Whitely: Beautiful. Beautiful.

David Martin: That’s what I thought you would start with. I mean, Savannah is a beautiful city.

Aaron Whitely: Yeah, well, I mean, absolutely, very historic. First city in Georgia. and just history galore there. So if you’re a history buff, I highly recommend a trip to Savannah. If you’re a ghost hunter, highly recommend a trip to Savannah. but, but.

David Martin: It’s got it’s got the parks of the squares, and it’s.

Aaron Whitely: Just. Yep. It was the first planned city, in the state of Georgia. So, again, some of these historic squares remain from the 1700s.

David Martin: And how often do you watch a movie, a modern movie about some weird time in American history. And it’s actually, you know, two blocks over from where you are?

Aaron Whitely: you know, that’s been happening a lot more recently than in the past. And part of it is because, Savannah has been a destination for film, too.

David Martin: Right? I mean, I think it stood in for Boston, Washington. New York, other cities going back in time, right?

Aaron Whitely: Absolutely. I mean, you can see some of the notable movies, midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which a book was made out of it, Forrest Gump, part of that was filmed in Savannah. But you’ve got a lot of big name, producers, directors in town. I mean, at this point right now, Clint Eastwood is in Savannah, filming a movie right now.

David Martin: Are you getting to get an extra.

Aaron Whitely: Part in this? No. after after seeing all the challenges with the, the, Screen Actors Guild and all that, I don’t want any part of show business.

David Martin: So who is who is the the housing crunch affecting most?

Aaron Whitely: I’d say low middle class and below, families, you know, middle class and below. I mean, we went, first of all, Covid really exposed just some of the vulnerabilities in our housing market. And then as you had more people coming, we’re seeing new developments in parts of the cities, that you hadn’t seen. And so people are being forced to move elsewhere.

The demand is so high that, I mean, I watch people who were paying $800 a month for a studio now paying 12 and $1,300 a month. And so the average middle class family can’t necessarily afford that, as well as some of the other necessities, such as childcare.

David Martin: I live in Brooklyn. That’s cheap, by the way.

Aaron Whitely: Yeah. Well, I mean, but also you have a more robust in Brooklyn, New York, more robust, transit system. We have a bus system, but not a full on transit system that can take you to all corners of our county. so access, employment sometimes is a challenge based on where you live. So, it’s affecting middle class families the most and down.

David Martin: And did your background prepare you for, future of dealing with housing issues and real estate?

Aaron Whitely: to some degree, yeah. I was, I’m a licensed insurance agent, so, I’ve managed properties. so I have an idea of what? And I, at one point was a recipient of government aid and food stamps to feed my kids with it. And my wife and I did at one point. so we know what that life is like.

now, my my employees are going through a lot of these same challenges. So I think my background did prepare me for, but what it didn’t prepare me for is just some of the harsh realities that aren’t highlighted on the news, that the average person won’t hear, you know, a family of four and five, living in a hotel because they can’t find a house or an apartment to rent that fits their budget.

parents leaving the workforce because they’re only working to pay for daycare. They’re not making enough to actually benefit. Are reap the rewards of a paycheck of a part time job in the service industry. So there are a lot of different challenges that I didn’t necessarily know about fully. and that’s what is the challenge as an elected official, you.

David Martin: Went from living on food stamps to being an elected official. What did you do?

Aaron Whitely: Yeah. So, I started one one of one of the biggest parts is I went and joined the military. and that helped me to become more disciplined as a person. I married up also. You know, my wife is my wife. Held has held me accountable to a standard that I hadn’t, necessarily, been prepared for.

So, going to the military, getting that discipline, and then from there just being determined to, be successful, by any means necessary.

David Martin: And doing what your wife tells.

Aaron Whitely: Me. Well, they have that part, too, you know? I mean, nobody likes to sleep on the couch, and I’m too tired to sleep on a couch consistently, so. No, But no, my wife is definitely been a big driving force, and and just us working together to to create, the family unit that, some ways we didn’t see growing up.

David Martin: We started this conversation by talking about, someone that we had spoken to, a fellow county commissioner and an issue that you’re keeping your eye on. Can you sort of explain what’s going on and how that how that concerns you?

Aaron Whitely: Yeah. So, you know, the redistricting that took place, in Georgia, it’s every ten years when they have well, throughout the country is pretty much the same. Our state legislature is controlled by the Republican Party, and that’s who oversees redistricting. While in Cobb County, which had historically been a conservative county, but more recently has become more progressive.

And with that, one of the county commissioners, my colleague, Commissioner Jerica Richardson, was drawn out of her district, and ultimately told that she was going to have to leave in the middle of her term. Now, she and I were elected the same time in November of 2020. And then she’s told that, hey, after your second year, you’re out.

Ultimately, disenfranchizing. To some degree, all of those citizens who she represented and who voted for her, who voted her in. Now, their vote didn’t count. After two years. And so I it’s very scary because what it shows me is the willingness by our state legislature to overstep into local matters to the point that even local representation is on the table when it comes to, taking away rights.

David Martin: And what can you do about that? And how are you monitoring and staying on top of what’s going on?

Aaron Whitely: So, there is a organization, for which it stamps, who has been, doing a lot of lobbying to make sure that, county commissioners in the community are aware about some of these issues. additionally, I’ve been in conversation with Commissioner Richardson and some of our colleagues, other commissioner, county commissioner colleagues, as well as working with members of the state delegation, to say, hey, you know, what are some ways we can stop this?

it’s been an uphill battle. a lot of it’s being fought out in court. And so I’ve just been paying attention to the updates that I get from Commissioner Richardson and, some of her friends, that are helping us make sure that everybody is aware of this because it starts in Cobb County. But if we don’t get Ahold of it now and address it, in a responsible and effective manner, now it’s going to become an issue throughout the state.

David Martin: What’s the argument for the folks that went ahead and did this, and why did they think they were doing the right thing?

Aaron Whitely: My understanding is that they’re that they didn’t have a good win at all. It was a personal matter. that kind of spiraled into, you know, a local commissioner using his cronyism with his state, his party mates, if you will, at the state to try to teach them a lesson to some degree. Cobb County has a progressive chairwoman, chairwoman Cupid.

again, historically, they had been a conservative county. And so I think what we’re seeing is a last ditch effort, to try to maintain some of the systems and, establishments of old. And I don’t think that they have a good reason for it.

David Martin: You’re almost saying they’re corrupt. Those are my words. What would your words be?

Aaron Whitely: My word would be, to describe that matter.

David Martin: Disappointing to start, I suppose.

Aaron Whitely: Childish. you know, in to some, to some degree. To some degree treasonous.

David Martin: What about this bothers you the most?

Aaron Whitely: The fact that, again, in the middle of somebody’s turn, your first of all, you’re redrawing a map that does not actually meet the standards set in place by the by the government as it relates to how we redistrict, first of all, second of all, the fact that you are taking somebodys elected representative out of office in the middle of their term, in the middle of their term, you know, that means, you know, you’re ultimately just shutting the mouths of everybody who voted that person in.

You’re taking their voice away just like that by the stroke of a pen.

David Martin: What would you like people to know about that? And would you like people to get fired up about this and how.

Aaron Whitely: Yeah, I mean, I mean, there’s so many issues to get fired up about right now. And unfortunately, you know, we’re seeing so much partizanship, play out in ways that are hurting democracy as a whole. And so, you know, I do want people to get fired up about this, not because, Commissioner Richardson’s a Democrat, though I do support her.

I’m a Democrat. but not about the Partizan issue, just about the fact that democracy is being sliced away from us little bit by little bit. It’s in the it’s in the, redistricting process. It’s in the ballots and the voting process. I mean, if you look at what the Secretary of State has done in saying that, if the state election board, if there are issues, the state election board could come in and basically appoint somebody to oversee elections who may not be from that area, who may not know any of the nuances associated with that area.

it’s really scary for the sake of democracy. I’m a combat veteran, and I’ve served with people on both sides of the aisle, and we’ve had very, very candid conversation. And, you know, one thing that we all agreed on was access to vote. And so when you’re taking away people’s access to vote, when you’re taking away their representation, then you’re really cutting away of the fabric of American democracy.

David Martin: Is that why you ran for office?

Aaron Whitely: to some degree, yeah. I mean, not necessarily this specific issue. I ran for office because I knew that I was willing to speak, to issues that some may not want to talk about. and show that I had the voice on the, in the, experience to talk about harsh situations with people who may be on different sides of the coin to find common ground.

so I looked at myself as a negotiator, as a convener, a consensus builder. But I also felt that, we need people in office who have been a part of the system at all rungs of it. And so, again, I’ve I’ve been fed by food stamps as a youth. I’ve fed my children with public assistance. And, now I employ people, and, and own property and own businesses.

and contribute to the community in other ways. So I feel like I have a wide, breadth of experience that makes me qualified.

David Martin: Having been the recipient of good government, in certainly in terms of food stamps and in service in the military. Now, you’re county, the county commissioner defined good government.

Aaron Whitely: In my opinion, good government is simple is for the people, by the people, meaning, you know, the ballot box is important. Referendums are important. Additionally, my personal philosophy is to teach a man to fish, throw a fish fry for the youth and the elderly and the disabled. You know, those who can’t fish on their own. And everybody else, you know, is is out as is.

It’s up to them to work. So I look for programs I like and support programs that are going to help people get on their feet. You know, again, as a recipient of food stamps, they helped us get on our feet until we didn’t need them anymore. And now, you know, I believe that good government governance includes giving people opportunities, but not necessarily dependencies.

David Martin: How do you judge your success as a government official?

Aaron Whitely: I judge it by the emails that I get from my constituents thanking me for their support on certain issues. I judge it by, the ability to build consensus on matters that are contentious at times. You know, if we’re able to pass items that, you know, can be seen by one side of the aisle or the other is as a contentious issue, if we’re able to pass some kind of policy that works for everybody.

You know, we’ve been successful. So, I think that’s the best way I can put it this way.

David Martin: How should people or what should people use as their yardstick for knowing if they’re getting good government and how should they hold you accountable?

Aaron Whitely: Well, I think the biggest thing that has to happen is that the community at large or person, they have to have an agenda that they see fit. to hold our elected officials accountable to you need a scorecard. First. You need a report card. You can’t have a report card without subject matter. So first is developing an agenda that you’d like to see carried out.

And then from there, you know, an assessment of where you are. And then a, casting vision of where you want us to be. And then from there, you just judge, has there been any movement on these issues? Now, as an elected official, I could say government takes time. So sometimes we’re not able to get stuff done in one year, one month.

However, if you’re seeing motion, towards the goal take place, you know, then you’re moving in the right direction. And that’s a, that’s a huge sign of progress.

David Martin: And what if they don’t see the movement that they want to see?

Aaron Whitely: Then they should be working with their elected officials to, again, hold them accountable or working with, their colleagues in their community to develop leaders who will help move that needle forward. But they have to have an understanding of how the government works.

David Martin: You’ve been in office for four years now. What have you learned about how government works and what would you like people to know about how government works?

Aaron Whitely: Yes, sir. So as a correction, I’m in my third year. Right. and a couple of things I’ve learned. One, not everybody works as a public servant for the same reason that I do. So I have to know that I have to respect that and move forward in spite of, additionally, things, it takes a while to get stuff done, you know, when you’re talking about.

David Martin: So it’s slow.

Aaron Whitely: Oh, it’s very slow and, you know, slow on purpose in a lot of ways, because you want to make sure that you’re making decisions that, best affect the community at large. You know, something as simple as a pothole, on a street that can turn to a long term issue, because, okay, we can come and patch your pothole right now, or we can, repave the whole street.

You know, what would which would create the better good. The patch may cost us ten grand now to do, but if we spend a million and repave the road, we won’t spend ten grand over ten, 20 times in, in a four year span to patch up potholes. So that’s just one example. But ultimately, as government processes take a long time, take take a lot of time, but the community’s input, the community’s accountability, in my personal opinion, it helps me stay on point.

David Martin: You said at the beginning that not everybody got into it for the same reasons you did. and you said, but I have to respect that. Are they honest, respectful reasons for getting into government, or are you disappointed with some people who are in government?

Aaron Whitely: Yeah, I’m, I’m disappointed in in some ways, you know, and that’s on all levels, you know, not not just locally. I am disappointed in some cases, but at the same time, again, we didn’t get into the game for the same reason, so I’m not going to judge them, for that. I will judge them based on their efforts and solving the challenges that we have and, moving towards the goals that we set as a community as a whole.

David Martin: So are you overall optimistic?

Aaron Whitely: I am optimistic because we’re seeing a lot more engagement from younger voters. the next generation, if you will. You know, right now, our I’m 39 years old and, all of my colleagues on my board of commissioners are old enough to be my grandparent. so.

David Martin: You’re the new you’re the next wave.

Aaron Whitely: I’m the millennial, right. And so but, you know, seeing engagement by younger voters now is very encouraging because it shows that the next generation is paying attention. And we need those people who can see tomorrow, to be a part of the decision making today.

David Martin: It doesn’t sound like you set off to have a career in politics, but who is your political hero?

Aaron Whitely: President Obama would be one.

David Martin: Did he inspire you to go into elective office?

Aaron Whitely: To some degree, yes. Ambassador Andrew Young is another, to see the the work that they’ve done to to get stuff done, is huge to Andrew Young as it relates to just what he did for Atlanta and then to go on and work as, international ambassador, which is something I aspire to be, is that at some point, it’s very inspiring.

and it, it showed me that it’s possible. Same for President Obama to get sworn in, shortly before I left to join the military was very inspiring. And it felt good. serving in Afghanistan for a commander in chief that looked like me. And then, you know, and not to make it a racial thing, but it matters.

You know, representation matters in a lot of ways. And so to be able to see issues, see people, who look like me or come from similar backgrounds, progressed to positions of leadership is very inspiring. And I think our, our country is better for it.

David Martin: I have been to Savannah twice, but I’m coming to see you. You’re taking me out. Where are we going? What are we having? What’s your favorite Savannah dish?

Aaron Whitely: All right, so I’d say.

David Martin: if you’re not looking. His eyes just lit up. All right.

Aaron Whitely: So, we could start with, some crab cakes of belfort’s, down in City Market and have good cocktails there.

David Martin: Good start.

Aaron Whitely: Yep. maybe we go to the old pink house. They’ve got, they’ve got a little basement bar down there. Good drinks, also good food. Old pink house. good times jazz goes check out some live music. And then, I’d say lace them up and we start on one end of Congo Street and just go in and from.

You’ve got plenty.

David Martin: a lot of drinks. What about food? What do we have?

Aaron Whitely: Yeah. So crab cakes, of course, are going to be one. we’ll get to the catfish from Good Times. got a little spot I like to go to called the chicken box, which is, an offshoot of Lady and Sons. And they’ve got, like, good. chicken salad sandwiches. let’s see, where else do we go?

David Martin: Do you, do you cook it?

Aaron Whitely: Oh, yeah. I cook all the time. I like to grill.

David Martin: So what are you making?

Aaron Whitely: Oh, man, I’m firing up the grill. Have some ribs. probably do some salmon on the grill. with some honey on a little honey and lemon pepper glaze.

David Martin: Is Savannah famous for any particular cuisine? Food?

Aaron Whitely: seafood, just in general, would be the biggest thing. Crab cakes is another one. and just. We have a. Really?

David Martin: You love crab.

Aaron Whitely: Cakes? I do, we have a bustling food scene.

David Martin: Sure. No, that’s. I didn’t go to a bad restaurant when I was in Savannah both times. So growing up as a kid did you. Were you president of the class? Were you are the student council. Did you want to be president of United States City? That stuff?

Aaron Whitely: No, I was, class clown in the principal’s office. you know, getting sent sitting outside in the hallway, seeking approval from my peers and not for myself. And so, no, I don’t. It wasn’t until my junior in high school I was voted Mr. Junior as popularity. It wasn’t about leadership qualities. I could guarantee you that I was, captain of my, track team, starting my sophomore year.

And so I think that’s where some of my leadership qualities developed. And then I’m off my older brother, I have, my younger brother’s ten years, younger than me. So, when my mom was divorced, I became the man of the house. So I had to develop some leadership qualities there. So, really, government didn’t come into my, my line of sight until, probably sometime in 2005, 2006, after I had children.

and and. Yeah, somewhere between oh five and 2009, 2010, when I actually served in the military.

David Martin: Give me an example of a good government project that you’ve had a hand in back in, Chatham County in Savannah.

Aaron Whitely: So whenever I ran, one of the things I talked about was finding ways to engage our youth in means other than sports. You know, not normally in our area, one of the biggest ways to engage youth was, oh, we’re going to, we’re going to have more sports programs. Well, not everybody wants to play sports. And so, program I was able to actually get started.

It’s in a pilot now. It’s called Chatham County Youth Court, and it’s court for Youth by Youth wearing a pilot program with, the mediation center of the Coastal Empire, which is a local nonprofit. we got a grant from, University of Georgia, to train the youth and how to carry out youth court. And now we are in the pilot with the school system in four school.

Excuse me, five schools in our school system. Ultimately, how it works is, if the youth has a code of conduct violation from their school, and instead of being suspended or in-school suspension, they can opt for, youth court, then their case will be heard by a judge who’s a peer from another school. The jury will be their peer from another school.

Their defense attorney or their advocate is a peer of their own. And then the community advocate or district attorney is a peer. So it’s caught for youth by youth. And, the way I looked at it, I felt like it’s an opportunity to engage our youth and introduce them to the criminal justice system in a positive and involuntary manner.

because me personally, my engagement with the criminal justice system was involuntary as of.

David Martin: This probably goes back to the principal’s office, I’m guessing.

Aaron Whitely: Yeah, yeah. So, you know, that being the case, that’s something that’s been going. And we’re in our second year now. We’ve got success stories, and the hope is that.

David Martin: A couple future lawyers.

Aaron Whitely: Lawyers, prosecutors and judges. Absolutely, I think so. And so my hope is that will transition this to meet our match. Some of the models that you’ll see in other parts of the state, in the country where this partnership is not with the schools, but with the juvenile court system and so certain misdemeanors, you know, would qualify to go to youth corps.

And as long as they carry out the disposition, then they won’t have a record. and then one of the dispositions is to serve out in the court. So they get to see some different perspectives, too.

David Martin: That sounds like a great project. Chatham County Commissioner. Aaron. Whitely, sir, thank you for talking with us. I have been to, Savannah a few times. There’s a huge rugby tournament there. I, I haven’t been back there in a while, so I hope to get back.

Aaron Whitely: Well, David, I tell you, when you come back, hit me up and bring your shoes, because we’re going bar hopping and we’re going to eat some ribs and some crab cakes.

David Martin: Ribs, crab cakes and bar hopping. This is something I can get behind. Thank you very much for stopping by. It was a pleasure to meet you and give our best to Jerica and, you know, hey, I know you’ll be keeping your eye on that situation. And please continue to do. Sir.

Aaron Whitely: Yes, sir. Thank you so much for having me.

David Martin: Thank you.

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Now with the Academy, counties and other governments are pooling resources and sharing data and creating a huge database library. That means lower costs, more accurate results, and better information for everyone. Sound like a government, right? If this sounds like something you want to get for your county or your city, check them out at LA Academy of science.org. That’s LHD Academy of science.org.

What is it the county government does? That’s the question county commissioners get asked the most. And the simple answer is everything on the good government show, we’re so lucky to have talked with so many county commissioners and other county officials that have shown us how effective county government is. County government dates back to get this 1634, making it one of the oldest forms of government in the United States.

Think about it. Roads. Highways. Hospitals. Schools. Recycling, law enforcement. Water, sewers, and most of the county. Those services are maintained by the county that’s county government. The National Association of Counties represents all 3069 counties across the USA. Naco helps county government work better together through things like sharing best practices. When county government works well, well, that’s just good government.

I don’t know about you, but I get fired up when I hear an elected leader that is passionate about defending and promoting good government, and that starts with open and fair elections, where no one is prevented in any way from voting or from having their vote count. You can be sure Chatham County Commissioner Aaron Whiteley is paying attention, so don’t forget to go back and listen to my conversation with Cobb County Commissioner Jerrica Richardson.

That’s our show. Please like us and share this with your friends and review us right here where you’re listening, and check out our website. Good Government show.com for extras. Help us keep telling the stories of good government and action everywhere. Join us for another episode right here. I’m Dave Martin and this is the Good Government show.

The Good Government Show is a Valley Park production Jim Ludlow, Dave Martin, that’s me and David Snyder are the executive producers. Our show is edited and produced by Jason Stershic. Please subscribe then share us and like us and reviews. That’s the best way to make sure we’re able to keep telling these stories of our government working for all of us.

Then listen to the next episode of The Good Government Show.

**This transcription was created using digital tools and has not been edited by a live person. We apologize for any discrepancies or errors.