y Trevor McNaboe

Cordele Dispatch

CORDELE — Candidates for the upcoming Elections in Cordele and Arabi are set following a weeklong candidate period.

Voters will have a big decision to make with three of the available seats on the Cordele City Commissioners being contested.

In Ward 2, Incumbent Royce Reeves, Sr. will be running against challengers Ulysses Morgan Jr. and Bernard Fenn. All three individuals paid a qualifying fee of $343.28 on the first day of qualifying, Monday, August 21.

Ward 3 will have Incumbent Jeanie Bartee running against Isaac Owens, following both paying the mandatory 3 percent qualifying fee of $366.16.

The election that could get the most attention is for the at-large chairman seat. Incumbent Zack Wade, the most experienced commissioner, has been the chairman since 1990. He will run against three opponents — former Crisp County Deputy Sheriff and Cordele Police Officer John Wiggins, former Clayton County Sheriff’s Deputy Ricky Redding and Southland Ford employee Ricky Dawson Jr.

Crisp County Elections Supervisor Becky Perkins says the last day to register for the 2017 General Election is October 10. Residents can sign up at www.mvp.sos.ga.gov or at the Crisp County Public Library, Health Department, Department of Family and Child Services, DDS and also the Elections office.

In addition to Cordele City Commissioner seats, there is two Arabi City Council Posts that will run opposed. Curtis Ezell and Alan R. Douglas will retain their position on the council. The final thing residents will vote on is a County SPLOST Renewal Referendum.

The boundary of Ward Two is defined as the area around the corporate limits of City of Cordele bounded North by 17th Avenue, and East by 7th Street from 17th Avenue South to 24th Avenue. It continues west along 24th Avenue to 11th Street and south down that street.

The Ward Three District is comprised of the area South by 18th Avenue running east from 7th Street to Pecan Street, then north to 16th Avenue. The district also runs west by 7th Street and runs North from 18th Avenue to its’ intersection with US Highway 41 and north along the highway.

Residents in the two listed wards will be allowed to vote for a representative in their respective ward.

The chairman seat, however, will be open to all citizens to vote.

Voting is scheduled for November 7.