Columbia Co. voters decide on Commission Chair, homestead exemption referendum

EVANS, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Republican Alison Couch defeated Democrat Cambrey Wood for Columbia County Commission Chair, tallying 54.7% of the vote.

Following her victory, Couch said it is an absolute honor to be chosen to lead the county she has lived in her entire life.

“Tomorrow looks like work. Tomorrow I am going to get to work,” Couch said on election night. “I’m representing all citizens of Columbia County, no matter if you voted for me or voted for Ms. Wood. She fought a very hard race and worked very hard, and I commend her for that. And I will work for those who voted for her as well as every citizen in Columbia County.”

Couch stressed that her extensive background sets her apart. “I have been a commissioner. I have the experience there. I have the professional experience necessary. I have the legislative experience necessary. And I’m an experienced citizen, having lived here my entire life. So, what really defines me for my competitor is that experience,” she said.

Wood, pointing to the county’s rapid growth over the past 25 years driven by area military installations and incoming hospitals, campaigned on bringing fresh oversight.

“I think it’s transparency and development are really the two big issues here locally,” Wood said, noting her nearly 10 years as an Army engineer officer veteran and 25 years of project management and infrastructure experience. She called for quarterly town halls within her first 90 days, adding, “I think I bring a lot of experience to the table when it comes to issues that we deal with here locally in Columbia County.”

Among the key issues in the race are data centers, traffic and growth.

At a recent forum before voters, both candidates said Columbia County should slow residential growth and that public safety is their top budget priority.

Couch has served as Appling Harlem’s commissioner while the county voted to bring a 3,000-acre data center to that area and developed the data center zoning ordinance.

She said the county did it for property tax relief.

Couch said she voted for the White Oak data center because it is in an industrial park. She said she voted against the project in Pumpkin Center, which is across the street from a neighborhood.

“I do not see the need for any more data centers in Columbia County,” Couch said. “The goal was property tax relief and that will be achieved with the funding from the data centers that we currently have. I worked diligently on the data center ordinances to provide guardrails for our citizens and protect them.”

Couch reiterated that stance on the campaign trail: “Our entire goal with the data centers that are here was property tax relief. I voted yes on one of the data centers and no on the other two because that single data center did provide the funding needed for the property tax relief. Going forward, I do not see the need for any future data centers in Columbia County.”

Couch also pointed to House Bill 439 on the ballot as central to achieving that goal, noting the next step involves a constitutional amendment to lift an $18,000 cap to deliver full relief. “Property tax relief is the number one concern for citizens in Columbia County, and I will strive to achieve that for them every step of the way,” she said.

Wood has been critical of the projects, arguing the process lacked transparency and urging a 180-day moratorium to establish stronger guardrails.

“I don’t think that the way that the data centers here in Columbia County have been handled was transparent or above board,” Wood said. “I have asked for a 180-day moratorium in order to, if we would like to bring more data centers to Columbia County, to at least put a stronger ordinance in place to protect the residents of the county and kind of preserve the community feel that we have here.”

Wood also contended the tax relief deal still gives data centers a tax break and that the community is not getting enough in return.

“I think that $40 million a year is a pretty short-sighted and low payoff solution when you’re leaving 2 plus billion dollars on the table over the next 25 years that could have been used to offset costs for other things like capital improvement projects or road projects or safety upgrades or law enforcement equipment,” Wood said.

Traffic was also a major topic of discussion. Wood brought up rural, underdeveloped roads that need attention and emphasized coordination with state and regional partners.

“Prior planning and enforcement of the existing current requirements,” Wood said. “A lot of the infrastructure that we have here as far as our road networks is state or federally funded. So just working with those agencies moving forward to make sure we’ve coordinated, we have a good plan, and we coordinate with the regional jurisdictions as well to make sure we’re not trampling on each other’s projects.”

Couch said the county has been proactive and pointed to the Interstate 20 Grovetown exit as an area where she has heard the most concern, noting extensive ongoing work.

“We really are very forward-thinking and innovative with some of our traffic projects,” Couch said, citing the recent completion of the Lewiston Road and Columbia Road intersection improvement, the widening of Lewiston Road, and the diverging diamond interchange at the Grovetown exit.

Wood advocated for a comprehensive zoning overhaul to spread development into rural parts of the county while keeping their character.

“I would definitely support an overhaul of our existing planning, zoning, and development ordinances, targeting specific areas within the county as appropriate for increasing density, which would allow us to then plan our growth out into the more rural areas of the county and maintain the county character that we have in the various areas,” Wood said.

Couch said bringing business is important but expanding county services into areas of growth remains the top priority.

“An important part of growth also is to be able to provide services for the residents that are joining our community,” Couch said. “So responsible growth means providing sheriff’s department, providing fire services, providing quality of life projects and providing traffic infrastructure.”

Also on the ballot in Columbia County

• Republican Alex Griffin defeated Democrat Michael Jordan for the District 1 seat on the Board of Commissioners, tallying 63.3% of the vote. Griffin has said he’d like to see work put into the stretch of Washington Road around Bobby Jones Expressway.
  • Both candidates also spoke last week at a forum, talking about data centers and other issues.
• Democrat Samantha Rockwood defeated Republican Al Reeves for the District 4 seat on the Board of Commissioners.
• Voters also decided in a homestead exemption referendum: “Shall a local homeowner’s incentive adjustment program be established for Columbia County for the purpose of reducing the tax burden upon qualified homesteads within Columbia County?” 87% of voters decided yes.