The way Charlie Bishop sees it, there’s one reason above all others why voters should choose him for mayor of the new Macon-Bibb County consolidated government: experience.
That might seem a presumptuous statement, given that opponents C. Jack Ellis and Robert Reichert are both two-term mayors and that Sam Hart is wrapping up his second term as chairman of the county commission.
But from Bishop’s perspective, he’s the only candidate who has held leadership positions in the city and the county, having served as deputy Macon police chief from 1983-2000 and county commission chairman from 2005-08. Bishop said the new government will be a hybrid of both governments but will more closely resemble Bibb County’s structure.
“Those from the city government will be in for the shock of their lives,” Bishop said. “I’ve worked in both. They have no experience in dealing with constitutional offices. You have to have the constitutional officers work with you to do (budget) cuts. That’s where I have the experience.”
Because the new government won’t have direct oversight of the sheriff’s office, Bishop, 69, said he would take a hands-off approach to law enforcement operations despite his decades of experience and his belief that crime is the most important issue facing the community.
via Mayoral profile: Bishop touts experience in race for Macon-Bibb mayor | Elections | Macon.com.
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