Candidates for Macon County Sheriff answer the questions on voter's minds based on Listening Lab Results
In sit down interviews with each candidate for sheriff, 13WMAZ asked about issues important to you: immigration, violent crime and ethics in government
Macon County Sheriff's Race Answering your questions from Listening Lab
13WMAZ is bringing you answers to questions you have for candidates based on the information viewers gave us during the 2024 Listening Labs.
This election cycle, we're incorporating the results we gathered from the Listening Lab surveys Central Georgians filled out earlier in the year.
In Macon County, the top 5 issues participants pointed out were: good paying jobs, health care cost, inflation, immigration and taxes.
We sat down with the two candidates in the race for sheriff: Richard Martin and Jeffery Canady.
In separate sit down interviews, we discussed the three issues you said were most important to you when it comes to the sheriff's race: violent crime, ethics in government and immigration.
Here is what the candidates had to say:
Immigration Listening Lab Issue 1
Do you have any concerns about immigration in Macon County?
Jeffery Canady: We haven't had that influx that i know of but we want to definitely keep this sort of thing in mind we would definitely work with the state agencies.
Richard Martin: We don't see a huge problem with that in our area. Certainly if they commit a crime, we will, you know, an arrest will be made. I am for legal immigration not illegal immigration.
Listening Lab Issue 2
How would you describe the level of crime in Macon County?
Martin: People that are hiding from the police or law enforcement, they go to seek out safety in Macon County - we do really basically just have five or six deputies performing the duties of, you know, the whole county. So we're gonna be busy trying to establish a jail and hire more deputies.
Canady: Crime does happen in Macon County. We would like to have a bigger force in the sheriff’s department. I would like to see mental health personnel professionals in the sheriff department and professionals with the juvenile system in the school system as well.
Ethics in Government Listening Lab Issue 3
How do you plan to ease people’s concerns about where their tax dollars are going?
Canady: I'm not gonna waste mine. I'm not gonna waste theirs. We have to operate in the guidelines of the budget.
Martin: “I'm gonna want the things that we need to do the job that is expected from the community. Other than that, we're not going to do anything to raise taxes. But certainly, I think that if we build a new law enforcement center, that money is gonna have to be generated from somewhere.
Meet the Candidates Background
Richard Martin is 55 and lives in Garden Valley. He works as a school resource officer in Peach County under the patrol division. He says he has worked in law enforcement for 10 years in Houston and Peach Counties. He has three children and two grandchildren.
Jeffery Canady is 62 and lives in Montezuma. He is an Army veteran and an assistant pastor. He has spent nearly 30 years in law enforcement including four as the Smithsville, Georgia Police Chief. He and his wife have a combined 11 children.