MACON, Ga. — 5 candidates are running to replace Macon Mayor Robert Reichert.
After over a decade in local politics, Larry Schlesinger is placing his hat in the ring for the mayor's seat.
You may know Schlesinger as his car tag reads, "Rabbi," or you may know him as commissioner.
Schlesinger retired three years ago as rabbi at Macon's Temple Beth Israel. Now, he's the temple's rabbi emeritus.
Meanwhile, he's served as District 2 commissioner, and before consolidation in 2014, a Macon city councilman.
His top priorities are crime and blight.
To fight crime, Schlesinger says the county needs more boots on the ground and their public safety employees should earn a competitive salary.
He also wants to work with the sheriff's office to put in place gunshot detection technology in neighborhoods that have high crime.
"When a gunshot goes off, it immediately is recorded by the sheriff's office, and deputies are dispatched," Schlesinger said.
Also to bring down crime, Schlesinger wants to invest more in Macon's youth. He suggests that the county should create a youth development and after-school council for programs
As for blight, he says the county needs to boost code enforcement.
"Frankly, part of the problem has been that our Municipal Court has been way, way, way, way, way too lenient with code violators," Schlesinger said.
He wants to hand over blighted properties to the Macon-Bibb Land Bank Authority. They then can pass the property to people who will renovate it.
According to his campaign website, there will be incentives for developers or buyers who agree to rehab the blighted property or demolish houses that are "deemed beyond repair."
"I would just like to get these properties back on the tax rolls," Schlesinger said.
Schlesinger says the next mayor needs to be aware of the diversity in the county and have connections in all communities, something he says he's developed.
"We tend to think of Macon-Bibb in terms of black and white, but we are really much more diverse than that," Schlesinger said.
Some other issues he's highlighting in his campaign are creating a plan to pay off county debt and bringing in more jobs by streamlining the county's Business Development process.
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