Politics & Government

Suwanee Council Member To Seek Gwinnett BOC Post

Brooks eyeing District 1 seat held by Duluth's Lasseter. 'I consider Jace a friend,' Lasseter said.

Updated 12:44 p.m. Sept. 16, 2011

Suwanee City Council member Jace Brooks announced Friday that he will seek election to the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners in 2012. He would be running for the District 1 post currently held by first-term Commissioner Shirley Lasseter of Duluth.

Brooks has been a member of the Suwanee City Council since 2002; as the current Mayor Pro Tem, he presides over government meetings when Mayor Dave Williams is absent.

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Brooks' current term in Suwanee ends in 2013. If Brooks indeed qualifies to run for the Gwinnett office, he would resign the Suwanee post and a special election would be held, according to Suwanee City Manager Marty Allen.

Lasseter, a former mayor of Duluth, said in an email Friday: "Jace is a very nice person, and we have worked together on municipal matters for years before I became commissioner. I consider Jace a friend and hope he changes his mind to run, but clean competition is always good."

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"I am planning on seeking re-election to a second term. I feel I have kept peace on the commission, brought a little humor, listened to the people in my district and supported our incredible staff as we muster through these turbulent financial times," Lasseter continued. "Though we have had shortfalls in our budget, we have always been able to balance the budget each year with a team approach. When elected I was immediately handed a $54-million deficit, which we balanced in a few months. Times have been difficult, but I feel we have all stuck together and accomplished what is best for Gwinnett to survive financially. We still have an AAA rating, and in these economic times is saying something for a government of 800,000 people AND with a reduction in taxes this year."

The Gwinnett general election would be Nov. 6, 2012, according county spokesperson Joe Sorenson. Qualifying for political party and non-partisan candidates would be May 23-25.

Brooks said he intends to bring to the county commission position the same qualities and philosophy that have kept Suwanee growing and on a firm financial footing throughout the current recession.  

 “Those include greater budgeting and financial discipline, enhanced operating efficiencies for all departments, and economic development and tax policies designed to expand the county’s tax base, and thereby reduce the tax burden on individuals and families, and most importantly, trust in government," he said in a news release.

Brooks commented that he had been thinking about the move for about a year.

"I love Suwanee, but I'm ready to bring what we learned in Suwanee to the county level," he said by phone Friday morning.

Suwanee's city finances have fared better during the recession than those of many municipalities. The city twice has reduced its millage (tax) rate in recent years, and its bond rating recently received an upgrade to AA+ from AA by Fitch, a leading rating service. Standard and Poor also upgraded Suwanee from AA- to AA in April.

Gwinnett County's government has had serious financial challenges in recent years. Currently, the county is facing a $30 million financial shortfall as it prepares its 2012 budget, largely due to the shrinking tax digest.

Newly redistricted District 1 includes all of Suwanee, Sugar Hill and Duluth, as well as parts of Buford, Norcross and Lawrenceville. 

“The county is facing many challenges as the tax digest continues to shrink. It will take experience and vision to address these challenges," Brooks said. "I will take my experience and vision from Suwanee City Council to the County Commission.”

While serving on Suwanee City Council, Brooks supported conservative efforts that created hundreds of high-paying private sector jobs, reduced crime, and added hundreds of acres of greenspace, all while reducing property taxes on citizens and businesses by 6 percent.

Brooks also is Suwanee's liaison with the Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau, putting him in the loop on matters about the Gwinnett Arena, Coolray Field and the county's hospitality industry.

Brooks is a financial advisor who has an MBA in marketing from Georgia State and a BS in finance from Louisiana Tech. He is married with two children.

(Duluth Patch editor Faye Edmundson contributed to this article.)


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