In a three-way race to see who will face a Democratic challenger in November for Bulloch County Commission Seat 2B, Republican candidate Sid Jones said he would like to see businesses come to Statesboro “for the long haul” and provide jobs for local residents.

Jones challenges incumbent Walter Gibson, as well as candidate Travis Chance, both Republicans. The winner of the primary election May 22 will face Democratic challenger Adrienne Dobbs in the general election in November.

Jones said he would like to see companies come to the area who plan to be a long-term part of the community.

“The businesses and industries that I would like to see come to Bulloch County are those that     would be in it for the long haul, invested in becoming a part of the larger community with that community’s best interests in mind,” he told the Statesboro Herald. “Ideally, they would hire local people in both management and labor positions and they would use clean manufacturing and/or production methods.”

Like many others, Jones believes one of the county’s largest issues is its growth.

“I believe that effectively managing growth is our biggest challenge,” he said. “People love Bulloch County for our quality of life and move here for that reason. We need to plan carefully to ensure that growth doesn’t negatively impact that quality of life or outpace our infrastructure’s ability to handle it.”

Keeping continuous communication with Statesboro city leaders is imperative for success, he said.

“I believe that the city and county governments currently enjoy a good working relationship,” Jones said. “I think it is crucial to maintain that relationship by keeping the lines of communication open and cordial.”

Both entities should maintain regular contact, he added.

“That is, communication and information-sharing should take place at all times, not just when there is an issue to resolve.”

Bulloch faces many of the same issues that are found all across the country, such as public safety demands and solid waste disposal. Jones said recycling and making more efforts to provide residents opportunities to do so will be beneficial in solving the county’s trash problems.

“The problem of solid waste is a nationwide problem,” he said. “As Mr. Robert Rushing put it during a recent commissioners meeting, ‘We have become a throw-away society.’ I believe that the first step to addressing the problem is to encourage more recycling by increasing the number of locations that accept recyclables.”

Jones said if elected, he would “bring a commonsense approach to complex problems.” By this, he means “carefully listening to all points of view and doing my due diligence homework, gathering and examining all the facts before committing on an issue,” he said.

Jones grew up in Bulloch County, graduating from Southeast Bulloch High School before joining the Marine Corps, where he served a four-year enlistment.

Upon discharge from the Marines, Jones enrolled at Georgia Southern, achieving a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He was then employed with the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office under former Sheriff Arnold Ray Akins, serving four years on the road and four years in investigations.

Jones was then hired by the U.S. Marshals Service, from which he retired two years ago after 21 years of service.

“I spend the majority of my time maintaining the family farm where we live a stone’s throw away from my mother, who still lives in the house where I grew up,” he said. “I enjoy working outdoors, hosting family gatherings, working out and surf fishing when I get the chance.”

He and wife Bea have been married for 29 years and attend Saint Matthew Catholic Church in Statesboro. The couple has one adult son and a grandson.

Herald reporter Holli Deal Saxon may be reached at (912) 489-9414.