Organic farmer Jimmy Hayes said his extensive experience in building roads would be an asset should he be elected to the Bulloch County Commission District 2A seat.

    Hayes, running for the seat that will be vacated by incumbent Carolyn Etheridge, who has announced she will not run for re-election, is opposed by candidates Gene Anderson, Gerald Fleming and Kelphie Lundy.

    "I truly want to represent all of the people in Bulloch County, and I want the voters to know what I am all about," he told the Statesboro Herald on Thursday. "I will work to have commissioners live in the area they represent. I will use my 35 years of experience in road building to strive toward improving the roads around the county and save the county taxpayers money in the process."

    For example, he said he would have the graders "start at alternating ends of the road, thereby not creating a low spot on one end and high spot on the other."

    "We have spent thousands of dollars hauling dirt to fill in at one end of our dirt roads," he said.

    Hayes said he will oppose any new projects that are not sustainable and will investigate solid waste programs to insure that the county is not wasting money and that there are no better alternatives.

    "I will thoroughly investigate before making a decision, and I will work cooperatively with my fellow commissioners to make Bulloch County the place people want to live and raise their families," he said.

    He expressed concern that many residents do not know which commissioners represent their areas.

    "People seem to be confused over where to vote and who will be on their ball," Hayes said Thursday. "The commission districts are only two. District 1 has two seats, and everyone in that district votes for both of them. District 2, which covers the majority of the county, has four seats, and everyone in that district votes for all four."

    Hayes and his wife, Connie, own Healthy Hollow Farms, an organic farm near Stilson, where he was born and raised. He said he has extensive experience in both conventional and organic farming, having been in charge of the family farm for more than 50 years.

    He also has 35 years of experience in excavating and "extensive knowledge and experience in identifying soil types, building dirt roads and providing adequate drainage." He said he built many of the roads in subdivisions that were developed in the 1980s and 1990s.

    Hayes studied mechanical engineering for two years at Southern Technical Institute in Marietta and spent seven years in the Georgia Air National Guard, with 22 months of active duty.

    He is certified in radar repair and said he spent 30 years studying alternatives to chemical agriculture.

    He and his wife of 43 years have four adult daughters and seven grandchildren.

    "As a lifelong resident, I love and care for Bulloch County," he said. "I am passionate about protecting our natural resources and the quality of life for which Bulloch has always been known. I identify with and am in touch with the general population of Bulloch County, (and) I have a practical approach to the use of the public's money and will represent the taxpayers' revenue in a responsible manner."

    Hayes said that if elected, he would "represent the property owners who pay taxes as true county residents in a responsible manner."

    "I'm passionate about my Christian faith and will seek God's guidance in all decisions," he said.

    He is a member of New Hope United Methodist Church, the Coastal Organic Growers Association and Georgia Organics.

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