ANTHONY JONES: New year full of promise for Dougherty County

Happy New Year wishes to District 6 residents.

The new year is here, and I want to take this opportunity to reflect back on last year. It was an exciting time for my family and me when you made me your commissioner-elect. We have been blessed to enjoy the support of so many friends and family members during this exciting time in our live. We could not have done it without you.

It has been rewarding preparing to serve the people of District 6 in 2015, and regardless of my length of service, I have learned so much over the year. I had the opportunity to sit in on the commission’s Fiscal Year 2015 budget hearing/approval, visited with many department heads, sat in on work sessions/meetings, attended public hearings on the proposed Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline, researched information to provide the committee with to send Environmental Protection Division (EPD) officials in an attempt to derail the Sabal Trail project, met with members of the Radium Springs Neighborhood Watch Association, attended and participated in the Putney Neighborhood Watch Association meeting/fun day, attended the District 10 Regional Meeting, attended and successfully completed the 2014 Newly Elected County Commissioners Conference Dec. 2-5, and attended and participated in the Christmas parade and the commissioners’ Christmas social.

I will begin my new term on Monday with swearing in at the 222 Pine Ave. Government Center, Room 101, at 10 a.m. I am sure we will begin debating again the lingering budget crisis, and I am sure I will make right decisions, as well as mistakes, along the way.

As a politician once said, “(Politics) is a process where perfection does not exist, but only the hope that good intentions prevail.”

There will be plenty of time to talk politics after the New Year. In the meantime, “Happy New Year” from the Jones Family.

Anthony Jones is Dougherty County commissioner-elect for District 6.