B.J. Fletcher set to begin second term on Albany City Commission

ALBANY — On the verge of beginning her second term on the Albany City Commission, Ward III Commissioner B.J. Fletcher was asked to take a look back at her first term.

Her answer was classic B.J.

“Write this: Wooooo! What an experience!” Fletcher says, following with her signature laugh.

Then the businesswoman grows serious.

“I think back to four years ago — even to six years ago, when I ran for mayor — and there was so much I didn’t know,” she said. “I’ve learned a tremendous amount in the past four years. I’ve learned what it means to be a city of entitlement. I’ve learned that nothing comes for free. And I’ve confirmed my belief that we live in a great city … even when some of the people who live in it are only out for themselves.

“I’m proud of the four years I’ve spent on the commission. There are things that, in hindsight, I wish I’d done differently. I guess the biggest thing I regret is not voting to allow Darrel Finnicum to use that land (on Gillionville Road) for his car dealership. At the time I thought I was doing the right thing. But I can look the taxpayers of this city in the eye and tell them that everything I did (as a commissioner) I did to try and make our community better.”

New Ward II Commissioner-elect Matt Fuller, who will be sworn in on Jan. 8, was the only member of the City Commission to earn his way onto the board through the election process during this year’s municipal election. Fletcher’s and Ward V Commissioner Bob Langstaff’s seats were also up for re-election, but neither was challenged and both were automatically granted new four-year terms.

“That is something I take as an honor, that I was returned for a second term without opposition,” Fletcher said. “I know there were people in the community who made it clear they wanted to replace me, but it turns out most of them aren’t even in my ward. I was humbled that so many people in Ward III reached out to me and told me they wanted me to represent them another four years.”

Fletcher, who has taken pains to speak her mind on issues tackled by the commission, said she plans to be even more outspoken during her second term. She then offered comments that proved her point.

“I regret that I let the people that I call the ‘1 percenters’ get to me here lately,” she said. “It just amazes me that they hold the rest of the community to a standard that they don’t think they have to keep. It’s like the situation with lighting in the community. Some of these 1 percenters stirred things up so bad, they kind of forced the commission to walk away from the issue. But what we didn’t look closely enough at is the fact that our police force must go into areas of the city where the only lights are the flashes of guns.

“The 1 percenters don’t care about that because they’ve got 20 or so lights surrounding their property. These people talk about ‘the entitled are getting food stamps, are getting free food, are getting handouts.’ But they’re just as entitled because they believe they are entitled to have all of the services, even if no one else does. That’s the kind of toxic attitude that kills a community.”

Fletcher also opened up about some of the concerns that the commission faced when she came aboard four years ago, issues that she said have been addressed by the board.

“Taxpayers used to have to wake up in the morning knowing that thousands and thousands of their dollars were going to privately owned businesses and nonprofits that were given money and didn’t do what they said they’d do,” she said. “But this commission got the Cutliff Grove, the La Jua’s, the Hilton Garden Inn issues taken care of. Now, our taxpayers can wake up in the morning knowing their money is not going to benefit private individuals and groups. These folks are paying their debts.”

Fletcher said one of her priority concerns going into her second term is to audit the city’s various departments to see if taxpayers are getting their money’s worth from individual employees.

“If someone is getting paid for 40 or 45 hours a week, I want an accounting that they’re putting in 40 to 45 hours of work,” she said. “Hey, I respect that (an employee has) a master’s or a doctorate, but I’m more concerned with what they’re doing with it. With those degrees come degrees of responsibility.

“I don’t believe employees are the big problem. I believe our collective work ethic is, though. So I’m going to turn over every rock in the city, look at every dollar we spend. And I’m going to work with our leadership and our department heads to make sure our employees work better, cheaper and faster. I’m going to hold our employees accountable to the taxpayers who are paying their salaries.”

Fletcher said there are too many “marketing experts” among the people holding positions of authority within the city government and in the city as a whole.

“There are people who are experts at marketing themselves in that they’re only interested in doing things that advance their agendas or their careers,” she said. “There are people working on boards and authorities — many of them appointed by us — who seem to have forgotten what they were hired or appointed for. They’re doing everything but what their job description says they should be doing.

“It’s like Albany State University is about to name a new president. It is vital to this community that the right person get that job, not someone who is only looking to advance his or her career. And some might say that Albany State’s president is no concern to the city. But the university is one of the most important aspects of our city.

“So many successful towns are built around their colleges and universities, and we have got to do a better job of incorporating ASU into our community as a whole.”

Fletcher said the pending end to Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia credits, which have brought more than $80 million into city coffers over the past decade, is a perfect wake-up call for the city government.

“We’ve got to make up for that $9 million or so a year,” she said. “I’m proud to note that we have not used MEAG credits (to balance the city’s budget) the last two years, but we also have to be aware that we can’t fall back on it in an emergency.

“As I said, we have to work smarter and better. Our citizens deserve to have all of the services we provide. They pay for them. And we, as commissioners, have to take it as our responsibility to make sure these taxpayers are getting their money’s worth.”