Cochran wants to see sewerage expand throughout county

Published 10:27 pm Saturday, July 8, 2006

Odell Cochran, who represents District 3 on the Whitfield County Board of Commissioners, says the biggest issue the board will face over the next four years is the expansion of sewers across the county.

“Our water has become polluted by failing septic tanks. Our streams are to the point that something must be done,” he said.

Cochran, 74, faces Randy Waskul in the July 18 Republican primary. The winner will meet Democrat Barbara Vaughn in the November general election.

The Board of Commissioners, the Dalton City Council and Dalton Utilities have just begun talks about the expansion of sewers and what impact it will have on local citizens and local government.

“The reason I want to be back on the commission is to take another step for the benefit of the taxpayers, and that will be sewerage,” Cochran said.

Cochran, a graduate of Dalton High School, was born in Whitfield County. He says he has lived here for all but about two years of his life.

Cochran has worked for 52 years with Bates Furniture in Dalton, serving as president since 1968. He served as pastor of Christian Fellowship Assembly from 1980 to 1992. He and his wife Selva have four children.

Cochran says since first being elected four years ago, he has strived to get as much training as he could from the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia and the University of Georgia. Cochran has earned full certification from the University of Georgia as a county commissioner, and he says he has advanced training in strategic planning, negotiation and mediation, county law, personnel and human resources, and financial management.

“I just finished a class in revenue and finance,” he said.

Cochran says when he came onto the board, the countywide water expansion was already in the works. But several roads had been inadvertently left off the list of roads that water was to be installed on.

“I became involved because I wanted to make sure there was fairness in the distribution of water. So I made a list of the roads that have been skipped over and insisted that all roads have water,” he said.

“As a commissioner, it’s very important when you get ready to spend taxpayer money that you make sure it is going to be fair and that the money is well spent,” he said.

Cochran says making sure the water expansion and the courthouse expansion were completed were the two largest issues the board has dealt with in his time in office.

“When I’m faced with spending taxpayer money, I always ask myself these questions: Will this improve the quality of life in Whitfield County? Will it improve property values? Will it add to the health and well-being of our citizens?” he said.

Cochran notes the board has rolled back its property tax rate every year that he has been a member, and he has voted for each of those cuts.

“Rolling back property taxes is very important. I don’t think it’s the fairest tax. Sales tax is much more fair,” he said.

Cochran supported last year’s Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST), the bulk of which would have funded road projects.

Cochran’s Web site is www.myspace.com/yourcommissioner.