• Valdosta City Council District 2

Deidra White

Dr. L.W. Williams

David G. DeMersseman

David L. Dempsey

No endorsement

With Councilman Willie Head’s decision not to seek another term as the representative for District 2, it left the door wide open for challengers. Five initially qualified, with one candidate dropping out of the race before early voting began.

None of the candidates remaining in the race have government experience. DeMersseman comes closest as an elected tax assessor some time ago, but none has experience with the volumes of issues facing the city.

Of the candidates, White comes the closest to being the candidate of choice for the seat. She has business experience and she is very familiar with the issues facing Downtown Valdosta, an area the city doesn’t support to the satisfaction of many of the property owners.

White has the endorsement of the Downtown Valdosta Business Association and she has experience in leadership roles in a variety of organizations in the community. As a female, she would be only the third to be elected in the history of the male-dominated council and could bring a fresh perspective to the position.

Kudos to White for bravely discussing her property-tax issues. All of the candidates have faced either personal or professional issues, and she owned up to hers well. In addition, White is the only candidate who has actively attended city council meetings.

However, the job of a city councilman is time consuming, and can be all consuming, and all four candidates have businesses to tend to. It’s a sacrifice in many ways to serve in an elected capacity, and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Given the demands of the position and the lack of experience of the candidates, The Times has chosen not to endorse for the seat.