Candidate for District 4 Commissioner 

Name: Emory Dooley           

Age: 36

How Long have you lived in Dawson County: 10 years

Occupation: General Manager, 400 Waste & Scrap LLC

Education: Bachelors of Science in Political Science from the University of North Georgia, summa cum laude

Political Experience: Dawson County Planning Commission as Vice-Chairman since 2017

Career experience: I have been employed by my family’s Dawson County-based business in some capacity since I was old enough to work. Along with giving me a strong work ethic, this has allowed me to be involved in all aspects of operating a small business.

Community involvement: I am a member of Concord Baptist Church. I served as the chairman of the board for the United Way for Dawson County in 2019, and I am currently serving as co-chair. I also served as a past board member for Kare for Kids, Inc., a local non-profit.

Why are you running for the County Commission District 4 seat? After much prayer and deliberation, I decided that this would be the best way for me to contribute to the community.

What makes you the best candidate for this position? My education, community involvement, and small business background give me a well-rounded knowledge base from which to draw when performing the duties of this office.    

How are you preparing to take office? I have been praying, cultivating relationships with community members and leaders, listening to questions and concerns, and researching current issues and solutions.

How much time are you willing and able to contribute as a county commissioner? My flexible work schedule, time management skills and strong work ethic will enable me to give the commission as much time and attention that it requires.

What do you consider to be the county’s biggest challenge now and looking forward, and how would you address this concern? Growth management is one of our biggest challenges.  We must ensure that we do not become overburdened with high-density residential developments that will encumber our services and infrastructure, causing an increase in taxation. We must first balance our tax base by attracting more low impact, light industrial and technology-based businesses.

What are the top three issues you believe Dawson County is currently facing and what are your plans to address each? The first issue that I would like to discuss is fiscal responsibility.  We must continue to explore alternate funding for county expenses while looking for ways to cut cost without sacrificing services or the ability to offer competitive pay for county employees.  Secondly, we must be proactive in governing.  The board of commissioners must anticipate and solve issues before those issues become a threat to our community and way of life. Finally, we must be able to deal with uncertainty and the unforeseen. As leaders, the ability to adapt to global pandemics, catastrophic weather events, exponential growth, or other situations that arise will forge our community’s future. My background and experience have taught me to become proficient at problem-solving and decision making under stress and difficult circumstances. We must have leaders that have the ability to govern during times of prosperity, as well as times of hardship.