Two New Council Members Talk Issues, Concerns | News

Councilman Henry Gibson says after attending nearly every committee and council meeting since he won the Ward 2 Post 2 seat, he's ready to hit the ground running.

He says he sees "personal agendas" interfering with council work as the biggest issue right now.

He says he's concerned some council members don't lend a critical eye to legislation proposed by Mayor Robert Reichert.

During his time on council, he says, he hopes they will judge legislation on its merit, not its sponsor.

As a 35-year veteran of the Macon Police Department, he says he wants emphasis on creating a more "community oriented" police force.

He says he agreed with council's decision not to pass Police Chief Mike Burns' hiring plan crafted in response to a surge in shootings involving young people.

"No amount of money" can solve the city's crime problems, he said, unless the community trusts and has a working relationship with the police patrolling their commmunities.

Gibson says officers need to cultivate personal relationships with the people of their precincts, to overcome the anxiety that working with police means being labeled a 'snitch.'

Councilwoman Beverly Olsen says her decades of service with the Knight Foundation have prepared her well for getting projects off the ground while working with a diverse group of people.

She says she hopes to use her skills to address what she regards as council's greatest challenge: a racial divide. She says many council votes divide along racial lines.

Her hope, she says, is that she can use decades of experience working on charitable organizations to help bridge that gap.

She says she's considering proposing council members mix it up around the horse shoe by reassigning seating arrangements to help make new connections.

As for getting to work in her ward, she says there's a lot to do.

She's heard from constituents about the need for street light repair and cutting down on the number of stray dogs.