On Nov. 3, the citizens of the City of Leesburg will have a choice between two competing visions. My vision takes the best of the old ways and implements them using fresh, new methods to achieve the best combination of both old and new.

One great thing about the old days was that people could sit around and talk to each other about ideas and events. Due to a variety of factors, you really don’t see that too much these days – but we can. I’ve been a pioneer of that over the past 10 months or so with my work in creating and operating SWGAPolitics.com, a forum for anyone in SWGA to talk politics in a manner that we try to keep generally civil. As the newest Leesburg city councilman, I will continue to push for this genuine open forum to discuss any issue that arises. I’ve also already begun using my personal site, JefferySexton.com, as a way to discuss campaign-specific issues, and I will continue to use it as my “official” site once in office.

A great thing about the new ways is our commitment to professionalism and openness in government. We now expect council members to be at meetings and we expect websites and other resources so that we can keep tabs on our government. I can honestly say that the only meeting I have ever missed once I committed to doing something was last week’s County Commission meeting that fell on my anniversary – and that is from any position I have ever held, going all the way back to my college days. That is a record I intend to keep intact as the newest Leesburg City Councilman. I also intend to create a new website that has at a minimum the agendas and minutes of every City Council meeting, as well as contact information for every City of Leesburg Department head and other relevant information about City government.

The era of good-ole-boy politics is dead, and it should stay dead. I have been working for openness, transparency, professionalism, and civility since beginning my political involvement one year ago, and I will continue that work as the newest Leesburg city councilman.

written by Jeff Sexton of Leesburg, Georgia.