Patrick Bell ready to serve Forsyth's District 4

Patrick Bell has already been impressed by the volume of information he has received as a commissioner since he took the District 4 office at the start of the year.

"It's unbelievable the volume of information you have to digest," he said. "I appreciate all the help current commissioners provided in the previous months. I couldn't imagine walking there my first day without any preparation. It would have been information overload."

Bell said he is ready to get started. His passion is to encourage business development in Forsyth County.

"We really need to create that community that allows people to live, work and play here," he said. "Right now, we are borderline because we are really still a bedroom community for Atlanta. We need to have a diverse tax digest and raise revenue without burdening the residents."

Bell said he fears what will happen in Forsyth County without more business development.

"If we do not balance this tax digest and raise revenue," he said, "it will fall back on the property owners and I don't want to see that happen."

Bell said there are many issues that are important such as transportation and water, but he felt business development is "key," as is "rebuilding bridges" with Cumming, the Forsyth County Board of Education and other agencies within the county.

Bell said he appreciated the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners allowing him to attend meetings shortly after he won the election.

"It was really amazing how much the board opened up to me," he said. "They all helped to explain things and their thoughts on different issues. They were as open and as candid as possible."

Bell said the training he received in December while attending a four-day series of classes at the University of Georgia in Athens was a "tremendous opportunity." The classes included training on everything from budgets to ethics to open records requests.

But Bell said it was also important to spend time getting to know Jim Boff, the new District 5 commissioner.

"I think he is going to make a great commissioner," he said. "He is thoughtful and considerate. I am looking forward to working with him."
- www.northfulton.com

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