Former County Employee To Run For Commission Seat

CANTON, GA — A former employee with the Cherokee County government is one again making a run for public office. Kenny Phelps has announced his plans to run for the District 3 seat on the Cherokee County Commission.

Phelps will run as a Republican in the special election set for March 19. The election will fill the unexpired term of Bob Kovacs, who resigned last month.

"In order for our county to forge a vision for the future, we must have respect for where we came from," said Phelps. "I worked for the people of Cherokee for over 30 years as a county employee. I remember when we had a single commissioner, and I recall when we made the change to five commissioners. Our county is changing, but we must make sure the changes we go through are done right."

Phelps has lived in Cherokee County for more than 40 years. He graduated from Cherokee High School and worked for the county government for more than 30 years in the Building, Planning and Zoning and Engineering departments. He was named county employee of the year in 2009.

Phelps is the third candidate to formally announce his intentions to run for the seat vacated by Kovacs. Benny Carter and Matt Lear have also tossed their hats into the ring for the election.

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This isn't Phelps' first time entering the political arena. In 2012, Phelps ran for and lost the Republican primary to become Cherokee County tax commissioner. While he worked for the county, Phelps said no job was "too small" for him, and added that same work ethic is what residents in District 3 need in a county commissioner.

"We have a tremendous need for better infrastructure for traffic relief, and we have to maintain discipline about the way we grow by following the Land Use Plan," he added. "Since I worked for this county for over thirty years, I saw the challenges first hand. I’m not afraid of the work involved, and I look forward to serving my neighbors as Commissioner for District 3."

Kenny Phelps and his wife, Lisa, have been married for 36 years. The Phelps live in Holly Springs, and have two adult children and two grandchildren. Phelps also coached his children in youth baseball, softball and basketball. He served on the Board of Directors for Dizzy Dean Baseball and Cherokee County Youth Softball, as an assistant director for Cherokee County Youth Basketball and as Holly Springs Elementary School's PTO co-president.

More information about Kenny Phelps and his campaign can be found on his website.

Image via Kenny Phelps