The Race for Forsyth County Sheriff Expands to Three

Lauren McDonald, Forsyth County Coroner for the past 11 years and a volunteer firefighter for 24 years, announced his candidacy for sheriff this week, according to a news release.

“The current sheriff has served a purpose, but now it is time to seize the opportunity for a wave of new ideas, an opportunity for a fresh set of eyes to take a look at the way things are operating and make a positive change happen within and outside of the Sheriff’s Office," said McDonald.

The 43-year-old said in his news release that his campaign will focus on the positives of the future of Forsyth County including, constant dialogue between the sheriff and County Manager Doug Derrer, Cumming Mayor H. Ford Gravitt and Fire Chief Danny Bowman.

This open dialogue, according to McDonald, will assure the citizens of Forsyth County that necessary interactions between these departments are properly planned and implemented to improve upon the safety and well being of the community. It will also provide a healthier work place for the deputies serving in the community, he said.

If elected, McDonald plans to establish a nine member sheriff's council made up of local business women and men that will bring increased transparency of department day-to-day operations. This group of individuals will also serve as a budget advisory council to help improve ethics compliancy within the Sheriff’s Office. The council will also play a vital role in the planning and development of the new jail.

McDonald said while the school safety program established by the county board of education and Superintendent L.C. (Buster) Evans is commendable, he believes schools in the community need even more. He wants to see drug seizure money spent on programs "that take the temptations of drugs, alcohol and gangs out of the grasps of our children."

"Each parent needs to trust that when their child goes to school, their child will return home safely. A re-energized, pro-active focus on school safety programs needs to be a top priority for our community," he said. "Even outside the walls of our schools, the Sheriff's Office needs to offer education to families on topics like the cyber-crimes that are taking place between kids."

Another initiative McDonald would implement is similar to what the Georgia Department of Transportation has in place called Highway Emergency Response Operators (HERO). The program would cover Forsyth County roads to assist at accident scenes, roadway cleanup and major events.

McDonald said he would work with the Board of Commissioners and the human resources department to make sure that sheriff’s deputies and employees have incentive to stay in Forsyth County. At the same time, McDonald wants the deputies to be more involved in community activities and to get to know the residents they serve.

"Additionally, since the deputy is often the first on scene at a medical emergency, all patrol officers will be certified as first responders and carry an AED (automated external defibrillator) in their patrol car," McDonald said. "We need to be a 'Heart Smart County.' This would demonstrate the deputies’ commitment and pride in their job as well as provide better interaction and, ultimately, trust between the deputies and the citizens they serve. In turn, it will help our deputies have a sense of community, one in which the community would feel compelled to invest back in them through pay increases, health benefits and retirement."

McDonald, who owns , said he would take a business approach in running the sheriff's office.

"We do not want to put a price tag on our children's safety nor that of our own, he said. "However, with 41 other county departments that provide services to the citizens, is it fair that the sheriff spends $38 million of the $92 million in our digest?"

McDonald, a 15-year resident of Forsyth County, is married to Claire and has three children. He is also the son of Lauren "Bubba" McDonald Jr., the Chairman of the Georgia Public Service Commission and who served 20 years in the state House of Representatives.

Duane Piper, the other candidate running for sheriff, .

As of this writing Sheriff Ted Paxton has not formally announced his plans for re-election, but Cumming Patch has learned an event to kick-off the sheriff's campaign is scheduled for Friday, March 23.