By Mike Chambers
Correspondent
TRENTON, Ga. – Dade County commissioners bid farewell to District 1 Commissioner Lamar Lowery at his final meeting last week.
“If Mitchell (Smith) is half the commissioner Lamar is, then the north end has got a good one,” said Commissioner Scottie Pittman.
Pittman, who was elected in 2002 at the same time as Lowery, admitted “butting heads” with his colleague several times, but said the two will “always be friends.”
Lowery lost his bid for a third term in November elections. He was elected in 2002 and 2006 as a Democrat, but this year he switched parties and faced off against Smith in the Republican primary. Smith will take office in January.
Several commissioners lauded Lowery’s efforts to stay in touch with constituents and issues. Although he works full time at Hutcheson Medical Center, Lowery was good at working the phones, his colleagues said.
“I talked to him daily, sometimes several times,” said Dade County Executive Ted Rumley. “He’d call me during his lunch breaks – he did a lot of good for the whole county, particularly the north end.”
Rumley lauded Lowery’s work on county efforts to get a $10 million USDA grant to link Trenton and the north end of Dade County to the Moccasin Bend Wastewater Treatment Plant. A decision could come as early as February, Rumley said. If the county is awarded the grant, it could help spur economic growth for the area, he said.
Rumley also cited Lowery’s support of numerous paving projects and work at the Dade north end community center.
“He’s spent a lot of volunteer time there. He’s really been a good commissioner,” said Rumley.
Lowery said he was most proud of his work with the commission to complete the new Dade County Courthouse, which opened recently.
Lowery’s father, Tommy Lowery, former Trenton sewer and fire commissioner, attended the meeting as well.
Lowery told commissioners his father was instrumental in his achievements.
“He used to get me up on Saturday mornings at 7:30, saying ‘Son, there’s work to do.’ I wouldn’t have half of what I have now without him.”
Tommy Lowery remembered his son asking about running for the commission.
“‘Sure you can run, get in there,” he said he told him.
“I shook a few bushes and helped him. He worked hard and put a lot of effort into it.”
Mike Chambers covers Dade County. Contact him at chambers@tvn.net