Chatham County Commission District 1 race features two longtime residents, deep community connections

Chatham County Board of Commissioners' District 1 post is poised to have a new face come November. But with no Democrat qualified for the seat, Tuesday's Republican primary will determine who represents Ardsley Park, Midtown, Isle of Hope, Burnside Island, Sandfly and other areas.

The race has drawn two candidates, each with a cache of experience and history serving in different community roles throughout the region.

One is Austin Hill, president of Corcoran Austin Hill Realty and chair of Historic Savannah Foundation's board. The other is Wayne Noha, a former Chatham Fire chief who serves on the Metropolitan Planning Commission and also has served a stint on the Zoning Board of Approvals.

Here is more background on each candidate, and what they said about various issues facing Chatham County.

Austin Hill

Hill touts being born and raised on Burnside Island, and besides a stint in Nashville, has lived in the district his whole life. The motivation to run for the seat comes from a desire to help that community, particularly amid booming growth in the county, Hill said.

Through his work in real estate and preservation, Hill said he feels he can provide help in areas of planning and development. That includes a focus on managing growth in a way that preserves the area's character.

"I am someone who is very, very concerned with maintaining historic neighborhoods' identities," Hill said. "I think that is one thing that puts Savannah on the map worldwide, is the protection of our identity and the preservation of our neighborhoods and communities."

A few of Hill's priorities include improving the county's 911 service, keeping property taxes low and running a responsible budget. Hill's priority for fiscal responsibility comes from his background as a small business owner, he said.

One way to help property owners and taxes is supporting a Transportation Special Local Option Sales Tax, Hill said. TSPLOSTs are good opportunities to look at long-term infrastructure issues facing the county, including some of its East-West connections, Hill said.

"We have to look at the whole of Chatham County."

One area where Hill seems to depart from his opponent is on how to approach Chatham County's fire services. Hill said standing up a county fire department may not be the "best use of taxpayer dollars."

There are already services, such as the Isle of Hope Volunteer Fire Department, that already provide great coverage, Hill said, adding the route he would likely take to address service delivery issues is helping those existing service providers expand and improve their operations. That could also include greater partnerships with the city, Hill said.

"I think we have systems that are really, really working well."

Wayne Noha

Noha said even after his retirement as Chatham Fire chief, he will still receive and pick up calls about community issues. His reason for jumping in the race centers around his desire to continue serving the community, which he has been doing since age 17, he said.

In addition to Noha's service on the MPC and ZBA, he has consistently attended county commission meetings, only missing a few since 2014. His participation in local government would make his transition into the seat "almost seamless," he said. "The core issues that they are talking about, I am very familiar with."

Noha said he would support a TSPLOST if approved by voters. But he would also look at other infrastructure funding methods such as state and federal grants where the county could match part of the investment. An example of this could be state Local Improvement and Maintenance grants.

When it comes to crafting a TSPLOST project list, Noha said it's important to have a county-wide plan so that growth does not outpace infrastructure. But within a holistic view, there also needs to be considerations for district needs, Noha said.

"I think in a nutshell the big picture is the answer but in that big picture, districts are going to come up with their individual needs," Noha said.

Noha also said his experience in public safety has equipped him to tackle those issues on the county level. When it comes to the 911 service center, Noha said he would drill down into a recent report on its issues to find both the "low-hanging fruit" fixes and long-term solutions.

As a former fire chief, Noha said he could be instrumental in helping the county transition into its own fire department by providing an understanding of the operations and needs of a fire department.

"I believe a municipal department at this time is necessary to provide the protection that's needed."

Evan Lasseter is the city and county government reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at ELasseter@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Chatham County Commission District 1 race features two longtime residents