‘I have the experience:’ Carter Infinger hopes to be reelected for Bryan County Chairman

Carter Infinger has lived in Bryan County for nearly 30 years. He has seen the area grow from little-to-no traffic to a town that is bustling with small businesses and a county that was dubbed the fastest growing in the state in 2021, according to the U.S. Census.

With the state’s largest economic development project, Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, and a host of other projects to look after, Infinger is not ready to pass the torch after two terms, which is why he wants to be reelected as chairman of the Bryan County Board of Commissioners.

“I want to make sure we see these projects through, especially with the Hyundai plant. I was on it from the ground floor,” said Infinger, a senior sales manager for a biotech company. “There's a lot of things that people don't know about it that I know about…very important issues going on right now with that project and a couple other projects and we want to be able to see those through. Why would you change horses in the middle of the race?”

Infinger is running against Buck Holly, owner of C&H Precision, a firearm parts manufacturer.

Carter says his knowledge in "county government" is what sets him apart, while Holly is using his skillset in building his company from the ground up to show that he is a "business leader."

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Allen Cox, retired schoolteacher and former Director of Transportation for Bryan County, agreed changing leadership in the middle of the race could be challenging.

“Our county is right in the middle of some big projects,” said Cox. “Carter understands our growth and needs as a whole. The locals know him on both ends of the county. I support him. You bring somebody new in the middle of the ballgame, it’s going to be difficult.”Infinger said the position is a grind and questioned whether someone without experience could handle the responsibilities.

“It’s very time consuming,” said Infinger. “You have a lot of plates in there at one time and to be able to manage that, it will take somebody with experience to keep those going. There's a lot switching gears throughout the week. For some somebody to come in with no experience and never been to a meeting, I don't know that it will work out too well.”

Folks living on the north end of the county often voice their frustration on social media, saying not enough money is allocated for Pembroke and Ellabell. But Infinger said in some cases, they receive more than their south end counterparts.

He pointed to a list of projects, such as the senior center, as the tax dollars that are hard at work.

“I believe they're supposed to get three percent and they get about six percent of SPLOST dollars,” said Infinger. “We actually do spend a lot of money up in North Bryan County, probably more than South Bryan County sometimes. We’re rebuilding everything up there right now, so they are getting a lot of things. Two-thirds of the population is on the south end but they don't get two-thirds of the money.”

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During his tenure, the commissioner has lowered the millage rate seven years in a row, expanded athletic programs on both ends of the county and opened the fisherman's co-op to the public, giving residents access to a vital waterway in the coastal community.

He added his relationship with legislatures in the Georgia General Assembly is one of the biggest reasons why state funds continue to flow through Bryan County.

“I have the experience, not only on our local level, but state level to get things done and I think that's critical to have those relationships, not only here locally, but across the state to make sure we're getting the funds that we need from the state,” said Infinger.

Latrice Williams is a general assignment reporter covering Bryan and Effingham County. She can be reached at lwilliams6@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Carter Infinger and Buck Holly are vying for Bryan County Chair