Correction: Sarah Bell Will Run for Board of Commissioners Post 1

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated Bell was running for chair.  She is planning a run for Post 1 on the Board of Commissioners, a seat currently held by Jim Luke.  The article has been corrected.

announced Monday she'll qualify this week as a candidate for the Post 1 seat on the Oconee County Board of Commissioners.

She's challenging incumbent Jim Luke, who .

In a news release, Bell said her background in education and business, conservative values and other experience "can give additional perspective to the decisions it will make in the coming months and years."

"While pledging to keep government as small as possible, I believe that our county government must have a great vision for Oconee's future," she said in the released statement.  "This vision must affect the primary responsibilities of this local government:  to plan for public safety, fire protection, water and sewer, and roads for the future.  These are tasks that individual citizens cannot do for themselves.  And the cost of government must respond to the realities of our society by cutting to fit the essentials and eliminating the non-essentials.  As with so many governments, Oconee County has some salaries which are too high and could be reduced.  Elected officials should be public servants, not highly paid figureheads."

She also said she is against the .

Bell ran for chair of the Board of Commissioners in 2008 but lost to Melvin Davis by about 100 votes. Davis announced last week he'll seek a fourth term, and he's facing opposition from Post 4 Commissioner Chuck Horton.  Retired Army Sergeant Major and UGA Chief of Staff and Senior Director of Development declared their candidacy for Post 4 earlier in the year, and farmer and builder has expressed interest in the race.

Qualifying takes place Wednesday through Friday.  The primary election will be held on July 31.

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