Hiawassee City Council Campaign Ethics Raised
News, Politics November 4, 2017
HIAWASSEE, GA – In a live interview conducted by Fetch Your News (FYN) CEO Brian Pritchard with Hiawassee Mayoral candidate Liz Ordiales on the morning of Nov. 3, 2017, Mr. Pritchard questioned Ms. Ordiales’s decision to place her campaign sign on a Towns County Fire and Rescue truck during the City’s annual Halloween on the Square festivities on Oct. 31.
“Why did you put your campaign banner on the side of that firetruck? That is a violation of State,” Pritchard asked as the interview concluded. “Why did you do that?”
The campaign sign was placed on the rear of Engine 1 after being removed from the side
Candidate Ordiales responded she did not realize it was an ethics violation, stating she is connected to the Fire Corps and has raised $250,000 for the nonprofit organization, while making mention of Councilman Jay Chastain Jr.’s photographed endorsement of Liz Ordiales’s opponent, Barry Keith Dearing, while wearing an EMS uniform.
Towns County Sole Commissioner Cliff Bradshaw, who tended to a booth for trick-or-treaters at the popular Halloween event, promptly asked Candidate Ordiales to remove the sign after it was brought to his attention.
“Towns County does not endorse candidates,” Commissioner Bradshaw said. “I’ve made that clear to the heads of all departments.”
Fetch Your News headquarters received a photo complaint of the campaign banner from an attendee soon after it was affixed to the firetruck.
“The minute I was called and told there might be a problem, did I take it down? Immediately it was taken down,” Ms. Ordiales said in the interview.
Candidate Ordiales removed the banner from the side of Engine 1, placing it on the bumper of the county emergency vehicle, out of the Commissioner’s line of sight, for a short period of time before being asked to place it in her vehicle by current Towns County Fire Corps President Colleen Gibson.
FYN CEO Brian Pritchard also questioned Candidate Ordiales’ usage of the City Of Hiawassee logo on campaign correspondence. Ordiales replied it is legal, that the City logo is not trademarked.
Incumbent Councilman Chastain has since responded to Candidate Ordiales comments on the endorsement photograph published by Fetch Your News.
“I didn’t think anything about it,” Councilman Chastain said. “I was invited to the Sheriff’s prayer breakfast, as were all first responders, and I stopped by before heading to work in North Carolina. Barry was there, [FYN’s reporter] was there, and the picture was snapped. I personally supported Barry before the endorsement was publicized.”
Councilman Chastain did not address the group during his visit nor was his endorsement announced at the event.
The image in question has since been replaced on the original article by request from the Councilman.
Concerns related to Councilman Chastain’s uniform were not brought to FYN’s attention prior to community complaints of campaign ethic violations committed by Candidate Ordiales.
Ms. Ordiales was asked to remove a line of campaign signs from sidewalk flower pots located in front of The Mall on Main Thursday, Oct. 2, via a business owner who wishes to remain anonymous in the event Ordiales is elected.
An article related to the Halloween campaign controversy was recently published by FYN prior to the journalist’s decision to retract it in order to allow the list of allegations raised by former Towns County Fire Corps Vice President Ken Bryant while Liz Ordiales served as the nonprofit’s president to stand alone.
Mr. Bryant, a former federal agent and current fraud investigator, was offered an opportunity by FYN CEO Brian Pritchard to submit a rebuttal for publication as an opinion piece. Reference to the allegations are addressed in the FYNTV.com interview with Ms. Ordiales.
Continue to follow Fetch Your News for additional coverage of the Hiawassee City Council election.
Election Day is Nov. 7, 2017.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. – FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. – For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]
Interview with Hiawassee Mayoral Candidate, Liz Ordiales
Politics September 12, 2017Hiawassee, GA – Former Mayor Pro-Tem, Liz Ordiales, a mayoral candidate who stepped down from Hiawassee City Council in August to run in November’s election, sat down with Fetch Your News on Wednesday, September 6, to share some of her plans for the City’s future.
Image: Courtesy of Liz Ordiales
“I believe Hiawassee is the greatest place to live,” Liz Ordiales began, “In the past 21 years, I have seen the spirit of Hiawassee through my community involvement with the Towns County Fire Corps, Meals on Wheels, Habitat for Humanity, my church involvement, and so on.”
“We have incredible resources in our natural beauty, our lake, our mountains, our trails – all of which lead us to be Georgia’s Lake and Mountain Paradise. We have lots of work to do to establish our infrastructure, manage our finances, and develop an even better place to live.”
Ms. Ordiales was elected to Hiawassee City Council, Post 5, in 2015, and was selected by Council members to serve as Mayor Pro Tem in the Spring of 2017.
“I went door-to-door, listening to concerns from residents,” the mayoral candidate said when asked about her initial run for a Council seat, “and I began to prioritize the issues that were raised.”
Since Ordiales took office, Hiawassee has noticeably changed.
Sidewalks have been added and repaired for pedestrians in Hiawassee, Town Square has been beautified, Mayors’ Park was constructed.
Image: Courtesy of Liz Ordiales
“Behind the scene” improvements have also taken place.
There were 20 fire hydrants in desperate need of repair when Ordiales joined the Council. That number is down to seven. The accuracy of water meter readings were at 70 percent; they’ve now reached an average of 99.6 percent. Many miles of underground water lines were inspected by professionals, free of charge, to check for wasteful leaks. Untouched bank accounts, opened long ago by the City, were discovered and closed.
Ordiales was quick to add the changes were a result of Council efforts.
After 30 years of employment with AT&T, Ms. Ordiales says she has what it takes to be the “City’s CEO.”
“As a City Council member and Mayor Pro-Tem, I believe I have proven that we can move our city forward and prepare us for a great future, working with our County officials and local businesses,” Ordiales tells Fetch Your News.
The election for Hiawassee Mayor and City Council takes place on November 7.
Early voting begins on October 16.
Updated information on the 2017 race is available.