New commissioner welcomed

A breakfast to welcome newly elected District 4 Commissioner Lee Anderson was held Saturday at BG's Restaurant in Harlem.

Attending were Anderson, several Grovetown and Harlem officials and state Rep. Barry Fleming, who sponsored the breakfast.

Fleming said he held the breakfast to congratulate Anderson, give him the opportunity to meet city officials and allow Anderson to hear problems facing the county's two municipalities.

"You have the distinction of being the commissioner that represents Columbia County's two cities," Fleming said to Anderson.

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Both city mayors expressed the need for county assistance in improving the cities' infrastructures. They also said they would like to see the cities get a larger percentage of the one-cent sales tax funds that will be put to a vote in a countywide election next year.

For his part, Anderson said he wants to work with the cities on getting more grants.

"There's a lot of grant money out there for the taking," he said. "Someone has to get that money, and it might as well be us. I'd like to work with the cities on helping them get more of that money."

Anderson said he also would like to hold meetings similar to the breakfast once a quarter so he could hear the concerns of the cities and improve communication.

Anderson won the seat last week, beating out four other opponents with 55 percent of the vote. He will be sworn into office officially at 6 p.m. Monday at the Appling courthouse.