Eight candidates attended the Suwannee County Voters League public forum for candidates running for sheriff and property appraiser Thursday, July 14.

LIVE OAK — Live Oak City Hall was packed for the Suwannee County Voters League public forum for candidates running for sheriff and property appraiser Thursday, July 14.

For Suwannee County Sheriff, Halford Harris, Shawn Hingson, Fred Martin, Matt Smith, Sam St. John and Buddy Williams attended the forum.

For Suwannee County Property Appraiser, Shawn Crocker and Lamar Jenkins attended.

Each candidate was given three minutes to introduce themselves to the audience in City Hall around 7 p.m.

Robert Ford, a member of the voters league, moderated the event. After the candidates had their chance to speak, he said he hoped the audience had a better idea about the people running and would be able to make a more informed decision come election time.

After the opening statements, the audience had the opportunity to submit questions for the candidates.

Sam St. John was asked how he would hold officers accountable for their actions should he be elected.

He said he would set policy procedures that the officers would be required to sign.

“Everything would be set in stone with policy and procedures to make sure everybody is aware of the policies and what would happen if they violated it,” St. John said.

All six candidates were asked how they would reform the animal control services within the county. For the most part, the candidates agreed that animal control was underfunded and needed to be reformed.

Hingson said that it was a budget issue.

“If you don’t have the money earmarked, then you can’t operate,” he said.

Candidate Martin seemed to imply that people shouldn’t be wasting money on animals at all.

“I grew up on a farm,” he said. “And if you couldn’t eat it or go hunting with it, then you didn’t feed it. I don’t understand why people will spend more money on a dog than their own kids!”

The candidates were also asked to give their view on body cameras. Each candidate was in favor of body cameras. Smith said he was for them so long as it was in the budget.

“I would support body cameras so long as it’s supported by the budget, as long as there’s a policy as to the use, when it’s going to be used and privacy issues are protected,” he said.

Harris was asked how he felt toward the second amendment during the forum. He said he is a firm believer in the second amendment.

“I think that every law abiding citizen should have a firearm to protect themselves,” Harris said. “The second amendment was set up to protect ourselves against tyranny.”

The candidates were asked what their relationship would be toward the Police Athletic League program if they were elected sheriff.

PAL provides safe, adult supervised after-school programs for local youth ages 7 to 17. It also has summer programs where kids can get meals and tutoring.

Chief Williams said he would continue to expand the program.

“The program is great,” he said. “What you do is, I think, involve more deputies to get to know this community. If you know the community you work in, you’re more likely to try and help them.”

Running for property appraiser, Crocker is running against the incumbent Jenkins, who has been in officer for 43 years. Crocker promised, in his opening speech, to create an out reach program to meet everyone in the county.

Jenkins called the property appraiser’s office the most important position in the county. He said it took a special kind of person to be property appraiser.

A sheriff or supervisor of elections, he said, will only interact with limited number of people in the county, but the property appraiser touches everyone who owns a piece of land.

Jessie Philpot concluded the evening. He thanked everyone for coming and urged people to get involved in local government.

“I think when we get involved, we will all understand each other,” Philpot said. “We will be able to work together in unity and make our community a better place for everyone to live.”

Once the forum concluded, the audience had a chance to speak one-on-one with candidates. The next voters league forum will be for Suwannee County commissioner and school board candidates on Thursday, July 21, at 7 p.m. in City Hall, 101 White Ave.