A familiar face has thrown her hat into the Columbus City Council elections.
Pat Fisher Douglas, 68, has qualified as a Democrat for the council representing Ward 4. Douglas, a retired educator from Lowndes County School District, previously ran in a special election for the same seat in 2019, but lost to current Councilman Pierre Beard.
Douglas said she is concerned about crime in her ward and “incompetence” in the city administration.
“We don’t need those kind of people in office,” Douglas said Thursday. “… We need a change in Columbus. … I’ve never seen what’s going on now, never before in my life in Columbus.
“If you keep putting the same people in office, then there’s no change,” she added. “… We need a new perspective here in Columbus.”
Beard has not qualified for re-election and previously told The Dispatch he was waiting to announce his candidacy. Beard was also recently cited for possession of a misdemeanor amount of marijuana in Lowndes County Justice Court.
The only other candidates who have qualified for Columbus elections thus far are incumbents Mayor Robert Smith, Ward 2 Councilman Joseph Mickens and Ward 5 Councilman Stephen Jones.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
