In an election next month, Macon-Bibb County voters will decide who will represent them on the Macon Water Authority board as chair and as representatives for districts 2 and 4.

Chair Gary Bechtel is running for reelection against Desmond Brown, who resigned from the District 2 post on March 6 upon qualifying to run against Bechtel.

Bechtel, a 65-year-old real estate salesman for Bob Lewis & Associates, was appointed to serve on the board in 2017-18. He was elected chair in 2022.

“I think I present a very positive and forward-looking view on where we can be as the Macon Water Authority,” Bechtel said of his bid for reelection. “I’m fully aware of the system — I have experience; I work well with people in the community, the industrial authority, the mayor and others who are constantly looking for answers to certain questions.”

Brown did not respond to calls, emails and text messages from The Macon Melody. The 53-year-old entrepreneur owns a company called Blue Armor Network of America.

This isn’t the first time Brown and Bechtel have gone head-to-head in a race for chair.

Early in 2022, as Brown was being investigated for possible ethics violations, he resigned from the District 2 post and qualified to run against Bechtel to replace outgoing chair Sam Hart. The race ended in a June runoff, with Bechtel receiving 8,519 votes and Brown receiving 3,826.

Later in 2022, when the election for District 2 post occurred in November, Brown was elected to again represent the district, earning 41% of votes.

A third candidate, Donald Druitt, qualified to run for chair but has since dropped out of the race. 

District 4

District 4 includes part of southwest Bibb County, Lizella, Lake Tobesofkee, the Macon Mall, Rutland and a slice of north Macon. It includes approximately 29,000 registered voters. Click here to view a map of the districts.

Frank Patterson

Patterson, who has served on the MWA board for 22 years, faces two challengers for the District 4 seat.

“Stability on the board is very important,” Patterson said. “This is a board that has to be run like a business. You still have to take care of your constituents. You don’t want to make promises you can’t keep. … I enjoy serving the people. To me, this is not so much political. As it is, water sees no color, no blue and no red, nothing. I treat everybody as best I can.”

Patterson, 78, said the board’s priority after the election will be finding a replacement for late MWA CEO Ron Shipman, who died in February.

“I’m for promoting within, if you have a candidate,” Patterson said. “We’ve still got a lot of things to do.”

Patterson is retired but previously worked for Bibb County at Lake Tobesofkee, in the engineering department and in public works.

“Sometimes you have to make decisions that affect your customers and your authority and you have to do what’s right,” Patterson said. “I owe it to the people in this community to do the best job I can do and that’s what I’m going to do. … I’m looking forward to making it 26 years.”

De’Ron Rogers

As the owner of Pinky’s Shaved Ice, Rogers said she knows a thing or two about how to grow a business.

Rogers, 62, created the business in 2014. In three years, the business grew to nine trailers and six franchisees.

“I’m really good at figuring things out as far as forecasting and just kind of seeing the road ahead,” Rogers said. “I think all my business experience will help me in any decisions that need to be made that come up to the board.”

Rogers said she and her family “have deep roots here in Middle Georgia” and serving the community in local politics has been something she’s always wanted to do.

In 2024, Rogers made an unsuccessful bid for State House District 145. She said she decided to run for the water authority board because she thought Patterson decided not to run for another term.

Rogers and Patterson met in person once she learned he had qualified for reelection.

“He has a lot of experience and wisdom and I will draw from that if I’m lucky enough to be voted into that position,” Rogers said of Patterson. “It’s very friendly. I’ve met with him and he kind of filled me in briefly on several projects.”

Rogers said high water bills and aging infrastructure are issues she would dig into as a board member. She said she would like to explore what grants may be available to the authority for it to pay for upgrades in a way that does not burden ratepayers.

“I’m really interested in the infrastructure and how we can go about getting that up to code or speed,” she said. “I just want to get in there and use my skills to help make decisions and to move forward.”

Michael McKeever

Issues with persistent flooding in South Bibb County prompted McKeever’s candidacy for the District 4 post.

The 32-year-old software program manager at Robins Air Force Base is a lifelong resident of Macon but moved to south Bibb County about four years ago.

“They’re building new subdivisions and apartment complexes around here,” McKeever said. “We already have inadequate drainage now. We’re not going to have adequate drainage for that at all.”

McKeever said he’s watched as ditches near his subdivision fill with rain that remains stagnant for a day or more before draining.

“They need to be cleaned out at least two to three times a year and I know that’s not being done,” McKeever said of the ditches and stormwater drains. “We need to come up with a plan to have our water infrastructure repaired every year. We keep letting it build up and build up.”

McKeever said he is aware of numerous complaints to the authority about the issue and, “they either don’t care or they wait until a big disaster happens, and issues like that need to be addressed before anything.”

If elected, McKeever said he would want to work with the authority’s engineering department “to put together a life cycle and maintenance plan” for infrastructure.

In addition to regular maintenance, McKeever said he would ensure the authority maintains proper budgets “so we won’t have to raise bills on consumers.”

District 2

District 2 includes part of East Macon on the west side of Gray Highway, a portion of downtown, Pleasant Hill, Vineville, Ingleside, Unionville, Payne City, Napier Heights, Bloomfield, and part of south Bibb County from Eisenhower Parkway to Rocky Creek Road. It includes approximately 29,000 registered voters. Click here to view a map of the districts.

Marshall Talley

Talley, a 42-year-old owner of a hospitality business, is running for a fourth time since 2018 for a seat on the MWA board.
“It’s bigger than just water and pipes and bills,” he said. “Water is our biggest asset.”  

Talley said he wants to “reimagine” the Macon Water Alliance, the authority’s nonprofit arm created in 2014 to help individuals in need pay their water bills.

“I think the water alliance could do a lot to help our community,” Talley said, adding he wants to “restructure billing assistance” offered by the alliance and help ratepayers with leak repairs. “I really want to deep dive into that nonprofit side.”

Talley said his priorities are protecting customers, remaining vigilant about data centers and solidifying leadership to fill the place of MWA’s late CEO Ron Shipman.

“My main priority is to serve,” Talley said, adding that his relationship with the community and communication skills would contribute to the board. “I’m very knowledgeable about what’s going on at MWA. I’m very innovative in my thoughts.”

Ronald Lemon

Lemon, a chiropractor, said he is running to serve the community and keep water rates affordable for the average ratepayer.

“I’d like to keep that down and then make sure that we exhaust all of the measures before we have any price increases because I think we can stay where we are and make things happen,” Lemon said of the authority’s current rates for residential customers. “I could be a steady hand on the water board just to make sure that we keep going in the right direction for the benefit of all citizens of Macon.”

Lemon ran unsuccessfully years ago for a seat on the now-dissolved Macon City Council. He said everyone should run for public office at least once.

“It’s very humbling, getting out there and knocking on doors and handing out postcards and listening to people,” Lemon said, adding that he has heard from constituents who’ve voiced concerns about pocketbook issues such as water rates.

Lemon said the water board is much like the school board in regard to civic importance.

“It’s something that we sort of — many people — take for granted,” Lemon said. “We don’t realize it’s such an important element to our well-being in Macon-Bibb County. …  Most people don’t know who their school board reps are, yet it might be the biggest chunk of your property taxes. … Having safe, affordable water is critical for all of our existence, but if we’re going to attract good economic growth, we’ve got to have a healthy water supply and a delivery system that’s up to speed.”

Sharif Robbins-Brinson

Robbins-Brinson wants to see Macon’s water quality go from “fine” to “better.”

“There’s no glaring problems or massive issues with the water that Macon is currently drinking from the Ocmulgee,” he said. “It’s okay. It’s fine. I think that, in itself, was the reason I chose to run specifically. It’s fine. It’s ok. But it could be better.”

The 25-year-old candidate is a lifelong resident of Macon and is studying for a master’s degree in public administration from the University of North Georgia.

“I felt like with all the stuff that I’ve learned from school, the fact that my school and career is about to come to an end, I thought now would be the best time to use the skills I acquired to help out Macon,” Robbins-Brinson said. “I think the main thing I can bring is the most up-to-date information when it comes to policy analysis, along with also trying to make sure to keep the MWA to an overall higher standard … Like anything, it can always be improved.”

Robbins-Brinson said independent tests of Macon’s water show there are extra sediments that could be filtered out through pretreatment.

He holds a position with the local Democratic Party and a degree in political science from Florida A&M University. He said being a political neophyte has its advantages because “people get into those positions, they stay in those positions and they’re there for another 20 years …  there is this loss of vigor when it comes to action.”

Early voting for the May 19 election begins April 27. Voters may verify their districts online at the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page.

Renoalda Scott

Scott, a property manager, tax preparer and chair of the Macon-Bibb County Democratic Committee, said transparency is the biggest challenge for the water authority.

“The community needs to know what’s going on,” Scott said. “I want people to understand that I’m not going to be on the water board to work for the water board. I’m on the water board to work for the people.”

The 44-year-old lifelong resident of Bibb County said she decided to run for a seat on the authority board after attending meetings and hearing complaints from customers whose monthly bills have doubled or tripled inexplicably.

“It was like, with so many people having these same issues, why not do something to make a difference and change what’s going on,” Scott said. “I’m a servant to the people. It’s my duty to make sure that our community is taken care of and I want people to know that. … I am able to sympathize with the community and understand what the dynamics of what their needs are.”

Scott said her budgeting and financial skills as well as her experience with being a community advocate would be assets to the board.