Fr. County Commission Candidate Cole Roper “Didn’t Know” New House was in Disrict 3

Franklin County Republican candidate for District 4 Cole Roper says he was unaware that a $400,000 home he is building on Sandy Cross Road was not in District 4, the District he was elected to serve in as Commissioner but in fact, is in District 3.

Roper, who currently lives at 3935 Sandy Cross Road in District 4, secured a mortgage for the new house being built at 5355 Sandy Cross Road in February before qualifying for the District 4 commission race.

In a phone interview with Roper on Friday, he said he did not know the house he was building was just inside District 3.

“I have several offers on the house,” he told WLHR News Friday.

According to his press release issued Friday, he only found out last week that the house under construction sits 1,600 ft inside District 3 – about a mile from District 3 Republican candidate for District 3, Elizabeth Busby’s farm.  Cole Roper Press Release 

“Recently I have been questioned about a house that I am having built on property my wife and I own on Highway 51 in Sandy Cross.

When I purchased the property three years ago I didn’t tell anyone. I’m the type that keeps my business to myself. Over time people found out I bought the farmland. The same goes for the house being built. I didn’t tell anyone, not my boss, neighbors, or even friends. People found out when they saw it going up. It was brought to my attention this week that the house and property lie 1600 feet over into District 3. I guess what some people don’t realize is my wife’s parents are from Illinois and will be moving down here so they can spend time with their new granddaughter. I’ve also had an offer on the property and home that’s being built,” he wrote. “We live at 3935 Sandy Cross Road ROYSTON Ga in District 4. The house I grew up in as a child. On the home farm. My phone number is easily accessible through Cole’s Sweet Corn page if anyone has any questions.”

Under the Enabling Legislation that outlines the county districts and functions of the Franklin County Board of Commission and was revised and approved by the Georgia Legislature in 2001, a person elected to the Board of Commissioners must live in the District he/she was elected to.

Section 4 of the Enabling Legislation states, “Should a member of the board of commissioners move his or her residence from the commissioner district he or she was elected to represent, such position on the board of commissioners shall be declared vacant and the vacancy shall be filled in accordance with Section 5 of this Act.”

Section 5 outlines how the special election would take place.

If Roper decides to move into the new home when it’s finished he would have to resign his commission post and a special election would be called according to the Enabling Legislation.

At this point, Roper is technically still a candidate, having only won the May Republican Primary.  He is running unopposed in the November election.

Should he decide to withdraw before then, then according to Georgia law, the person who got the second most votes in the primary and got at least 40% of the primary vote, then the 2nd place candidate would become the party’s nominee for the general election. O.C.G.A. § 21-2-134(b)(2)(A).

If the 2nd place candidate in the primary did not get at least 40% of the vote, the state executive committee of the party has the option of naming a new nominee to appear on the general election ballot.

Roper told WLHR News that now that he knows the house is not in his District he plans to either sell it when it’s finished or have a relative from Illinois live in it.