Forsyth County School Board candidate Mike Dudgeon expressed his satisfaction on Thursday, May 25th, with the decision of the current board to schedule the SPLOST vote in November during the General Election.

"I am very happy to see the Board reverse course and do the right thing for the SPLOST election," said Dudgeon. “But to me, holding a Special Election just weeks before the General Election should not have been on the table. For the past few months, comments made by Board members seemed to show they were seriously considering a September SPLOST vote. My platform is anchored on maximum parent, teacher, and public participation. Therefore elections should always occur when we can receive the most input form our citizens.”

Dudgeon went on to say, “I think that the justifications previously offered by the board for a September election could not withstand close scrutiny. Apparently the board unanimously agreed, and frankly I was surprised at the 5-0 vote.”

Mr. Dudgeon noted also that he is new to the public arena, and the SPLOST issue was interesting to watch. "I saw the pressure applied by the Democratic and Republican parties along with one of the County Commissioners. I also strongly called for a November SPLOST vote during my speech to the April county GOP meeting," commented Dudgeon. "In my opinion the very competitive election season and the intense public spotlight encouraged the board to do the right thing. If my candidacy played even a small part in this decision for the people, then I feel I have already begun to bring about positive change.”

“I wish that this reversal indicated a lasting change in the current board’s mindset,” said Dudgeon, “but I am not confident that it does. That is why I have pledged to the community that if elected I will do the hard work required to better our kids education while still including our public’s input. I will keep this commitment 365 days a year, regardless of when the public spotlight is shining.”

For more information on Mike Dudgeon's campaign for the School Board, please visit www.mikeforschools.com or contact Mike Dudgeon at 770-882-3929 or mike@mikeforschools.com.