Public safety is the foundation of any prosperous community. Ricci Mason is uniquely knowledgeable about the challenges facing the men and women serving as first responders in Cobb County and he is prepared to work with Commissioners, county management, and the Department of Public Safety to end the CRISIS Cobb County faces due to non-competitive compensation and an inadequate retirement plan. This issue has become a focal point of the local media and has been labeled a "red alert crisis."
As a thirty-year veteran of law enforcement in Cobb County, Ricci Mason has witnessed first-hand the loss of trained law enforcement personnel and other first responders due to the failure of the current Board to address this issue. More importantly, he has experienced the effects of chronic under-staffing on both the morale of public safety personnel and on their ability to perform the vital function of keeping the citizens of Cobb County safe.
This issue has been brought to the attention of the Board of Commissioners and warnings of an impending crisis have been expressed by concerned citizens, including by a former Director of Cobb County Public Safety years ago. Ricci believes that important issues that affect the welfare of everyone in Cobb County should be addressed before they reach crisis proportions, and not just during an election year to garner votes.
Cobb County deserves a Chairman who will be responsive to the citizens of Cobb County. Ricci Mason understands the importance to both businesses and individuals of ensuring people feel safe living, working and playing in Cobb County. As Chairman of the Board of Commissioners, Ricci will make public safety a priority and ensure that Cobb County first responders have the training, personnel and the resources they need to keep Cobb County safe.
Infrastructure is critical to the productivity, safety, and general quality of life of any community. That is particularly true for Cobb County, which relies upon its roads and underlying infrastructure to fuel its economic growth. Unfortunately, maintenance of Cobb’s infrastructure has not kept pace with that growth. Too often, resources have been allocated based upon political considerations rather than the needs of the county as a whole. As a result, maintenance of roads and bridges, storm water management, and public safety have taken a back seat to pet projects initiated at the request of individuals and special interests with a view toward their own economic or political interests.
As a motorcycle officer with Cobb PD, Ricci Mason has experienced the county’s roads and traffic issues on a daily basis for over thirty years. As Chairman of the Board of Commissioners, Ricci will undertake a comprehensive review of road and other infrastructure projects, prioritizing those projects that are essential to the safety of the motoring public and to the continued economic growth of the
county as a whole. He will ensure that any work that is required is done as cost-effectively as possible and with as little disruption to normal traffic routines as possible.
Ricci Mason knows Cobb County, its highways and its traffic issues and he is committed to maintaining and managing Cobb’s infrastructure to ensure that the county continues to provide a suitable environment for economic growth together with the safety of all the citizens of and visitors to Cobb County.
Politicians have acquired a reputation for looking out for their own interests and those of other special interests, rather than the best interests of the voters who elected them and pay their salaries. Unfortunately, this reputation is all too often well-deserved.
Ricci Mason is not a politician. He has served the citizens of Cobb County as a law enforcement office for over thirty years. More importantly, he is a tax-payer who, as a single parent, has dealt with many of the same challenges facing all members of the Cobb County community: concern for public safety, a decaying infrastructure, and taxes. Ricci is a man of faith and strong personal convictions who believes that the citizens of Cobb County deserve leaders who will put the interests of the community before their own personal benefit and that the voters deserve to be heard on those issues that affect their lives. Ricci pledges to stay in touch with the voters - not just in election years - and to encourage a professional, cooperative relationship between members of the Board of Commissioners and with members of public wishing to be heard or having business before the Board.
"Thank you for considering me for Chairman. I assure you that I will be honest and open in all that I do. I promise be an advocate for a better, stronger and more productive county in which you can live, work and play, both safely and abundantly."
-Ricci
We can't win this race without your help. If you would like to help by hosting a "meet and greet" or fundraiser, volunteering to knock on doors, placing a sign in your yard, bumper sticker on your car or donating, please contact us at ricci4cobbchair@gmail.com