Columbia County voters decide on board chair, homestead exemption referendum
Alison Couch defeated Cambrey Wood in the race for chair of the Columbia County Commission. Data center development was a major campaign issue, with Couch supporting existing projects and their property-tax benefits while opposing additional facilities, and Wood criticizing the approval process and calling for a 180-day moratorium and stronger zoning protections.
Alison Couch defeated Cambrey Wood to become chair of the Columbia County Commission, winning 54.7% of the vote. Couch, a former Appling Harlem commissioner, emphasized her experience and said her priorities include property-tax relief, public safety and managing growth.
Data center development was a central issue in the campaign. Couch said she supported the White Oak data center in an industrial park but opposed a project in Pumpkin Center near a neighborhood, arguing that existing facilities will provide sufficient tax relief and that no additional centers are needed. Wood criticized the county's handling of the projects as lacking transparency and proposed a 180-day moratorium to develop stronger safeguards, along with an overhaul of planning, zoning and development ordinances.