Retiree Ted Snell said he is running for the Decatur County Board of Commissioners so that he can help bring more jobs to the area.

Snell will oppose David Cottles in the July 20 Democratic primary for County Commission District 4. The winner will face Republican candidate Frank Loeffler in November’s general election.

The seat is currently held by Palmer Rich, who announced he is not running for re-election.

Snell, who regularly attends meetings of the Board of Commissioners and the Bainbridge City Council, said he has ideas about how to create more jobs and strengthen the local economy. He said he would like to be a liaison between the County Commission and the Development Authority, traveling as needed, at his own expense, to help recruit business prospects to Decatur County.

“Unless we can get a number of jobs to move in, our tax base will remain the same and we could be in deep trouble,” Snell said. “How can we improve our tax base with the number of homes that are for sale?”

More effort should be given to recruiting foreign-based companies as well as domestic ones, he said.

Snell and his wife, Barbara, moved to Bainbridge from Ocala, Fla., in 2005. He said he would like to see local leaders market Decatur County in ways that will bring in new residents, especially senior citizens.

“Decatur County is an ideal place for recreation. We have the YMCA, a country club, a county-owned golf course, the Flint River and Lake Seminole. We also have a good hospital, many other amenities and we are a friendly community,” Snell said.

Snell also pointed out the City of Bainbridge’s tennis and softball complexes and said he supported county commissioners’ partnership with the city on recreation.

Snell, a career businessman with experience in fields as varied as education administration, gaming and agriculture, said he hopes to use his work knowledge as an asset if elected to the Board of Commissioners. He said he would focus his time on the board toward looking for new sources of revenue and continuing to look at cost savings within county government.

“The current group of commissioners wants to keep taxes down. But the county needs a fresh flow of money to be well-positioned for when the economy rebounds,” Snell said.

Snell and his wife are active community volunteers. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Bainbridge Housing Authority and Habitat for Humanity. He is a Meals on Wheels volunteer and assists with the Family Connection Collaborative’s Hunger Prevention Committee, including its backpack snack program for school children.

The Snells attend St. John’s Episcopal Church in Bainbridge.