November 20, 2006
Albany - The mother of a former Dougherty County Commissioner who resigned after he was arrested on drug charges says she plans to make a run for the commission herself. Muarlean Edwards says she wants children to stay in school so they stay out of jail.
Brenda Robinson Cutler hasn't even vacated her seat for district three, but already, Muarlean Edwards says she's ready to take over when Cutler steps down. Edwards says, "Together we can make a difference in the lives of the children in district three and for the Albany area." Edwards is stressing the importance of education, and stands behind the premise that it takes a village to raise a child. She says, "My main issues are dealing with those problems with the children to keep them in the school house and out of the jailhouse."
In January of 1985, Edwards son, Victor, was the youngest person ever to take office on the Dougherty County Commission, but his political career came to a crashing halt when he was busted for drugs and later convicted of federal money laundering charges. Muarlean didn't want to talk to us about that. "As far as Victor," she says, "this is my campaign. I am Victor's mother and I am very happy to have a son like Victor."
But she says Victor, who was at the announcement supporting his mother is doing well, and she brought another supporter whose life she helped turn around. William Summerlin says, "She was like, 'William, we're going to help you out here.'" As a social worker, Edwards sent William Summerlin off to boot camp to help straighten him out. He wasn't going to school, and didn't have much of a future in sight.
Summerlin says, "If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be nowhere near where I am now. I would be worse off." But now, William has his GED and is attending Albany Tech. He says he thanks Edwards for that. "I'm really glad I'm not in that situation thanks to Mrs. Edwards."
And she says that's the kind of positive results she wants to see by serving on the commission.
This isn't the first time Muarlean Edwards has run for office. She ran to fill her son's vacated seat when he resigned after being arrested. She lost to Commissioner Cutler's late husband Don Cutler who died while in office.
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