Senior center debate showcases good, ugly of politics

Reporting the drama behind a new senior citizens center in Macon is an example of how politics and journalism intertwine.

The quick background of the story is that funding for a new senior citizens center was included in the 2012 special purpose local option sales tax. Starting in 2014, the Macon-Bibb County commissioners began suggesting multiple sites with none of them drawing a consensus among seniors except for Central City Park.

On Tuesday, commissioners agreed to accept bids for a design despite the objection of some seniors, but also said they would see if a better compromise could be worked out.

The senior center is an example of what can sometimes happen in politics when an issue gets to a point where strong opinions are formed and sometimes the messages from officials get lost in the anger.

It’s the part of politics that neither side would like to be going through. And reporting on issues such as the senior citizens center is what makes being a journalist interesting: a vocal group of people taking part in a process that many others take for granted; and a commission that’s fighting against what they say is an unfair perception of them neglecting seniors.

As a reporter, my role is give the opinions of both sides while also providing the facts that form the story. In this instance, commissioners say they want to build a place seniors can be proud of. But like many projects it’s a balancing act — a limited budget means some things seniors want likely will be left out.

A large group of seniors question why so many other projects have been greenlighted before their center and that in some cases extra money was added to complete the project.

The ramifications of upsetting a vocal group of seniors could also play a role in the next SPLOST vote that is on the Nov. 8 ballot. It’s a delicate process that county officials must balance. While this County Commission will remain mostly intact for the next four years, the fate of many projects could hinge on the $280 million initiative.

Packing all of that information into a story can be unwieldy. But as this process has played out, updating the progress and reporting the reactions remains important to those affected and is a critical tenet of journalism.

This story was originally published October 5, 2016 at 3:12 PM with the headline "Senior center debate showcases good, ugly of politics."