Lifelong Catoosa County resident and longtime law enforcement officer Brad Palmer has announced his candi-dacy to become the next chief magistrate judge of Catoosa County.

“I am entering this race for the opportunity to extend my service to the citizens of this county,” Palmer said. “I was very fortunate to grow up in this great county and have served it as a law enforcement officer for many years. I would like to continue my contributions to the county as chief magistrate.”

Palmer, who is currently employed with the Ringgold Police Department, also served the country as a para-trooper in the U.S. Army, from which he received an honorable discharge.

After serving in the military, Palmer was employed with the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office while attending Dal-ton State College in pursuit of his criminal justice degree.

“As an investigator with the sheriff’s office, I gained a wealth of knowledge about the criminal court system on the federal, state, and local level,” Palmer said. “I have also worked in the private sector in both management and sales positions.”

Palmer said one of his main goals, if elected, will be to establish an additional office that would be accessible on the other side of the county.

“I intend to work with the city leaders in Fort Oglethorpe in the hopes of looking for a cost-effective way to in-corporate a much-needed satellite office,” he said. “The county has grown quite a bit over the years, and if someone needs something from the magistrate’s office, it’s not always easy for, say, … a small business owner to come all the way to Ringgold during business hours.”

Palmer also says that he wants to make the magistrate’s office as approachable as possible for the citizens of the county.

“Once elected, I will work hard to provide the citizens of this county with the highest level of professional ser-vice that can be achieved,” he said. “I believe strongly in approachability, and I will have an open-door policy where the public will have access to me and my staff. I want to provide the proper leadership that the magistrate’s office deserves and needs.”

Palmer is a “very proud” father of two, Madisyn, 11, and Carson, 9, both of whom attend Battlefield Elementary School. Brad has one brother, Scott Palmer, who is employed as a firefighter in the Atlanta area. Brad’s parents are Ken and Diane Palmer of the Boynton community.

“This opportunity is one that I value very much, and it would be a tremendous honor for me to be able to con-tinue serving the community that I have spent my life in,” Palmer said. “I have the knowledge, leadership qualities, and experience in the court system to provide Catoosa County the service that we deserve.”

For more information about Brad and his campaign, he can be reached at 423-364-1948, or via email at Bp4magistrate@gmail.com.