Zane Placie says improving transparency is his central goal as he seeks a seat on the Fulton County Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors in the Nov. 3, 2026, election.
The nonpartisan race has two seats available, with voters choosing up to two candidates. Placie, Jason Ulseth and Walter S. Rekuc Jr. appear on Fulton County’s current sample ballot, which identifies Ulseth and Rekuc as incumbents.
“I am running to increase the transparency of this corner of government bureaucracy,” Placie said in The Sandy Springs Record’s candidate questionnaire.
He said he had difficulty obtaining meeting minutes and learning about the district’s responsibilities. Those statements describe his experience and have not been independently verified.
Candidate background
Placie said he has worked as an actuary for five years and has never held elected or appointed public office.
He said he graduated summa cum laude from the University of Georgia in 2021 with degrees in finance and risk management and insurance. He described himself as 26, unmarried and without children.
Although the election is nonpartisan, the Libertarian Party of Georgia confirms that both the state party and its Fulton County affiliate have endorsed him. The party also identifies him as a Sandy Springs resident and chairman of the county affiliate.
Conservation and property rights
Placie said he would approach the position “as that of a judge (in a broad sense) resolving disputes between property owners.”
That comparison reflects his view of the office. State guidance describes supervisors’ responsibilities as conservation planning, assisting landowners and developers, sharing information and supporting soil and water conservation practices. Conservation education is also expressly authorized under Georgia law.
Placie said developers responsible for runoff problems should compensate affected property owners. He expressed a similar position on pollution that interferes with existing uses of rivers.
“Developers who cause runoff problems should be made to pay reasonable compensation to affected property owners,” he said.
The district’s enumerated statutory powers do not establish a process for supervisors to adjudicate those private claims or award compensation.
Development and permitting
Placie criticized targeted tax breaks, saying they can encourage excessive investment in favored industries. He suggested data centers could be an example.
On construction permitting, he said officials should consider housing affordability alongside environmental concerns. He argued that rising home prices warrant reconsidering the balance between permitting requirements and development.
Placie also said he would avoid using the position to advance legislation or development projects simply because they fit his broader political beliefs.
His stated approach emphasizes transparency, accountability and property-owner concerns.
Candidate responses were collected through The Sandy Springs Record’s candidate questionnaire. Responses have been excerpted or paraphrased for length. Personal background statements and criticisms are attributed to Placie unless independently sourced.
