Runoff Between Richardson, Davenport Just A Week Away

Just three weeks ago the hotly contested Johns Creek municipal elections decided on a mayor and the Post 1 council member.

But there's still one seat yet to be decided. Incumbent Karen Richardson (Post 3) faces newcomer Cori Davenport in a run-off election Tuesday, Dec. 3.

On Nov. 5, Richardson garnered 31.44 percent of the vote (1,833 votes) to Davenport's 45.68 percent (2,677 votes). Nancy Reineke was third with 22.59 percent (1,337 votes).

In one week Johns Creek voters will head back to the polls to decide on who will fill the Post 3 seat.

Following are Q&As on Richardson and Davenport that were published earlier. After reading their responses, use the comment box at the bottom to post any additional questions you have for the two candidates. Each candidate was asked the same set of questions. 

Q&A With City Council Candidate Karen Richardson

Name, age: Karen Richardson, 48
How long lived in city: 16 years
Occupations: Mother of three, Johns Creek City Council Mayor Pro Tem, HR Integration Specialist, Northside Hospital

What experience in your background do you think has best prepared you for serving on the Johns Creek City Council?I have been a participating member of the Johns Creek City Council since the incorporation of Johns Creek in 2006.  I believe fundamental to representing the citizens of this community is to be an active participant in the community.  In my seven years on City Council, I have worked cooperatively to grow our city, from starting up community based police and fire departments, approving zoning decisions supported by our Comprehensive Plan, setting policy in support of innovative infrastructure and transportation improvements and spearheading events like the Johns Creek Arts Festival and the Farmers Market which create a sense of home and place.  Throughout that work, I have never been far from my roots in this community.  I have consistently served on the local PTAs in my children’s schools on all levels—elementary, middle, high school and district.  I have worked with our local non-profits, serving on the board of the Johns Creek Arts Center and Johns Creek Beautification.  I am a member of Fulton County Commissioner Liz Hausmann’s District 3 Advisory Board.  Combined, all keep me connected and grounded to the issues important to the community of Johns Creek that I love and serve.

Tell Johns Creek Patch readers about your vision for the city and how you would accomplish it?  We are moving from the fundamental, foundational work of standing up a city to implementing the visioning done over the last several years.  There are opportunities to build our tax base through support of our economic development organization (Johns Creek Advantage).  We need to define what it means to be a premier residential community and create a sense of place through community based programming, and park and sidewalk improvements.  I’d like us to move forward with a plan for community gathering spaces.  We have a history of diverse communities with their own unique ‘personalities’.  Our comprehensive plan recognizes this diversity, and we should be looking for ways to develop gathering spaces, community meeting areas and parks in a way that respects the distinct differences. 

What do you think is the greatest challenge facing Johns Creek, and how would you approach it? There has been much good work accomplished in the last seven years with significant improvements in our quality of life, public safety and sense of community.  We have seen residential and business growth through judicious zoning decisions supported by our Comprehensive Plan.  Johns Creek is no longer a fledgling city.  And because of that good work, and conservative stewardship of our limited funds, we are positioned to creatively address the ongoing issue of maintaining aging infrastructure-roads, parks, and sidewalks.   .  I served on the team with both the Mayor and the former Mayor Pro Tem to negotiate our future LOST revenue – a potential revenue increase of more than 1.5 million dollars. We have been particularly good at turning one dollar of revenue into seven dollars of revenue.  We have to utilize any increased revenue through LOST, business and residential growth and put funding systems in place that will leverage those dollars on a larger scale to gain ground, and do more, faster.

Do you have any suggestions for increasing city revenue and/or reducing expenses?  I am the Council representative on the city Branding Committee and together with the Johns Creek Chamber and Johns Creek Advantage (economic development) we are working to define what it means to be a premier residential community.  We need to grow our tax base and to do that we need to define who we are and what we have to offer so that businesses will want to call Johns Creek home.

Address an issue you think is important to the city.  There are many important issues in a community of over 75,000 residents. Roads, parks, safety, quality zonings, quality of life all are competing and have critical importance to our city.  Our conservative, limited budget requires that we balance the competing priorities and leverage our funds.  What is important for our future is to continue to build on the foundation of efficient, cost effective, superior services.  I have not been afraid to make the hard decisions.  Fearless leadership and a clearly communicated vision is critical to our continued growth.

Q&A With City Council Candidate Cori Davenport

Name, age: Corinth (Cori) Davenport, 42

How long lived in city?

My husband and I, along with our children moved from Chicago in 1997 and have made our home in Johns Creek for the past 16 years.

Occupation: Founder and Owner of Trinity Athletics, wife and mother of 4.

What experience in your background do you think has best prepared you for serving on the Johns Creek Council?

As a mother who has been actively involved in the public school system with my children, I have witnessed the growth of the city through the eyes of my family.  That interaction has taught me to be a good listener.   In meeting and listening to others and having the opportunity to represent those voices as part of the city council would be a great honor.

As a business owner, I understand the daily challenges of keeping the doors open and prospering.  I believe organizations such as Johns Creek Chamber of Commerce, Johns Creek Business Association and Johns Creek Advantage further opportunities to bring viable and sustainable businesses into our city that will lead to a more desirable city in which to work and to live. I look forward to a more collaborative relationship with these and other organizations to make that happen.

Tell Johns Creek Patch readers your vision of the City and how you would accomplish it?

There’s an old saying, “You grow or you die,” and this is true for our city’s future.  My vision is to continue to support and preserve the very things that have been our strength.  Our nationally top rated public schools, our amenities, our enhancement of natural areas and greenways, our diverse population have created our foundation.  The future is to see through plans for a new city center as an economic development initiative and to march toward the creation of Milton County.  I fully support Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones’ legislation to move this forward.  Our citizens deserve to have the services we pay for. 

What do you think is the greatest challenge facing Johns Creek and how would you approach it?

The infighting within the current city council has paralyzed the growth and development. While most have had their attentions and actions focused on an investigation of the Mayor that we continue to pay for, our city suffers by their inaction to make sound and united decisions on behalf of the citizens.  We cannot tolerate a divided city government.  It serves no one.  My approach is to put aside partisan politics and work together as a team to regain respect within our own community, strengthen our relationships with surrounding city governments, Fulton County and the State of Georgia that will ultimately benefit the City of Johns Creek. 

Do you have any suggestions for increasing City revenues and/or reducing expenses?

If Johns Creek becomes more business friendly by way of current businesses expanding and inviting new, respected businesses to the city, there will be a natural growth in revenue without raising taxes. I would encourage a stronger business climate so it creates a greater balance and lessen the tax burden on residents.  I will encourage ways to provide more streamlined or innovative services.  I will not promote non-essential expenses.

Address an issue you think is important to the City of Johns Creek.

If you had asked me on August 30th, my answer would have been very different, but on August 31st, my son was playing football on a field with 7 other boys and was struck by lightning.  It was through this experience that I realized how important emergency response and knowledge of CPR was to saving my son’s life. This could happen to anyone at anytime. As I congratulate and praise the City on being the first Heart Ready City and the strong record of police and fire response, it is also important to increase the response time for Rural Metro ambulance services and to create a greater awareness and training of CPR from students to senior citizens. I would like to see our city become the first majority CPR trained community with our first class hospital, Emory Johns Creek; having our schools, senior centers and community centers provide programs that teach CPR that would be of great and lasting benefit to all.