A Strong Voice for Johns Creek!

To those of you who voted early, thanks for voting.  To those of you who have yet to vote, Election Day is Tuesday, July 22nd.  The city council races are non-partisan and can be found on all three - Republican, Democratic, or Non-Partisan - ballots.  Every vote will be critical, so please take the time to vote if you possibly can.

I am very happy that my campaign has brought much needed attention to several important local issues such as the need to repave neighborhood streets, to provide more park space, to fix our traffic problems, to stop sex businesses, and to make zoning decisions that protect our quality of life.  It is very important to do all of this in a fiscally responsible manner, so I am also very pleased that the city council is taking up my suggestions for improving its budget management practices by developing multi-year budgets and accounting for infrastructure maintenance costs (roads, bridges, sidewalks, storm sewers, etc.).  I am also very happy to have helped the community organize and voice its concerns about the proposed development at the corner of Old Alabama and Medlock Bridge, the proposed development on Rogers Bridge Road, and the 400 foot radio tower at the intersection of Medlock Bridge and State Bridge.  The community speaking up rightly defeated all of these inappropriate projects.

I am running for city council because over the past seven years I have come to appreciate that we need City Council members who actively engage with the community to listen to your concerns and represent your interests.  The job of council member should be much more than attending council meetings twice a month and voting on items put before them based on personal beliefs.  The council members are the connection between the community and its government, and we need a government more engaged with the community.  That is why I will hold meetings monthly to listen to your concerns, explain what the city is doing, and increase the transparency of our city government.  There is no reason why the community should learn about a 400 ft radio tower just days before the city signs a final contract with Fulton County.

From reading my opponents literature, I must conclude that he is running for City Council because of a personal need to be an elected official, no doubt motivated by his many years of service in Washington DC as an aide to politicians and generals.  His stated principal objective as a council member will be to dogmatically oppose all tax increases.  As voters, we have learned over the years that these campaign pledges come with asterisks, footnotes, fine print, and other clarifications.  Just this past week the Johns Creek City Council, led by the Mayor, voted 4-1 to hold the Johns Creek property tax millage rate constant.  Because of the 4% overall increase in the property tax assessments for Johns Creek, this action represented a tax increase according to the State’s definitions.  Would my opponent have voted against this “tax increase?”  If we want to prevent tax increases, we do not need campaign pledges, we need to scrub our budget carefully to make sure spending is appropriate and in accordance with the community’s priorities.  You can tell which candidate will be more careful with your tax dollars just by looking at who went overboard with campaign signs, glossy mailers, and robo-calls in an attempt to acquire your vote.

The election on Tuesday is not really about me or my opponent, our qualifications, or the decisions we might make since most council decisions are made by consensus, or by a vote of seven people.  This election is really about you.  You must decide, which candidate will still reach out to you after the election, listen to you, and be a strong voice for the community to represent your concerns.  My pledge is to work hard for you and no one will out work me.