When I first started doing this, I spent a LOT more time talking to different people in the City government to learn how things work. I wanted to see if I could push for change in a less public way that would work out well for elected officials, government employees, and the People of Sugar Hill. I told everyone I talked to as much. For me, it's all about getting to a place where this government is transparent, accountable, and fiscally responsible.
One day in 2019, I spoke with Mike Sullivan, who had been on the City Council in post 5, the seat now occupied by Taylor Anderson. I was curious why he had chosen not to run again in 2017. He never gave me a clear answer, but indicated that he likes working with the Youth Council, which he now does. But, he also said some things I found interesting, and quite frankly, disturbing. He said something about when he had decided not to run again, it was about "finding the right person" to fill his seat.
It sounded to me like he and the rest of the sitting Council had hand-picked Taylor Anderson, then on the DDA, to run. No one gets on the DDA without being appointed, hand-picked, by the Mayor and Council. And, no one gets appointed AND stays on the DDA without echoing the Mayor and Council. Then, as in every other election I've seen, they proceeded to campaign for him aggressively against his challenger.
In the 2020 special election to fill Curtis Northrup's unexpired term, Nic Greene from the DDA was apparently their hand-picked successor. As my significant other was delivering door hangers and speaking with residents, one informed him that when Nic Greene came by, he actually told her that he was chosen or selected by the City Council to fill the remainder of the term. She was bothered by that statement. Clearly, that statement wasn't too far off base, because the Mayor and most of the Council campaigned for him openly and aggressively. Nic has now spent ten months on the Council. Not once has he questioned anything at the City, or voted differently than the rest of the Council. He is every inch the lockstep vote I predicted he would be, which explains the Council's enthusiasm for his election.
After the election in 2019, I was speaking with Marc Cohen after a public meeting regarding annexation. It was a long discussion that also included Brandon Hembree at first. We talked about running for office in general, such as the kinds of questions we got from the public. Later on, when just Marc and I were talking, he said that was the last time he planned to run for City Council, and that after that, it would be a matter of "finding the right person" to replace him. He said that if I were still involved with the City then, maybe it would be me.
Perhaps he meant that to be friendly. Given that I had just run against him for his seat, and had gotten wind from others that he wasn't happy about that, I doubt that. I found it strange enough that at that time, I ran it by some people I trust. They didn't just find it strange; they found it shocking. It sounded to them like a suggestion that I settle down and play along if I wanted a seat on the City Council.
First of all, my goal is to clean up this government. There's nothing I need or want from the government except to listen to the public and stop wasting money. I see the seat on City Council as a means to that end, not the end itself.
Second of all, no one in the government at the City of Sugar Hill, elected, appointed, or employed, would ever, in a million years, get behind my election for City Council. If this government were as honest, transparent, and accountable as it should be, many people there would stand to lose something.
It might very well cost Brandon Hembree and Taylor Anderson the future political careers they seem to be trying to build at Sugar Hill residents' expense. It might mean that City Manager Paul Radford would not fully realize his career swan song dream of building a massive urban downtown from scratch in suburban Georgia. It might mean that we don't take on as many capital improvement projects that some City employees find "interesting" and "fun" and return our focus to "boring" basics within a municipal government's purview.
It would mean that EVERYONE in the City would have to work harder to convince the public their proposed expenditures are a good deal for residents and taxpayers. If people really are in favor of it, that shouldn't be so hard to do.
It would mean EVERYONE would have to pay more attention to how much of the taxpayer's money they spend.
It would mean that if someone makes a mistake that costs the taxpayers a great deal of money, it would be public knowledge, and there would be public pressure to make a viable plan to ensure the same mistake doesn't happen again.
All of these changes would benefit the residents and taxpayers of Sugar Hill. But, for the government people who feel entitled to their positions here, not so much. And for anyone getting special treatment from the government here, not so much.
And that is why City officials have to focus on "finding the right person" instead of leaving it all up to the voting public of Sugar Hill. They can't trust voters to put aside their own needs and wants to focus exclusively on the needs and wants of elected officials, employees, and anyone who wants special status and treatment from the local government.
After "finding the right person", they put a lot of visible effort and resources into getting that person elected. They endorse "the right person" and campaign for them. They lie about opponents. Opponents' signs vanish.
In this year's mayoral race, I had suspected since early this year that Steve Edwards would not run again. I had heard a meeting guest that knew him make a comment that would seem to indicate that. But, if I knew, I think it is pretty safe to say that the Council knew. But, he seemed to keep that information pretty quiet. Perhaps they were busy "finding the right person" and didn't want to let the public know the job was open. Perhaps they had already found him and needed to protect "the right person" from stronger upstarts that don't "share the vision".
I think it's also pretty safe to say that Brandon Hembree knew he wanted to run for mayor for some time. Yet, he waited until the regular qualifying period or shortly before to resign from the Post 1 City Council seat. Why? Again, they were probably either still working on "finding the right person" or needed to protect that person.
I also think it is pretty safe to say that Susie Walker knew she intended to resign to move out of Sugar Hill well before she did. As a public candidate/official, her address is a matter of public record (as is mine). According to Realtor.com, she sold her Sugar Hill house in March 2021. I confirmed this through the Gwinnett Tax Assessor's Office. At her last City Council meeting in September, Marc and Taylor mentioned that they had visited her new house, so apparently, they were close. They likely had some awareness of her intent. They may have sat on the information about her intended resignation for 6 months or more before she resigned. Unless she could prove she had another address in Sugar Hill, she might not have even been eligible to serve on the City Council those final 6 months. Why? Yet again, they were probably either still working on "finding the right person" or needed to protect that person.
In the end, "the right person" for each of these protected seats were people the City already had ties to - one from the DDA and one from the Historical Preservation Society. Neither broke ranks in their previous roles, so it's a safe bet that these guys are "the right person" for their seats because they don't make waves. And now, Brandon Hembree, Nic Greene, Mason Roszel (formerly of the DDA and running unopposed for Brandon's former Council seat), and Tiffany Hale Carter (formerly of Historical Preservation Society and running for Susie's former Council seat against Jenn Thatcher) are campaigning together as a block.
They should sit it out and let "the right person" stand before the people and make their case single-handedly, as I have done. My guess is, none of them can. They want an elected office for the sake of being in office. They're empty shells who do as they're told and bring nothing new or different to the table. And that's the only thing that makes them "the right person."
Even Jenn Thatcher has been endorsed by Susie Walker, who voted along with the rest of the City Council any time a vote was taken. Perhaps Jenn will break with the practice of her predecessor if elected. But there's only one candidate up for office this year that I KNOW will vote differently, and they're working like hell and en masse to make sure I don't get in there.
In the end, Sugar Hill residents are left with a government that votes in lockstep on EVERY ISSUE, EVERY TIME. A government that flagrantly disregards their feedback and concerns at every meeting. A government that spends taxpayer money extravagantly and without regard for the hardworking people who earned that money. A government that is narrowly focused on their own myopic vision for the City instead of asking the People about THEIR vision for the City.
Although it seems like I'm singling out Mike and Marc, they only said what the Mayor and Council ALL think. They completely believe that this government belongs to them, and that whatever they're doing supersedes the needs and will of the people. That belief starts with elections, but where does it end?
The People of Sugar Hill need to be in charge of "finding the right person" to represent them in government.