Johns Creek To Consider Scheduling Special Election

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The Johns Creek City Council on Monday continue to hash out when it should schedule a special election to fill two vacant council seats.

The meeting will start at 7 p.m. at Johns Creek City Hall. The meeting will be preceded by a work session, which will get underway at 5 p.m.

The council has placed on its Jan. 12 agenda three resolutions to consider: one that would schedule an election for Tuesday, March 17; another for Tuesday, June 16; and another that would schedule the election for Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The Nov. 3 date would be held in conjunction with the city’s general election to fill the Posts 2, 4 and 6 seats. Former council members Kelly Stewart of Post 5 and Brad Raffensperger of Post 2 resigned their seats to run in the Georgia House District 50 special election, which was held Jan. 6 to replace Lynne Riley.

Raffensperger’s term was set to expire Dec. 31 while Stewart’s tenure would have ended Dec. 31, 2017.

Stewart and Raffensperger were the top two finishers in the five-way race, but neither of the candidates garnered enough votes to avoid a runoff. The runoff is set for Tuesday, Feb. 3.

Documents in the city’s work session agenda packet also break down the cost Johns Creek would incur in each of the three scenarios.

Cost estimates for each of the three dates — which also include the cost of a runoff, if needed — are $191,122 for the March 17 date; $205,974 for June 15 and $207,634 for Nov. 3. Fulton County elections officials advised the city the Nov. 3 date is “too far off” to produce an accurate estimate. Fulton suggested the city add 10 percent to the cost of the 2011 municipal election to use as an estimate if the city chooses the Nov. 3 date.

To gauge public opinion, the city posted an online survey Nov. 25-Dec. 15 asking if it should hold the election in March (which was initially believed to cost $205,000) or wait until November. Johns Creek received 774 responses to the question and the results were as follows:

• Yes, fill the vacant seats in March 2015: 110 votes (14% of total)
• No, wait until November, 2015: 633 votes (82% of total)
• Unsure: 31 votes (4% of total)

During the meeting, council members will also consider amending its fiscal year 2015 budget to account for the Bell Road at Boles Road roundabout project, which cost $499,481.

Along with discussing the special election, Johns Creek leaders at the work session will also review an amendment to the city’s alcohol ordinance, traffic study requirements, a short-term extension of the CH2M Hill engineering contract, the Keep North Fulton Beautiful Contract and an intergovernmental agreement with Fulton County regarding radio system access.

Johns Creek City Hall is at 12000 Findley Road. The meetings will be held in the Taylor Conference Room in Suite 300.