Canton Elections Guide 2019: Candidates Focusing On Smart Growth

CANTON, GA — The Canton City Council election will take place Nov. 5. The election is for mayor and Ward 1, 2 and 3.

Patch has invited each candidate in contested races to participate in our election profile series. We will continue to update this story with links to responses to our questionnaire.

Part one of the candidate questionnaire dives into why the candidates want to run and what their long and short term goals are, and why they love the city. Check back next week for what they say is the biggest issue that the city faces, how they want to combat that and why people should vote for them.

Who's Running?

Mayor

Bill Grant GrantForMayor.com

Dwight Pullen www.pullencantonforward.com

Ward 1

JoEllen Wilson (incumbent) electjoellen.com

Bob Reilly Bob Reilly for Canton

Kathy Strom kathystromforcanton.com

Ward 2

Shawn Tolan Tolanforcanton.com

Ward 3

Farris Yawn (incumbent) yawnforcanton.com

Brooke Schmidt www.VoteBrookeSchmidt.com

Question 1: Why did you want to run for city council?

Mayor

Bill Grant: Originally, and still today, I have a calling for public service. Since arriving in Canton, I have worked to have a positive impact on our community. From organizing the Historic Canton Homeowners Association to challenge commercial development of E. Main Street to working to revitalize downtown Canton by helping start the Main Street program and serving as the first President to my two terms as Mayor Pro Tem, I have consistently dedicated my time and efforts to moving Canton forward to improve the quality of life for all citizens.

Dwight Pullen:

• To keep Canton conservative
• Improve living conditions for my children and grandchildren
• Manage growth and improve infrastructure
• Attract Quality Jobs

Ward 1

JoEllen Wilson (incumbent): With a new mayor and at least two new council seats, I believe we need continuity on the council. I bring experience and knowledge to the council and have a record of being a proven and effective leader. With so many new projects on-going and others to be introduced, stability is necessary to carry on the business of the city.

Bob Reilly: In Ward 1 we are being inundated with apartment proposals and apartment approvals. I count nine current apartment developments with the 10th approved last month in the 18 square miles of Canton. That last approval will put five complexes in Ward 1. The main reason I am running for City Council is to say “No” more apartments in the City of Canton.

Kathy Strom: I am running for City of Canton Council Ward 1 seat because I feel that I can make a difference. I want my son to graduate from Kennesaw State University and return to Canton to live, work and play. We should continue working to move Canton forward to provide new job opportunities and create a culture that is inclusive for all citizens.

Ward 2

Shawn Tolan: I have always enjoyed doing meaningful work. While in the medical device business, I was fortunate to play a key role in the design and marketing of a system that is still the premier medication safety syringe infusion system utilized in NICU/PICU units and Children’s Hospitals nationwide. It was that experience that taught me the value of pouring my heart into things that truly make a difference in people’s lives.

I have a lot to offer, and serving on the City Council is a great way to utilize my energy to help continue to move our city forward at an appropriate and measured pace. My family and I lived off Sixes road in Canton for 23 years. Once Shari and I became empty nesters, we decided to move to the downtown area where we bought a home on East Main Street in December 2017. Since moving to downtown, many people in town have encouraged me to get involved with the inner workings of the city. Once I came to know some of Canton’s City Council members and other city leaders, I knew I needed to roll my sleeves up and get involved in helping guide our wonderful city into its next chapter and beyond.

Ward 3

Farris Yawn (incumbent): The decisions we make in the next few years will set the course for our city for a long time to come, and those decisions need to be made not just for our immediate gratification, but for the long-term benefit of generations to follow. The issues we will face need to be thoroughly thought out, with strategies in place to ensure that whatever we implement will actually achieve the goals we want. We are still feeling the ill effects of that type of uncontrolled growth and poor planning.

My vision for Canton is of a prosperous city built on a sustainable foundation, without losing the small-town charm that drew us all here. I am running for reelection because I want to help ensure that future comes to pass. That Canton will continue to be a place loved and enjoyed by all of its citizens.

Brooke Schmidt: My interest in local government is the direct result of my experience as HOA president, a position for which I was encouraged to run when my nearly 900-home-and-growing neighborhood had problems affecting both property values and community morale. The neighborhood needed someone who was a great listener, attentive to details, and able to research the best methods for resolving the complex issues.

I led the charge twice in different settlements – and we won. The settlements required previous management/development organizations to pay for repairs and maintenance that would otherwise have fallen on the homeowners in the form of increased fees and special assessments.

My experience serving and advocating for others led me to look at additional ways I could use my talents to serve the Canton community. I have attended City Council meetings and recognized an opportunity to continue to serve the community as it navigates the best ways to balance its historic roots with inevitable growth.

Canton and Cherokee County are going to grow. We’re the last place north of Atlanta – the last suburb before the mountains – where there is space. We can’t have elected officials who are scared of the growth, who believe all change is bad. We need leaders who are aware of the change, and who are willing to find ways to usher it in responsibly and carefully.

Question 2: What are your short term and long term goals for the position?

Mayor

Bill Grant: Short term is to continue the positive momentum the mayor and council has achieved in recent years; including the lowest taxes of any city in Cherokee County, substantial reduction in city debt, historic preservation and adaptive reuse of iconic properties such as the Mill Office, Canton Grammar School, the Mill on Etowah and the Jones Building, and expanding our parks and trail system.

Long term is to immediately begin a citywide Master Plan process to ensure a “Quality Over Quantity” approach to growth and development. This plan will be driven, first and foremost, by citizen input, infrastructure assessments, transportation, updating and simplifying zoning classifications and the pending results of the Housing Study that recently began. We need a road map for our city that is fully vetted by our citizens and ensures strategic alignment of Mayor and Council, City Staff and affiliated partners. Decisions and calculated trade-offs need to adhere to this Master Plan instead of being considered as single projects in one particular area of the city.

Dwight Pullen

• Create good working relationships with other governmental agencies
• Improve traffic flow
• Get citizens more involved

Ward 1

JoEllen Wilson (incumbent):

• Short term goals: To work with other council members to review options and build a parking deck in downtown Canton. To continue to work with the developers of the Mill on Etowah project as it grows into a destination for Canton.
• Long term goals: To connect and extend the trail system throughout the city and include a Riverwalk along the Etowah River. To continue to upgrade infrastructure. To make certain all past endeavors and future vision for Canton remains.

Bob Reilly: Short term is a “No” vote on any apartment proposals that come up to the Council. Continuing park and trail connectivity, as well as keeping taxes steady where they are right now which would most likely lower the millage rate. Long term I would like to look at increasing the senior exemption cap, and work on developing South Canton with a beautification project. Also being a voice for more affordable housing in the city and county.

Kathy Strom: Short term: Increase community input so that it is visible in the decisions of the council and mayor.

Long term: Improving the city in as many ways as possible. Housing, transportation,
budget and infrastructure need attention.

Ward 2

Shawn Tolan: My short-term goals are to help continue on the path that the current mayor and council have paved and learn as much as possible very early on about all issues that Canton faces and set a strategy for solving them. I want to help see through the initiatives like, sewer/water upgrades, solidifying the trail system and finding a sensible solution that effectively ties the new Mill project to downtown. I am not a politician, so I want to listen to both main street area constituents and those that are outside the main street area to determine what they would like to see as we continue to grow. Growth is inevitable, but ensuring that growth is smart takes effort, planning and a strong commitment to doing what is right for the citizens of Canton, and not what’s best for developers.

Ward 3

Farris Yawn (incumbent): My goals for my next term are, in no particular order:

• Find a developer to partner with the city or to renovate the Jones building on their own
• Continue to promote growth downtown
• Apply some of the techniques and strategies we used downtown to help revitalize South Canton and the Hwy 5 corridor
• Continue to expand our trail system and prioritize connections to the Etowah river
• Focus on planning for our expanding water and sewer needs. Our population is projected to double in the next 20 years and we need to start planning now to meet those needs
• Continue our current fiscally responsible budgets and prioritize keeping the millage rate as low as possible

Brooke Schmidt:

SHORT TERM GOALS

I believe elected officials should be true representatives of the people who put them in office. That includes being approachable, ready to listen to concerns, and to take the responsibility of constituent representation seriously. Residents of the community need to feel heard. I want to help make sure they aren’t intimidated by the process of participation or perceived political games.

LONG TERM GOALS

In addition to the big tasks facing Canton such as infrastructure, traffic, and development, residents have repeatedly asked for certain issues to be addressed when I'm out speaking with them:

Walkability - around all of Canton, not only downtown. For example, Riverstone is also a destination in Canton. More sidewalks, someday maybe even pedestrian bridges, would create a safer and more desirable area.

Sustainability - We need to start a real discussion on this issue. Relatively simple ideas such as solar panels on city buildings and water bottle fillers at city water fountains can make a huge impact in Canton and create a more livable city.

Question 3: What is your favorite part of living in Canton?

Mayor

Bill Grant: Clearly, the people – our citizens! Since arriving in 1996, I have felt welcome and part of a caring community. The warmth, authenticity and special sense of place enrich Canton as a small town with a rich past and heartfelt aspiration unlike any other. I truly believe we are on our way to becoming the Coolest Small Town in America, and I would be proud to lead that charge.

Dwight Pullen: Having everything I need within the city limits

Ward 1

JoEllen Wilson (incumbent): I love my neighbors – and that includes the City of Canton and much of Cherokee County. Seeing them often makes me happy. I also like going to sleep knowing I live in a safe city.

Bob Reilly: We moved here 14 years ago looking for a home in a more rural atmosphere, and our son wanted to play for the Cherokee High School band. Today Canton has everything we need. We rarely leave the city limits on the weekends. We enjoy the variety of restaurants and boutiques in and around the city. We also enjoy the parks, and the fresh air. Canton always has great festivals, at least once a month, and is growing as far a people enjoying them and our city. We feel safe living in Canton.

Kathy Strom: There are opportunities and resources that we have access to that can provide for a wide variety of ages and backgrounds to enjoy our town.

Ward 2

Shawn Tolan: The people. People that love this city and want some of the same things that my wife and family want. To live, work and play in a friendly, safe, welcoming environment that embraces everyone. I want to help the city continue to evolve and prosper.

Ward 3

Farris Yawn (incumbent): My favorite part of living in Canton has always been the people. From the first time we visited here, we were welcomed with open arms and make to feel at home. My dad and I often joked that we lived here 3 -4 months before we met an unhappy person.

Brooke Schmidt: My favorite part of Canton is what a true village it has been for our family. We could have never imagined the connections and circles we would be touched by as we raised our kids here - all while the city grew and changed, in almost all ways for the better, before our eyes. I want to continue to make use of opportunities to maintain the charm of the community while ensuring that future generations are proud to call Canton home.