Cumming Elections Guide 2019: Candidates Looking Toward Future

CUMMING, GA — The Cumming City Council election will take place Tuesday, Nov. 5. The election is for the council seats of Post 3, Post 4, and Post 5.

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.

*The incumbents are not included in this profile.

Who's Running?

Post 3

Joey Cochran electjoey.com

Brent Patrick 404-421-1623 brent@bphomesinc.com

Jason May www.ElectJasonMay.com

Post 4

Christopher Light (incumbent)

Post 5

Linda Ledbetter (incumbent)

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

Joey Cochran: I want to make a difference in the community where I live and work. I love the City of Cumming and I want to be a part of shaping its future.

Brent Patrick: I decided to get involved in politics due to the current landscape of the climate in our nation. I am so frustrated with how our government is run and instead of being an armchair warrior I thought I'd take a closer look. I have always known that to change your environment it starts at the local level.

Jason May: It has been a goal of mine since high school. I grew up in a family that worked in and served this community and I have spent countless hours helping the community to prepare for inevitable change and then helping to adjust to unforeseen changes that also occurred. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to hold this position. My comprehensive education and professional background is in land planning, surveying and civil design, fiscal budgetary process, traffic flow and control, zoning and property rights. We are in a period of time when my skill set is an absolute need.

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

Joey Cochran: Short term goals: Work on improving traffic, support a strong police department and provide excellent customer service.

Long term goals: Be financially responsible, keep our property tax rate at zero, develop smart city solutions (to build for the future, to solve modern day problems and, to attract new business).

Brent Patrick: Short term goals are to make sure the residents feel heard. Really take a closer look at what they're saying is important. Get a good sense of how the process works and get familiar with all the players. Perhaps bring back to the table a few ideas that don't quite represent our residents and ask for a new vote. Long term goals are to implement a system by which the incoming candidates and the voters know what our "job description" is. A sort of class that is a guide for our responsibilities and where our power lies, so that we as candidates can be more effective and the voters know if we are doing our jobs or not. Review what's on the books as far as proposals and up and coming votes so that I am completely filled in and can make a good decision or vote based on what I hear the residents have told me is important to them.

Jason May: In the short term I’d like to devise a viable plan to provide a solution to the traffic issues that gridlock our community. Anyone can read an interesting article about technology and how it was used to help a random town but it is a completely different scenario to understand if it is a reasonable application for our area and the cost implications and desired outcomes. For example, we could smart-light the entire City of Cumming but if the surrounding area is also not synced you have immediate gridlock and have accomplished nothing with a very expensive project. Real relationships and cooperation with county and state officials is required to achieve success regarding a long term traffic solution and I have spent years working with those people and cultivating strong relationships. In the long term, I would like to create a 25+ year plan that allows for manageable growth that runs in accordance with proper infrastructure and provided services. We are a fiscally responsible city and I intend to ensure the continuation of that through focused proactive planning rather than reactive actions.

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

Joey Cochran: It’s the people! I love how we are close to our neighbors and how we look out for each other. There is a small city atmosphere I hope we never outgrow. It’s a place where we create lifelong friendships and call home.

Brent Patrick: My favorite part about living in Cumming is the community. The people and feeling you get here. It's a very "caring" city and the people are genuine, I like that.

Jason May: Hands down the people. When I moved here as a kid it immediately felt like we had lived here forever. My family ran the largest land surveying company in the county and that afforded me the opportunity to meet many residents and I found time and time again that this community was rich with fascinating history and open and welcoming to newcomers, excited for a chance to get to learn about each other. When my father became ill and ultimately lost his battle with cancer, we felt enveloped in the comforting prayers and consideration of our community. As I began my own family, once again the sense of community was prevalent, my wife is an elementary school teacher, my son is a Cub Scout, we attend Mountain Lake Church and spend countless enjoyable hours immersed in a plethora of community activities and service organizations. You don’t have a feeling like this in every town, Cumming is truly unique.