Kennesaw Elections Guide 2019: Candidates Talk City Problems

KENNESAW, GA — Georgians will take to the polls next Tuesday to vote in local elections, including in Kennesaw.

The Kennesaw City Council election will take place Nov. 5. The election is for the council seats of mayor, Post 1 and 2.

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 who the candidates are, why they want to run and what their long and short term goals are.

• See more: Kennesaw Elections Guide 2019: Candidates Looking To Future

Part two showcases what candidates 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

Derek Easterling (incumbent) *did not answer the questionnaire

Post 1

James Eaton (incumbent) www.doceaton.com

Antonio Jones *did not answer the questionnaire

Karen Gitau *did not answer the questionnaire

Post 2

Tracey Viars (incumbent) https://www.facebook.com/letsdothiskennesaw

Question 4: What is the biggest issue you think citizens in Kennesaw face?

Post 1 candidate

James Eaton: We are fast running out of develop-able space. They will need to get used to multi level buildings in order to house our citizens and to be friendly to our biggest neighbor, Kennesaw State University. The university is as big as our city and we are going to have to get used to the idea that we are fast becoming a college town. There are pro's and cons, but the students need someplace to shop and they have money to spend. Why not with our merchants and restaurants?

Post 2 candidate

Tracey Viars: Like all over the metro we deal with traffic. Many people still drive to downtown Atlanta everyday or other further-away destinations to get to work. I am glad we are finally adding some walkable communities and some opportunities for dining, entertainment and experiences close to home so residents don't spend so much time on the road.

Question 5: How do you plan to combat that issue?

Post 1 candidate

James Eaton: There is not combating the issue. It's a matter of embracing the inevitable.

Post 2 candidate

Tracey Viars: We are already trying to combat this by building/encouraging walkable communities. Road improvements such as the new roundabout on Watts have also brought improvement and there are other transportation changes in the works. I want to continue to make (and keep) Kennesaw a great place to do business by making sure we have easy processes to do business here and motivation to do so. That we are a place where small businesses can succeed and that we are doing all we can to bring as many opportunities for our citizens that we can. I was shocked to read recently in an ARC publication that 42 percent of people in Cobb County work outside the county. More opportunity closer to home will cut down on work travel.

Question 6: Why should people vote for you?

Post 1 candidate

James Eaton: My vast array of contacts, my experience and my established reputation in our city make me the best qualified for the job.

Post 2 candidate

Tracey Viars: Because I care about this community and the people in it. I live here, I work here...All day, every day. I'm accessible. I am consistently looking for ways we can do things better. I love to hear what citizens have to say. I want them to love the city they live in too. I know we can't please everybody all the time but I think we have great community spirit and I will continue to do what I can to elevate that.