Positively Roswell Pushes Back Against Negative Political Tone

ROSWELL, GA -- The idea that politics can be a bloody and unforgiving sport is nothing new, particularly for those of us who are attuned to the never-ending horse race in the national arena.

However, at the local level, mudslinging and underhanded dealings are something that's not only frowned up, but rarely experienced with the same intensity that can come with presidential politics.

According to a group of local residents, these type of shenanigans have Roswell politics, and they are determined to push back against this discord among city leaders and stakeholders.

The group is made up of a little more than two dozen residents who are combining their talents and areas of expertise to promote a tone that's tolerant of disagreement, but not to the point where friends and neighbors become enemies.

Tai Anderson, who has been involved in the city through youth sports, said he believes his mission is to make residents aware of the deep divisions that's permeated the Roswell community.

"I see my mission is to be a bridge to those people to get them involved," he said.

Positively Roswell seeks to "be a force of facts," said fellow advocate Doug Curling. Along with combating that negativity, the organization also wants to improve citizen engagement and keep residents informed of what's going on at City Hall.

Curling, one of the founding members, added the organization is made up of people from all walks of life who have one thing in comment: they want the city of Roswell to rise above the infighting and lead north Fulton County in prosperity.

"We want people to feel like they can be included in what’s going on," Curling said.

So what drove these citizens to organize and create this nonprofit organization? For fellow member Theo Keyserling, that moment is different for everyone in the organization. Something happened, she said, to force them to stop and ask themselves, "is this really happening in my town?"

Noting she's not a political person "at all," Keyserling said she attended meetings and noticed how city leaders spoke to each other. For staff members and citizens to see that, it's very unmotivating.

Positive corporate culture, she added, is something that stems from the heart and soul of an organization. When that culture is rotten, she said, it affects everything that extends from those leaders' fingertips.

The same thing goes for local politics: when city leaders take on a negative tone, it impacts the atmosphere of that city's government.

"It all stems from the top," she said.

For Curling, his moment surrounded the debate over the Southern Skillet property. The discussions among the Council members, he added, devolved into whether the Roswell Downtown Development Authority could be "trusted" to run the project.

"They are volunteers and you are questioning the motive of these people," he said, referring to the DDA. “That’s not what I want out of a Council.”

For Anderson, he was made aware of the divide from a comment on a blog post he wrote following a state football championship. Both Blessed Trinity Catholic and Roswell high schools were fortunate enough to compete at the Georgia dome for the titles in their respective divisions.

His message called for "one Roswell," and Anderson penned the note following the 2015 elections in which incumbents Becky Wynn and Rich Dippolito were defeated. Anderson told Patch he longed for a day when the city could unite around a common cause with the same spirit shown when rooting for the home team.

Anderson said he was told his message was "sweet," but that was a long-shot for Roswell City Council members.

"I started attending meetings and thought, 'Oh, this is what they were talking about'," he added.

It should be noted Positively Roswell's reach won't extend into endorsing candidates for public office, Curling continued.

What they have done, however, is use their Facebook page to broadcast taped interviews of candidates who were running in the March 21 special election to fill the vacant Post 4 seat on the City Council.

Those interviews, taped by Roswell High School students, can be found here. Along with providing information about what's happening around the city, the organization is also encouraging citizens to stay abreast of local issues and cast ballots in local races.

Keyserling said only 7,000 voters -- out of 56,465 registered voters -- cast ballots in the city of Roswell during the 2015 municipal election election, a figure she said that's "shocking." Last week's figures were more dismal, as 5,852 voters took part in the March 21 special election to fill the Post 4 seat.

Considering that local government is the closest to the people, it's imperative residents take an interest in those running to represent them. The choices those elected officials can make, she added, has more of an impact than decisions made at the national level.

Overall, Positively Roswell is just a group of 30 or so residents who are "love this town" and are heavily invested in the city, Curling stated. Everyone wants to find ways to make Roswell stand out. It's now time for those people to "come together to make this city better."

"It’s really about coming together and getting some community priorities decided," he said. "I think things are slowly getting better. It’s not about the people. I don’t think people get in to this to rub (it in) someone’s nose, but we need a little bit of live and let live."

You can learn more about Positively Roswell by visiting its website and Facebook page.

Image via Positively Roswell