Sandy Springs Mayor To Run For Re-Election

SANDY SPRINGS, GA -- Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul has dedicated 40 years of his life to public service, and wants to extend that time in the spotlight by another four years. Paul on Monday announced he is running for a second, four-year term as mayor of the city that launched a wave of incorporation around metro Atlanta.

This campaign, he said, "will likely be my last campaign." If Sandy Springs voters give him the honor of serving another term as mayor, Paul said he wants to spend the next four years in office tackling four major goals: seeing the City Springs project complete, easing the region's transportation woes, implementing and sticking to the city's Comprehensive Land Use Plan and improving the water service the city of Atlanta provides to Sandy Springs.

"It's been mostly enjoyable, and I've got some things I want to finish," he said of his tenure.

Paul is the city's second mayor. He succeeded former Mayor Eva Galambos, the legendary public servant who passed away in 2015.

He'd hoped the city would be able to move into its new digs by the end of the year. However, he notes he was "overly optimistic" about that time frame, adding the project -- specifically the Performing Arts Center component -- has turned out to be more complex than anyone would have imagined.

"You don't want to rush it," he said. "I mean, this is a building that we expect to last for decades."

Of course, the elephant in the room for Sandy Springs is traffic and the T-SPLOST initiative that will be undertaken in an effort to take a bite out of that pie. This topic, he added, is not only important for Sandy Springs, but it's also one that the entire region will have to come to the table and address. Paul states he's been fortunate to be involved in working to come up with solutions in not only Sandy Springs, but around Fulton County with leaders in other cities and those who sit on the County Commission.

The transit piece is still something Fulton leaders will have to face. However, Mayor Paul said he believes the best approach to this would be to figure out where communities need to move people and, once that's sorted, they can focus on the types of technologies would be best to get those folks from point A to point B. Technology evolves so rapidly that elected officials run the risk of locking themselves into older forms of technology before they even determine the traffic patterns of residents and commuters.

"It can't just be Fulton County," he added. "It's got to be a true regional solution."

Another reason why he's running for a second term: Paul wants to ensure the city will follow the guidelines adopted in its updated Comprehensive Land-Use Plan. When Sandy Springs incorporated in 2005, it "hastily adopted" a land use plan, which Paul said served the city well up until the end of the Great Recession in 2013. Once someone flipped the switch and building resumed in the area, city leaders and staff began to realize they didn't have the tools to properly manage growth and development "in the right way."

Now, after a large amount of input, time and engagement from the community, the city is nearly ready to adopt the plan. Once that plan is in place, Paul said he will be ready to veto any rezoning or other petition that would deviate from what the City Council ultimately approves. Any resident who bought a home 30 years ago should have an expectation that their neighborhood won't be redeveloped into something they didn't envision when they put down roots in the city.

Last, but certainly not least, Paul said he wants the city to come up with a solution to gain some control over the water system. Sandy Springs' water is provided by the city of Atlanta, and city residents pay an additional 20-percent premium. In turn, the mayor said the city gets virtually no maintenance on the water lines that extend into its jurisdiction. For example, the aging infrastructure suffers from numerous leaks and water main breaks that endangers homes in the city. With a new mayor set to take office in Atlanta, Paul said he hopes to begin negotiations with that new leader to hash out a solution that would include better rates and maintenance for Sandy Springs.

"The biggest challenge that we face going forward, besides transportation and land use, is how we do a better job of managing the water resources that serve us," he said. "We are dependent upon Atlanta right now, and we'd like to work out some kind of positive arrangement with the city of Atlanta and the new administration. I'm all open to that, but if we can't, then we'll ask the courts to get involved and give us control of that system."

Paul was elected to the inaugural Sandy Springs City Council in 2005 and served one term. He was recruited by Galambos to run for the office of mayor in 2013 and was elected to that seat. At the federal level, Paul also served in the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department during the first Bush Administration. At the state and local levels, Paul served in the Georgia State Senate, was elected to the Stone Mountain City Council, served as chair of the Georgia Republican Party and on the Republican National Committee.

He and wife, Jan Paul, have five adult children and several grandchildren.

Paul is the latest incumbent elected official in Sandy Springs to run for re-election to the City Council. Council members Tibby DeJulio, Andy Bauman, Chris Burnett and John Paulson have all said they are seeking new four-year terms. Council members Ken Dishman and Gabriel Sterling will not be returning to the council.

The city's general election is slated for Nov. 7, and the office of mayor as well as the six City Council seats are up for grabs. Qualifying for the elections will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 21 through Thursday, Aug. 24 and from 8:30 a.m. to noon Friday, Aug. 25. The qualifying fees for mayor is $1,000 and $540 for the city council seats.

Image via city of Sandy Springs