It’s a good year for elected city officials in Habersham who want to keep their jobs. Only five of 16 office holders seeking re-election face opposition at the polls in November.
Demorest Mayor Rick Austin is being challenged for his seat by realtor Jim Welborn. Four candidates are running for two open council seats in Tallulah Falls. Incumbents Deb Goatcher and Larry Hamilton face opposition from challengers Paul Marsteller and Carol Nelms. In Mt. Airy, three candidates are vying for two seats on city council. Incumbents Bobby Ayers and W. Ray McAllister will try to fend off a challenge by Cynthia Williams Tyler.
Tyler is a homemaker and Mt. Airy native. She ran unsuccessfully for council several years ago. She says she’s stepping back into the political arena to help the town residents and to fulfill a promise.
“Polly Loudermilk (former mayor of Mt. Airy) wanted me to run and before she died I promised her I would,” Tyler says.
Giving a voice to the elderly residents of Mt. Airy is of particular interest to Tyler. She says they are “frustrated” and feel that they’re not heard. “I speak with them (the elderly) a lot and they’re just unhappy with the way things are run. They go to council meetings and feel no one listens to them and they’re frustrated. I want to be the one they can come to and let them know that they’re heard.” Beyond that, she says she just wants Mt. Airy “to be happy” and she wants to help get things done.
Qualifying for the November 7th General/Special Municipal Elections ended Friday afternoon. In all, 20 candidates qualified to run, according to the Habersham County Elections Office (see list below). No one qualified for the Alto Council Post 2 Special Election and no one qualified for the Baldwin Council Post 1 Special Election.
Rabun County handles municipal elections for Talulah Falls.
Town of Alto
Council Post 1:
Carolyn Cabe (Incumbent)
Council Post 3:
Michael Ivie (Incumbent)
Council Post 5:
P.J. Huggins (Incumbent)
Council Post 2: (Special Election)
No One Qualified
City of Baldwin
Mayor:
Jerry Neace (Incumbent)
Council Post 4:
Jeff Parrish (Incumbent)
Council Post 5:
Alice Lindsay Venter
Council Post 1: (Special Election)
No One Qualified
City of Clarkesville
Mayor:
Barrie Aycock (Incumbent)
Council Post 1:
John Mitchell
Council Post 4:
Franklin Brown (Incumbent)
Council Post 5:
Steven Ward
City of Cornelia
Commission Ward 2:
Janice Griggs (Incumbent)
Commission Ward 3:
Don Bagwell (Incumbent)
City of Demorest
Mayor:
Rick Austin (Incumbent)
Jim Welborn
Council Member (2 open seats):
Sean Moore (Incumbent)
J. Bruce Harkness
Tallulah Falls
Councilperson (2 open seats):
Deb Goatcher (Incumbent)
Larry Hamilton (Incumbent)
Paul Marsteller
Carol Nelms
Town of Mount Airy
Mayor:
Gary E. Morris (Incumbent)
Council Member (2 open seats):
W. Ray McAllister (Incumbent)
Bobby Ayers (Incumbent)
Cynthia Williams Tyler
Updated to include Tallulah Falls candidates.
