Endorsements for the Flowery Branch City Council Races 2013

To explore information on why I feel qualified to offer endorsements in the upcoming Flowery Branch City Council races, I encourage you to read through my blogs here on this site and to visit some of the content linked inside my most recent blog where I discuss the work I have done with the South Hall Gazette and on social media since leaving the Flowery Branch City Council in December 2011.

Post 5

I have served with both Councilwoman Richards and former Councilman Fetterman on the Flowery Branch City Council during my time on the Council.  And despite initially supporting Councilwoman Richards in her first run for the Council and even hosting a Meet & Greet for her in my home during her first election campaign, I am endorsing Mr. Chris Fetterman for the Post 5 position in the November 2013 contest.

Once I was elected and began serving on the City Council in 2010 with Councilwoman Richards, I began to get a different sense of her philosophy towards government.  And certainly the last two years have proved to not be any different in this regard.  Let's look at the per diem allowance Councilwoman Richards voted to pass just a few months before three new seats and the Mayor's seat were slated to be opened up.  The per diem is an increase in the budget line item for Council pay.  It is money that must be budgeted and allocated each year regardless of whether a single Council member makes a claim for a per diem or not.  Therefore, it is effectively a 70% increase in the budget over the Council's previous salary.  A per diem system is ripe for inconsistencies - What exactly qualifies as a "meeting?" - and it takes a lot of time for City staff to administer and track.  It's inefficient and it grows government.  Why not just call it what it is and pay Council a salary increase?  

On the other hand, Mr. Fetterman has a view toward government much more in line with goals like reducing reliance on paid consultants, fully utilizing existing City staff instead to handle the work of the City and understanding the true opportunities of a mission to zero on property taxes.  His work during his time on the Council also clearly illustrated his approach to following the City charter and placing the power of the governance of our City with its people through the elected Council.  For these reasons, among others, I am proud to endorse former Councilman Chris Fetterman for the Post 5 seat.

Mayor

I have also served with Mayor Miller during my time on the Council and I worked very hard on his 2010 campaign after he resigned his Council seat to run for Mayor.  Yet starting at the end of my term in 2011, I began to notice a distinct departure from the mandates required of our Mayor under the City's charter.  Under the City charter, our Mayor only votes in the case of a tie and generally does not act in a legislative capacity.  However, during the process of setting a qualifying date for a special election to fill the Post 3 seat now held by Councilman Fred Richards, Mayor Miller admitted placing select dates on the Council's agenda.  See the meeting minutes for October 6 and October 20, 2011 at http://www.flowerybranchga.org/2011-ccms.html.  To me, this started a process of exceeding the boundaries laid out for our Mayor in the City charter and to date, I have only seen the power of the Mayor expand under the Miller administration which reached new heights in an exceptionally broad emergency powers act that was passed this year.

I never had the pleasure of serving with former Mayor Diane Hirling since she resigned her seat just a few months into her term of office but those that did often speak highly of a governing tactic she used in which she would call Council members before a meeting to solicit their feedback for items they sought to have placed on the agenda for the upcoming meeting.  After she had spoken with every Council member, Mayor Hirling would then call each Council member again to let them know if any item they wanted to put on the agenda did not appear to have the support necessary to proceed to final passage.  Once provided with this information, the Council member could then make a determination as to whether they wanted to work to shore up additional support for their particular agenda item before the meeting or if they would let Mayor Hirling know to drop the matter from the agenda.  This way, Council members were alerted beforehand to the level of support they may have had for a measure and more importantly, it was clear through the mayor's actions that the Council was setting the agenda as specified in the City charter, not the Mayor.

Of course, I can only speak to my time of service on the Council but I never saw Mayor Miller use any of these kind of tools to help the Council.  In fact, I was very surprised to hear that Mayor Hirling was endorsing Mayor Miller in the Mayor's race since they only served together for a few short months before she resigned her term and unless she visited one of the rare Council meetings I've missed, I don't believe she has seen Mayor Miller govern in a meeting since May of 2010.

One thing that has also raised flags with me during this campaign is the designation in Mayor Miller's biography that he is now apparently a golf professional and has left the teaching profession.  This would seem to be a complete career change during his tenure of Mayor but he has not mentioned anything about how this pretty substantial life change came about in any of his speeches, literature or on his website. Leaving teaching seems like a big deal and we haven't heard anything about it.

Finally, our Mayor must respect all people who interact with the City at all times, regardless of any personal disagreements our Mayor may have.  During my last Council meeting at the end of December 2011, for reasons that still to this day have not been explained to me, Mayor Miller refused to present my ceremonial departure plaque to me as had always been the tradition.  Instead, he had another Council member give me my plaque.  I have also seen discourteousness extend into many City Council meetings where the mayor frequently uses an elaborate buzzard timing system when there is only one or a few speakers signed up for public comment.  It doesn't seem necessary to set off a loud, frightening alarm after 2 minutes when there's hardly anyone but paid staff and media present in the Council chambers anyway.  So what if a citizen goes slightly over the set time in a situation where few others, if any, are signed up for public comment and the agenda is very short anyway.  It looks silly and is disrespectful to the citizen who has taken time to come to City Hall to be heard.  Additionally, on a number of occassions when our elected county commissioner has come before the Council to publicly address a concern, the mayor has refused to personally acknowledge the commissioner and will not look him in the eye because of apparent personal disagreements with the commissioner.  And during many meetings, the mayor is seen playing with his cell phone while staff or other Council members are speaking.

We need a Mayor of Flowery Branch who will go out of their way to be respectful at all times and to form coalitions with all Council members, regardless of personal ideologies and a brand ambassador of Flowery Branch who will take seriously the respect of the position outlined in our City charter. That's why I am endorsing Shanon Lutz for Mayor of Flowery Branch.  Shanon has an extensive professional career track record of organization, of being respected by her professional peers for being respectful and of forming the coalitions just like we need in Flowery Branch.

Where Has Amanda Been?? January 2012 - November 2013

At the conclusion of my term on the Flowery Branch City Council in December 2011, I decided to take a different path than many of the former Council members who have served our city.  I made a decision to stay actively involved with our Council, continuing to attend almost every single meeting without fail since the conclusion of my term on the Council two years ago.

About four months after my term ended, I was approached by a start up news site known as the South Hall Gazette to help provide coverage on the workings of our City Council.  You can find many of my reports from the meetings by searching on that website at www.southhallgazette.com.  The small volunteer staff we had working on that site at the time really did, in my opinion, provide fair, comprehensive coverage on the Flowery Branch City Council that far exceeded the light, cursory coverage provided by the print and broadcast media in our county.  Presently, the lead editor for the site is pursuing other opportunities and so the site is currently dormant which is unfortunate.  I really hope there is enough interest on the part of the editor to continue the work of the site one day.

Following the conclusion of my term on the Flowery Branch City Council in 2011, I also maintained an active presence on social media, regularly updating my accounts with posts and even blogging live directly from Council meetings so followers could stay up to date on the immediate process of our city government.  You can visit the page I maintain on Facebook covering the City Council by visiting www.Facebook.com/CouncilMemberSwafford.  I still regularly update that page frequently with important information pertaining to upcoming Council meetings, City festivals and events and many other items of interest to Flowery Branch residents.  I encourage you to go check it out as there's a lot of information there and on the South Hall Gazette website.

I provide this background to inform my readers that while my web page and this blog in particular doesn't show a lot of activity since the end of my Council term in 2011, I have been hard at work nonetheless staying involved and using the knowledge I gained from my years on the Council to make sure our interests in Flowery Branch are protected from an ever encroaching and growing government bureaucracy.  Because as local Republican activist Gordon Sawyer can often be heard saying in his morning radio commentary, "A government big enough to give you all you ever want is big enough to take all you'll ever have."

Amanda

November 3, 2011

As almost everyone knows, we have a City Council election on November 8.  Please take the time to vote.  It may be a hassle for you on that one day but for the next four years, it would be my privilege to serve you every day if you reelect me to do so.  I would have liked to have wished my opponent and the candidate in the other Council race well in the final days of the campaign but unfortunately, neither attended our Council meeting tonight.     


Nonetheless, we had a very productive Council meeting.  First, we declared November "Family Month" in Flowery Branch and presented a framed proclamation to Gainesville City Councilman George Wangemann.  Then we had a presentation on the upcoming T-SPLOST referendum.  Hall County voters will likely vote on that in July of 2012.  It would add another penny to our sales tax for a ten year period and is expected to bring in over $300,000,000 of funding for projects on a road improvement list that was designed and approved from citizen input and input from our government officials.  The two biggest projects that likely impact Flowery Branch the most are the widening of Spout Springs Road from Hog Mountain to Braselton and the construction of a new interstate exit at Thurmon Tanner Parkway which would become Exit # 14 on I-985.  There's a lot more to know about T-SPLOST so if you want to know more, contact me and I'll treat you to a cup of coffee in one of our local shops while we talk about it. 

The Council also reconsidered the ordinance that would set up our street light districts and set the charges for the street lighting costs in our city.  After discussion, the Council voted unanimously to reconsider the street light districts in April 2012 after the current elections and our upcoming Special Election on March 6 are concluded.  As I stated during tonight's meeting, I am very concerned about finding the necessary funding to cover these expenses which were not included in the budget the Council adopted in June.  Property tax bills have just gone out and there are any number of variables that could impact the incoming revenue.  Plus, there are other expenses the Council has expressed an interest in considering such as the consolidation of our Public Works facility into a central location.  The Council has also made other decisions to provide some financial relief to our local businesses which resulted in a deviation of projected revenue targets in the adopted budget and consequently, will probably need to be adjusted.  I welcome your input, as always, on this issue as it continues to be considered.

REMEMBER TO VOTE AT CITY HALL ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8 
FROM 7:00am - 7:00pm

Then, when the polls close, come and join the campaign at Green's Tavern in Flowery Branch off Hog Mountain Road and Spout Springs Road behind the Publix shopping center off of I-985. 

Amanda
      

  

Election Night Celebration

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

7:00PM - 9:00PM

Green's Tavern 

4856 Hog Mountain Road

Flowery Branch, GA 30542

Located in the former Grapes & Hops location 

Directly behind Publix at I-985 and Spout Springs Road

Come join the campaign at Green’s Tavern in Flowery Branch on Tuesday, November 8 starting at 7:00pm after the polls close and help the campaign  celebrate Election Night 2011!! 

Enjoy complimentary appetizers & drink specials while we wait for the results to come in on election night!!  Everyone is welcome!!  You can view the dinner menu for Greens Tavern here: Dinner Menu

Drop-ins are welcome but to help the campaign ensure enough food is available for everyone, please RSVP in advance if you plan to attend by leaving a voicemail at (770) 967-6681. 

Thank you for your support!

 Amanda

Amanda's Interview with The Gainesville Times

On Sunday, October 30, The Gainesville Times profiled the four candidates running for Flowery Branch City Council.  Unfortunately, the online version of the story does not include the question and answer set provided by each candidate.  I have reproduced my answers to those questions for you to read here and share with your friends and family that may be voters in Flowery Branch.  If you want to see the online article, you can do that here Flowery Branch City Council election.

Name: Amanda Swafford

Age: 35

Occupation: Paralegal

Website: www.AmandaSwafford.net

Political Experience: Elected to the Flowery Branch City Council in 2010

Education: B.A. Political Science Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA

American Bar Association Paralegal Certificate, Gainesville State College, Gainesville, GA

1 year of law school, McGeorge School of Law, Sacramento, CA

Currently pursuing a B.S. in Technology Management at Gainesville State College, Gainesville, GA

Family information: Single

Detail your history in Flowery Branch: 4^th generation native of Flowery Branch

Question No. 1

With the completion of Thurmon Tanner Parkway between Flowery Branch and Oakwood, what should be the city’s role to help attract business and industry to that corridor?

Answer No. 1

Our city should work to reduce regulations, fees and other requirements imposed on our small businesses.  Attracting new business is an especially competitive area right now and our city should adopt policies that reduce administrative burdens and repeal or revise existing regulations that hamper growth.  Our city should also continue existing negotiations to revise the confusing matrix of intergovernmental agreements pertaining to water and sewer use in that area as well as throughout our city. 

Question No. 2

Regarding the city’s budget, do you see areas where you can cut spending and/or that need additional funding? If it’s the latter, how would you cover the expense?

Answer No. 2

Currently, actual expenditures have usually come out around $100,000 under the total budgeted amount meaning our city does a good job of holding down costs.  However, that’s $100,000 not in the pockets of our citizens or going toward important priorities like our aging infrastructure and storm water plans.  In terms of spending, personnel costs have risen fairly substantially over the last several years and now encompass a disproportionate share of non-SPLOST revenue.  In addition, the General Fund is being supplemented with reserves of over $100,000.  We need to bring a better balance to our city budget.

Question No. 3

What is the city’s most serious infrastructure need and what would you do to fix it?

Answer No. 3

The downtown area currently has no comprehensive storm water plan.  One of the ways the Council can start the process of obtaining funds for the creation and implementation of a storm water plan is to look for areas in the General Fund where costs can be reallocated based on usage instead of relying on the millage rate structure which is based on the value of a real estate parcel.  In addition, no study should be funded until the budget is expected to have funds to implement the study findings within a reasonable amount of time after the study is finalized.      

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Amanda's Interview with The South Hall Gazette

Recently, I was contacted by a new upstart news group called The South Hall Gazette to answer questions the group is asking of all the Flowery Branch City Council candidates.  You can visit the online article here The South Hall Gazette Part 1 Interview  and here Interview Part 2 or read the entire interview below which I have reproduced. 

Enjoy the interview!

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Councilwoman Amanda Swafford is running against challenger Damon Gibbs for the Post 1 seat on the Flowery Branch City Council on November 8th. Councilwoman Swafford was kind enough to take the time from her schedule and grant the South Hall Gazette this exclusive interview. We asked the Councilwoman the same 5 questions we asked Councilman Fetterman and Damon Gibbs.

SHG: "What inspired you to get into public service or into politics?
Swafford: "When I was in 3rd grade, I wrote a letter to President Ronald Reagan as part of a class project and ended up receiving a response from the President. Ever since receiving that letter, I have always had a natural interest in government."

SHG: "Where do you stand on alcohol sales here in the City of Flowery Branch?"
Swafford: "Allowing the citizens of Flowery Branch the opportunity to decide whether or not alcohol will be sold in our retail establishments on Sundays in Flowery Branch has been one of the more satisfying efforts I have undertaken during my time on the Council. Our job on the Council should be to give our citizens as much opportunity to participate in the decisions of our community as possible. When our citizens have the chance to do so, it makes our community a better place. Personally, I will be voting YES on the referendum."

SHG: "Where do you stand on allowing more fast food restaurants here in the City of Flowery Branch and how's that affect the quality of life in the community?"
Swafford: "Private property rights are an essential element in America that sets our country apart from many other countries. It is the marketplace of ideas and consumers that are best equipped to place restraints on the development and use of private property. I would probably not support any kind of moratorium on new fast food restaurants. That being said, however, I certainly would not want 20 fast food chains along a one mile stretch of road in our town and if that situation ever come to fruition in Flowery Branch, our citizens would need to look at alternatives. I feel as if Flowery Branch is the type of community that strongly supports a variety of restaurants, including food services that are not part of a national or regional chain. We can definitely encourage locally owned and operated establishments to provide a more balanced selection of choices to our citizens."

SHG: "What makes you a better choice than your opponent?"
Swafford: "I feel there are three strong components to why I am the best choice to represent Post 1.
(a) I began regularly attending our City Council meetings in May 2010, just a few months after the meetings were moved to the evening so that those of us with full time employment could participate. I continued to attend almost every meeting until I was elected to serve on the Council on September 21, 2010 and have had perfect attendance since. There has certainly been a learning curve involved in understanding the inner workings of our city government and I bring "shovel-ready" experience directly to the Council from day one of my term if I am elected to continue serving the citizens of Flowery Branch.
(b) I have been a very strong participant in our city and have lived in the city or within 1-2 miles of the city limits for over 20 years of my life. I attend our festivals, I visit our establishments in town. I am actively involved in many different facets of our city, our county and our state. For two years, I have been extremely involved in the organization of the city's downtown holiday parade, I have led a first year family team in Hall County's Relay for Life to "Rookie Team of the Year" status with over $6,000 raised and I serve many roles statewide with the Fair Tax movement. By being involved with a variety of organizations and activities, I can better observe potential problems or issues with the delivery of services by our government to our citizens.
(c) My professional background in legal and human resource services brings needed diversity to our Council. I have directly seen my skill sets and experience in the legal industry provide substantial benefit to the Council. While the Council does utilize the services of an attorney, often times, lawyers don't like to re-invent the wheel and therefore, they use ordinances from other communities to form the framework of the ordinance to present to the Council for adoption. Having an analytical eye with attention to detail toward the draft ordinances allows me to quickly identify areas that may need revision to reflect the unique situations of Flowery Branch. We currently have two Council members already involved in the public sector and thus I feel as if my own professional background is a more necessary asset for the Council than perhaps that of my opponent."

SHG: "What is the one thing you want the voters to know about you?"
Swafford: "I have a website voters can visit for additional information. I try to update the blog on my website as much as time allows in order to help keep our citizens informed and involved with our city. The site is www.AmandaSwafford.net.
Early voting is now underway at City Hall in downtown Flowery Branch Monday - Friday from 8:00am - 4:30pm until Friday, November 4. I encourage all voters that can vote at City Hall ahead of time to do so!"
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I encourage everyone to check out The South Hall Gazette as they try to bring coverage to South Hall issues that are frequently left out of the traditional news sources in Hall County.  To access the South Hall Gazette, go to www.zoomvillage.com.  Once on the site, find the search box at the top of the page where you are asked to enter the name of your town.  Enter "South Hall" to be directed to the main page for The South Hall Gazette.

September 8, 2011

As you may know, the City Council is considering the adoption of street lighting districts in Flowery Branch.  You can read about the development of the districts here and here.  Primarily, the creation of special lighting districts provides the city a way to shift resources out of the general fund so that other priorities can be addressed in the immediate context of dwindling revenues and rising prices.  But what are these priorities?  Do we sit idle and make do with what we have or do we seize opportunities that may be a little different and tweak what we are use to having government provide?  When decisions have to be made, which city services get shifted to another funding mechanism and how are general fund resources allocated after such a shift?

I need your input and I want to hear from you on this issue!  On Tuesday, September 13 at 7:00pm, I will be available for citizen comments in Study Room # 2 at the Spout Springs Library.  Stop by and look at the various maps and proposals for the potential street lighting districts as well as our adopted budget for this fiscal year.  Let me know what you think.  The room I have reserved is fairly small but I will be there until at least 8:00pm and I will make sure I meet with everyone that comes out.  If you are unable to come to the library on Tuesday, please send me an e-mail on my website or give me a call at (770) 967-6681.

 Amanda