DEL.ICIO.USELECTION 2008
Candidates look to be Dunwoody’s first leaders
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thursday, September 11, 2008
On Tuesday, voters in Georgia’s newest city will go to the polls to elect their first city officials.
Fifteen candidates are vying for six City Council seats in Dunwoody, while Ken Wright is running unopposed and will become mayor of the north DeKalb County city when it begins operations Dec. 1.
The council then will begin negotiating with DeKalb County about the cost of services and sorting through a projected $14.7 million budget. The candidates and their positions are:
DISTRICT 1 (western portion of city)
AL ALBERGHINI
• Age: 75
• Job: Retired engineer and patent holder for design of several types of plastic bottles.
• Why running: Alberghini says starting a new city requires the same skills as his years designing plastic bottles, such as new and unique thinking, managing a budget and making sure everything works right. Public safety, zoning and the finances of the new city will be top priorities.
NANCY KAYLOR
• Age: 48
• Job: Part-time business librarian and stay-at-home mom.
• Why running: Kaylor is concerned that all the proposals in getting the city started are done right, with competitive bidding and no tax increases, and believes the most important issue will be developing a comprehensive land-use plan to get a handle on zoning in the city. A greater police presence also will be important.
DENIS SHORTAL
• Age: 66
• Job: Retired brigadier general, U.S. Marine Corps, 32 years; and retired airline pilot, Eastern and Northwestern airlines.
• Why running: Shortal wants to make sure the city is successful across the spectrum. “In walking the streets of Dunwoody, I was extremely impressed how everyone stepped up and did whatever was needed. I am going to work to make sure this city is successful.” He wants to see efficient and responsive government and to prioritize the city’s needs.
DISTRICT 2 (central portion of city)
ADRIAN BONSER
• Age: 50
• Job: Dentist.
• Why running: She says she is committed to making sure the city gets started on the right foot and believes this takes someone who is a good listener and able to be open to ideas for analysis. Having a visible police force and police protection is key, she says, as is creating a solid land-use plan. She believes looking at zoning needs and density will help keep the city fiscally responsible and the budget down.
BOB FISCELLA
• Age: 48
• Job: Real estate consultant.
• Why running: Having been active in the church and charities, Fiscella jumped into the start-up of the city as a way to have direct influence on the issues that concern him and his neighbors. Setting up police protection and creating standards for development throughout the city will be his top priorities.
LARRY A. PANKEY
• Age: 42
• Job: Attorney.
• Why running: Having been on both sides of litigation with municipalities, he believes his understanding of issues such as zoning and city operations is well grounded. His top priorities are to develop a community land-use plan to control growth; to set the vision for the city and its county schools; and to examine and negotiate hard for a financially responsible contract for city operations. He says he’s willing to request new proposals to foster competition and cost savings.
DISTRICT 3 (eastern portion of city)
ELLEN FIX
• Age: 52
• Job: Editor and writer.
• Why running: She feels cityhood was rushed and wants to slow down to create time for analysis of needs, services and costs. Public safety is a top concern, she said, but she wants to get data on rates and figures on costs before deciding the number of officers and patrols. She is willing to seek new bids and proposals to keep costs down as much as possible so that there is no rise in taxes with cityhood.
TOM TAYLOR
• Age: 46
• Job:Defense contractor.
• Why running: After serving as vice president of Citizens for Dunwoody, he feels he understands the local needs and issues without a steep learning curve, which will be critical in getting the city off the ground. His priority is to increase police presence and focus on crime prevention and figure out through negotiation or legislation how the city will take over county-owned properties such as parks.
DOUG THOMPSON
• Age: 45
• Job: Accountant/lawyer.
• Why running: He feels invested in the city, with family, friends and work all in the new city limits. He believes his skills as an attorney will help with negotiations with the county to acquire county-owned parks and that his accounting skills will be useful in setting up the appropriate budget.
CITYWIDE DISTRICT 1
MALLARD HOLLIDAY
• Age: 39
• Job: PR director for a telecommunications company.
• Why running: He wants to continue his work with Citizens for Dunwoody and use his background as a communications professional with customer-service experience. He believes the biggest issue will be zoning, but thinks the city needs a policy plan before it can adopt a master plan. He pledges to hold community meetings to get input from residents about their ideas for the mix of residential and commercial uses before building the policy.
ROBERT WITTENSTEIN
• Age: 50
• Job: Senior vice president of software development at health care company.
• Why running: He has a sense of obligation after spending time and energy convincing voters to approve cityhood to make sure it is done right. Wittenstein believes key issues will be contracting for city services, negotiating with the county and developing a relationship with the county while working on building a police force and zoning ordinances.
CITYWIDE DISTRICT 2
DANNY ROSS
• Age: 67
• Job: Retired venture capitalist.
• Why running: After helping start more than 30 companies, Ross believes his background will help get the city on the right track. He will focus on land-use plans and city infrastructure. He wants to make the transition to city hood as smooth as possible by focusing on the city budget and resources.
JANET L. WEBB
• Age: 64
• Job: Works in internal build-outs in the construction industry.
• Why running: She’s concerned about making sure all the priorities — from establishing a police force to creating a zoning plan — fall within the budget so that the city gets off to a fiscally sound start. She says doing things right involves fresh ideas and compromise, as well as a focus on finances.
CITYWIDE DISTRICT 3
MARY JO CHAMBLESS
• Age: 60
• Job: Realtor.
• Why running: As a founding member of Citizens for Dunwoody, Chambless believes the top issue facing the city is getting a grasp on zoning. With 40 percent of the properties in the city not owner-occupied, establishing controls on residential development will be important in providing cost-effective services to city residents and building an alliance with the schools. She also wants to focus on building a police force.
JOHN HENEGAN
• Age: 41
• Job: Regional director, U.S. Department of Transportation.
• Why running: Henegan feels the council is a logical extension of his work as president of Dunwoody North, the city’s largest subdivision. He has focused on zoning issues and dealing with the county and school district. In addition to zoning, he wants to focus on development and police protection by building the city slowly and within budget.
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