McDonough elects first mayor from historic Blacksville neighborhood
Kam Varner, the first person who grew up in historic Blacksville to be elected mayor of McDonough, plans to bring “true bipartisan” leadership to the position, with a focus on improving infrastructure, transparency and the city’s relationship with Henry County.
“Local government is the most important government there is, because we make decisions on things that are tangible to individuals — their taxes, their roads, their quality of life, what they see around them,” Varner said in a recent interview.
Varner, who works as a processing coordinator for the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, resigned from McDonough’s City Council during her fourth term to run for mayor. She beat incumbent Sandra Vincent by 586 votes, with 5,092 cast, in the Nov. 4 election.
The 45-year-old said she is proud of her roots in Blacksville, a neighborhood established by formerly enslaved people after the Civil War. It was named after the family of Joseph Black.
In 2018, Varner helped create a documentary on the community. A major thoroughfare in the neighborhood, Phillips Drive, was named after her great-great-grandfather, Wilson Pompey Phillips.
John Teague, McDonough’s historian, said residents of Blacksville for many years had poor water and sewer service.
“They were falling through the cracks,” said Teague, who also is president of the Genealogical Society of Henry and Clayton Counties.
Varner said she is honored to follow Black leaders before her who have fought for equal rights in the county, like Edward Head, who in the 1980s led a group that confronted the white power structure over issues like voting rights and the need for upgrades in Blackville’s water system.
“He was one of the individuals who was influential in ensuring that we had equal representation on the City Council,” Varner said. “I have a sense of pride in having the ability to represent or follow the lead of individuals who worked hard to make our communities better.
“Though I’m born and raised in, and have a heart for, the Blacksville community, I want to serve all of McDonough, because McDonough’s my home.”
Varner’s mother, Annie Jean Varner, died in June, shortly before Varner announced her run for mayor. It was her mother who encouraged Varner to become involved in organizations that helped shape her when she was young, including Girl Scouts, Bible Bowl, community choirs and Georgia Youth on Parade.
“I really wish she was here to see it,” Varner said.
In 2011, Varner became one of the youngest candidates ever elected to the McDonough City Council, at age 29.
As mayor, Varner said she hopes to oversee a stronger working relationship between the city and Henry County, though she emphasized that she, like Vincent, opposed the county’s unsuccessful effort last year to deannex about 500 acres from the city.
Henry County Commission Chair Carlotta Harrell said she endorsed Varner in the mayor’s race, adding that Vincent opposed efforts by the county to develop its land within the city of McDonough.
Vincent could not be reached for comment.
Varner said she wants to help county officials get the permits they need to develop county-owned land within the city, in hopes of addressing the issues that led to the deannexation effort.
She said she also wants to build consensus with business owners and have city initiatives that support entrepreneurship and workforce development. And she wants to come up with a plan to modernize and expand the city’s infrastructure, while maintaining its small-town charm.
Varner said she has learned from the leaders before her, including former longtime Mayor Billy Copeland.
“It’s kind of like learning from the old and taking it in, but creating something new,” she said.
About the Author
Reed Williams is an enterprise reporter on the Local team at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
