Some voters hope their new city council member will continue the fight against a plan to build a new technical college. Others want someone who will deal with traffic on the city's congested streets. A few have complained of steep water bills.
But at the moment, Sandy Springs Mayor Eva Galambos just wants someone to fill the vacant District 4 seat so the council doesn't have to worry about meeting quorum requirements again.
"It will be very enjoyable to have a whole contingent," said Galambos, noting the council didn't have a quorum at the Feb. 15 meeting because one council member was ill, another was out of town and the District 4 seat has yet to be filled.
It was the first time since Sandy Springs was incorporated in 2005 that the council didn't have enough members for a quorum. That shouldn't be a problem after Tuesday's special election.
Three candidates are running vying to replace Ashley Jenkins, who had served on the council since 2006 but stepped down in January to pursue a career in the travel industry.
The candidates are: Chiteka Jackson, who works in human resources in the real estate industry; Gabriel Sterling, a local GOP consultant and former co-chairman of the Sandy Springs Referendum Campaign; and Dennis Williams, a self-employed businessman who has interests in real estate, restaurants, night clubs and adult entertainment businesses.
If necessary, a runoff will be held on April 15.
Jenkins has already endorsed Sterling, who initially convinced her to run for the council seat several years ago. This time, Jenkins turned the tables after announcing her resignation in late January.
"I told him that he should absolutely run," Jenkins said. "He's been involved the whole time and he knows all of the issues."
But Jackson and Williams tout their own experiences in government and business, saying they can bring fresh perspectives to the council but still maintain the level of service that Jenkins was known for among residents.
"I thought it was a good time to get off the sidelines and into the game," Jackson said. "I know how to unify people and work on a common goal to get things done."
Chief among many most residents' concerns is Sandy Springs' attempt to pursue a new satellite campus of Gwinnett Technical College. With Jenkins marshaling much of the opposition, hundreds of citizens showed up to a city council meeting in January to voice their concerns about the new school.
Most of the plan's opponents have argued the school would remove an attractive piece of property from the tax rolls and require more than $9.5 million in improvements to Peachtree-Dunwoody Road to handle the increased traffic.
Many residents in the district said they want someone on the council who will continue Jenkins' fight against the plan.
"That's a big issue for me," said Tochie Blad, who has lived in Sandy Springs for 15 years. "We already have traffic congestion over here. And I don't understand using our tax dollars to attract the school."
All three candidates have said they will continue to fight against the proposal.
One important issue where the candidates differ, however, is the city's plan to build a new city hall, police station and courthouse on an eight-acre former Target store site on Johnson Ferry Road near Roswell Road. City officials hope to move into the new complex in 2015. Jackson and Williams endorse the plan, while Sterling is against it.
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