Julius Hall announces run for Port Wentworth mayor, lists priorities, goals

Hall said his goal as mayor would be to create a more diverse and proactive Chamber of Commerce that will better advance and market the city. Within city council, Hall said he would increase meetings from once a month to twice a month.

Other priorities as mayor, he said, would be reforming the police department, of which residents have taken issue with in terms of citations.

"A lot of people are scared to drive through Port Wentworth because it's just a lot of tension with being stopped for minor reasons," said Stardacia Hudson, Hall's step-daughter and Port Wentworth resident.

He'll face current mayor Gary Norton, who says he intends to run for re-election this fall.

Hall said that one of the improvements he'd like to make as mayor is communication with residents.

"You have to listen to the people," said Hall. "We're coming for quarterly town hall meetings, we're going to be in the neighborhoods every week talking to people."

He then addressed development in the city and the need for "smart growth."

"You're talking about the balance between business and residential," he said. "You can't just put warehouses out here."

Throughout the night, Hall referenced his past conviction, reformation thereafter and plans for the city of Port Wentworth, which he's been a resident of for the the past six and a half years.

About 30 years ago, Hall was a Corporal in the Savannah Police Department and had been there for nine and a half years when he was embroiled in a cocaine conspiracy case involving four other defendants.

Hall was convicted in 1991 on charges of transferring and distributing cocaine from southern Florida to Savannah, as well as obstruction of justice, false declarations before a federal grand jury and money laundering.

Hall's life sentence was reduced in iterations from 1998 to 1999 and he was released January of 2013. A restoration of civil and political rights restores one's right to run for and hold public office.

Hall submitted his Declaration of Intention to Accept Campaign Contributions with the city in April. All candidates will be required to submit a Notice of Candidacy and Affidavit during the qualifying week of Aug. 16-19.

Hall emphasized a forward-looking perspective during his announcement Friday.

"I'm not going to trip and fall over something that's behind," he said. "If you erase all the mistakes of your past, you'll also be erasing all the wisdom of your present."

The Rev. Leonard Small, who gave an opening speech at the event, made nods to his own history in relation to Hall.

"Julius like myself made mistakes as a child. I went to prison, came home, and I've been the pastor of Litway Missionary Baptist Church for 38 years," Small said.

Small also mentioned the media company All Things Relevant Media that Hall founded and runs as evidence of his sound management, which will be needed in one of the fastest growing cities in Chatham County, he says.

"Port Wentworth is facing a phenomenal amount of growth, with a phenomenal amount of planning to match it," said Small. "Port Wentworth needs someone who can keep up with the exponential change that's taking place."

Barbee, Port Wentworth councilmember at-large and Hall's campaign chair, says he's fully behind the 15 point plan outlined on Hall's website, namely the construction of a sports complex to encourage tourism, reforming the police department and increasing public transportation in the city.

"I think what he can bring to the council is some transparency, some unity and diversity," Barbee said.

Nancy Guan is the general assignment reporter covering Chatham County municipalities. Reach her at nguan@gannett.com or on Twitter @nancyguann.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Julius Hall announces run for Port Wentworth mayor, lists priorities, goals