Lula News Candidate Response

Since seeing the Lula News candidate response, people have also asked me to post the response on this website as well.  Be advised you can see responses from both candidates at accesslulanews.com.

Tell us about your political experience:

Having served in leadership positions throughout my career, I realized I enjoy making connections and helping others achieve their goals, hopes and dreams.  While this position as City Council member will be my first official public office position, I have had the pleasure of being elected to leadership in multiple civic organizations and associations.  I have served multiple terms in office with HomeOwners Associations and also was elected to serve on the Board of Directors for the Lula Bellton Historical Society.

Give us some information about your background:

Originally from Knoxville, TN, I enjoyed working in the Real Estate Title and mortgage industry while attending school and performing locally as a Christian Music artist.  In 2002, I moved to Lilburn, GA when I accepted a job with BellSouth and worked out of an office near Tucker, GA.  As the company rebranded as AT&T, I have been blessed with a successful career in Information Technology, Business Operations and Cybersecurity for more than 20 years.  I’ve held numerous positions of leadership and successfully implemented enterprise level solutions with award-winning results.  Whether guiding product and service teams, maintaining budgets for large projects, or managing numerous vendors, integrity has always been one of my core principles.  Another passion of mine is audio and sound engineering.  Having been blessed with that skill while serving as engineer for Jimmy Buffett, The Dixie Chicks, TG Sheppard, Delbert McClinton and many others, I give back by volunteering as Technical Director and Sound Engineer at various churches throughout the Metro Atlanta area as well as right here in Lula, GA.  You may have seen me as the “sound guy” at our Memorial Day and Veterans Day celebrations as well as Car Shows and Christmas in Lula.  In the spirit of community I also volunteer to serve with the Air Force Association’s CyberPatriots and CyberGenerations programs.

What made you want to run for the City Council?

Being raised by wonderful parents, my siblings and I were always taught the highest honor is to serve others.  We were also to honor all of our commitments.  Witnessing the coming economic growth of our surrounding area, I knew this would be challenging to anyone tasked with the responsibility to guide the activities of our city.  And compound that with the financial situation facing our nation, being able to achieve the objectives our citizens want and need would be an uphill battle.  My entire career has required me to consistently achieve more even with an ever decreasing budget.  That experience inspired me to step up and serve as I know I can achieve all our goals and do it without having to collect additional taxes from the citizens of Lula.  I would be honored to serve all of Lula as your City Council member.

What are some things you like most about Lula today?

My wife, Amy, and I fell in love with the City of Lula the first time we visited.  We loved it so much, we decided to make it our home.  As many others can see, Lula has that “small town charm.”  And no city can hold a candle to the level of hospitality that is represented by all who live here.  Amy and our daughter, Katie were able to connect with the Lula Ladies group after only a short visit to their booth at the Fall Festival.  From there, we met so many wonderful people we could share and connect with.  That is the sense of community many seek but seldom find.  But here in Lula, all are welcome and we proudly call it home.   

What do you see are the biggest issues facing Lula in the next 5 years?

The biggest issues facing Lula in the next 5 years is the expansion of rapid growth that could pass us by if our city administration is not alert and taking thoughtful action.  With Georgia Port Authority’s $47M grant from U.S.DOT – INFRA, the creation of the Inland Port near White Sulphur Rd. will increasingly drive more development in the manufacturing and logistics sectors along SR 365 through Belton Bridge Rd. and beyond. I have stated previously that new proposed industrial parks and work-force housing needs will be a continuous issue the City of Lula will need to be prepared to address.  If we do not have strong leadership, these developments will occur right outside the city in unincorporated Hall and Banks counties and Lula will receive the burden of the increased traffic and the repairs needed that will come along with that, but we will be unable to help direct those developments, or receive and revenues needed to deal with impact to our community.

It is my commitment to the citizens of Lula to preserve our rural heritage throughout this period of growth.

What do you see are the biggest issues facing Lula in the next 10 years?

Within the next 10 years, our biggest issues facing Lula will be the construction and maintenance of our utility infrastructure, roads, and sidewalks.  As we begin to serve additional residents with water, we will need to be very strategic with our long-term capital planning.  We will be building additional wells, pump stations, transport pipes and elevated water tanks.  We will have to develop a strategy to get full use of our existing infrastructure while also purchasing and integrating new technology with next generation water utility equipment.  Our roads and sidewalks will have to be maintained and repaired and we will need to consider financial planning outside of grants as those grant funds may not always be available.

Would you support authorizing and funding the current Mayor as a “full time mayor”?

The declaration and funding of Mayor as a “full-time” position would certainly be a deviation from Lula’s Council-Manager form of government per the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) designations.   This would result in the mayor assuming the executive duties which would be a duplication as the City Manager position currently has that responsibility.  When I speak to the citizen’s of Lula they have advised me they don’t want to pay an additional salary that could result in Lula having to collect taxes to support.  Additionally, what duties and responsibilities would the mayor have that would warrant such a salary?  I do not think the citizens of Lula would be served well if every 4 years, we elect a mayor and have to cross our fingers and hope that person has the skills and experience necessary to properly manage the operations of our water supply, wastewater treatment plant, budgeting, contract administration, negotiations with developers, grant writing, human resources coordination, etc.  Having a full-time mayor position just doesn’t make sense.

Would you support establishing and funding a police department for the City?

I am aware there is a push from those in office to establish a City of Lula police department.  Having reservations, I decided to do my own research and spoke to individuals who have held the position of Police Chief in other cities within the region.  This confirmed my intuition regarding the astonishing cost that would be incurred and would continue year after year as a financial burden that all citizens of Lula would have to bear.  People understand there would be expenses for items such as vehicles, uniforms, radios, and weapons, but there are many other costs involved such as required firing range time, ammunition, personal protective equipment, construction of facilities, dispatch staff, call receipt staff, vehicle and personnel insurance, ongoing training, fuel, vehicle maintenance and insurance, benefits programs to officers, and so much more.  When evaluating the number of officers needed, one must consider the number of shifts throughout the week that must be covered, vacation schedules, shift coverage when officers are out due to illness, required court appearances, and more.  The costs add up quickly and previous estimates when evaluating the creation of a City of Lula police department have been $2.6 million for an initial cash outlay with a minimum of $1 million annual budget requirement that only increases each year thereafter.  Those who claim that a police department can generate revenue to pay for itself need to understand that Georgia Law limits the revenue from speeding tickets to 35 percent of the police agency’s budget excluding school zone violations and speeding 20 mph or greater over the speed limit.  If found in violation of this law, the State of Georgia will suspend the police department’s permit to operate speed detection devices.  The established alternative is for cities and municipalities to pool their resources together to operate effective law enforcement resources at the county level by means of sheriff departments.  The advantages of this method allow for greater resources such as tactical teams, aerial support via helicopter, etc.  One argument I have heard is local sheriff departments have a slow response time to calls in Lula.  To address this, an alternative would be for the City of Lula to communicate directly with Sheriff Gerald Couch of Hall county or Sheriff Carlton Speed of Banks county to discuss resource allocation concerns, but to my knowledge, no such discussion has taken place.  Due to the current size of Lula, the benefit of having its own police department does not outweigh the enormous cost that would require property taxes to be collected in Lula.  Both homeowners and renters would bear that tax burden as landlords would expectedly pass that cost on to their tenants.  As residents of Hall county, we already pay for law enforcement through our county sheriff departments.  Establishing a police department would be a duplication of those services.  The truth is that no one is going to be writing us a check back to refund the taxes we have already paid for law enforcement, so therefore we would just be paying twice.

What else would you like for the citizens of Lula to know about you?

I truly want everyone to know that even though I am running for City Council in district 1, if elected I want to help and be of assistance to everyone, no matter which district they reside.  Regardless of the outcome of the election, I am here to serve. If you have an issue or concern, I would be glad to help in any way that I can.  Thank you Lula, it is a blessing to be your neighbor.

– Tony Cornett