Meet the 2023 Johns Creek City Council Post 2 candidates by Appen Media Group

OCTOBER 2023

ELECTION GUIDE

JOHNS CREEK ELECTION GUIDE

2 | October 2023 | AppenMedia.com/Municipal_Elections

Johns Creek City Council candidates lay out platforms JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Four candidates have qualified for Johns Creek City Council races in the November election. Councilman Chris Coughlin of Post 4 and Post 6 Councilwoman Erin Elwood are running unopposed. Incumbent Councilwoman Stacey Skinner is seeking to hold the Post 2 seat and faces challenger Devon Dabney. After soliciting input from Johns Creek residents, Appen Media sent questionnaires to the two Post 2 candidates. Both were asked the same questions and given equal amount of space to provide answers. Readers can see their responses, along with a short self-provided biography, below. Profile: SKINNER: I’ve been a homeowner in Johns Creek for over 10 years and was first elected in November of 2021. I have the knowledge and track record to ensure our city continues to thrive and remains the best city in which to live. Experience matters. Integrity matters. Elections matter. DABNEY: I am a VERY PROUD Texa-Bama (born in AL; moved to Texas as an infant) and Johns Creek resident of 11 years. Dog mom. Economic development business owner. I have an awesome vision for the city which includes warm collaboration with council folks to ensure progress around shared policymaking goals. Question 1: SKINNER: With the adoption of the rollback millage rate of 3.646 – and subsequently setting the 2024 Fiscal Year Budget at the rollback rate (3.646) – meant $2m less being allocated to capital improvement projects. I envision a delicate balance between lower property tax rates and the expense of city projects. Prudently, capital improvement projects should be prioritized as “needs” versus “wants.” Furthermore, those “wants” should be prioritized and should align with projects the community is in favor of. A bigger challenge will be maintaining the rollback rate should the economy worsen or if the local option sales tax downward trend continues. The 2024 Fiscal Year Budget (current budget) had a modest operational increase of 3% (considering inflation is around 8%), and a personnel increase of 11%.

SKINNER

DABNEY

Questions Profile: Tell readers a little about yourself. Question 1: The city’s adoption of a rollback millage rate has caused several reassessments of the capital improvement projects funded in fiscal year 2024. How do you envision the balance between lower property tax rates and the expense of city projects? Question 2: Stormwater has been a major issue in Johns Creek. Beginning in 2021, Johns Creek residents have footed a yearly bill to fund a multi-million-dollar stormwater management program. Johns Creek also allocated nearly $3 million in repairs and maintenance of the city’s pipe system in 2023 alone. How else should the city address stormwater? Question 3: What can the city do to better ensure public safety? Question 4: Recently, the city opted to commit $8 million in surplus to fully fund Creekside Park, soon after opening Cauley Creek Park. What are your thoughts about the city’s parks spending? *Candidates were given 300 words total to answer questions 2, 3 and 4. It was up to them how to use that quota.

Additionally, given the ever increasing need to maintain public safety personnel, it’s questionable whether our current pay scale will continue to be competitive compared to our surrounding cities. Those compacting factors make it a challenge to be optimistic that a 3.646 millage rate will be sustainable if we are to maintain the quality of life and level of service our residents desire. DABNEY: Pursued thoughtfully and creatively, we can do so much to

enhance the city’s livability features without burdening the taxpayer. While we want to always prioritize projects according to greatest potential impact on the community’s well-being and future growth, we don’t want to limit what we offer because of budgetary restraints. Two things that can help us to accomplish both: Public-private partnerships and grant funding. Working intentionally on PPPs can help to leverage private sector resources to fund public

infrastructure as well as projects presented by the city’s Arts, Culture and Entertainment Board for things like public art and festivals. We can go even bigger by following in the footsteps of other cities that have successfully leveraged PPPs for big projects that not only enhanced livability for the locals but also inured to an economic boon by way of tourism dollars from visits to these sites: The High Line (NYC): the elevated park was a collaboration between the city and several entities including The Related Companies, Coach, Tiffany & Co., The Yard at Shakespeare Theatre (Chicago): several entities including BP contributed substantially to the effort, Disney Hall (LA): Walt Disney Concert Hall funded in part by Disney Corp, Bank of America, Toyota. Additionally, grant funding from external funding sources such as state and federal grants may help to supplement the city’s budget for specific projects including those related to roads, sidewalks and other multi-modal infrastructure projects. Question 2: SKINNER: The city should continue to make necessary repairs and maintenance to our stormwater infrastructure. Additionally, the city needs to think outside-the-box for a long-term solution that will address the underlying problems permanently. If our city has multiple low-lying areas that were built in a floodplain, more creative solutions will be needed in order to permanently fix the problem concurrently with making the necessary repairs. DABNEY: Addressing stormwater challenges requires a multifaceted approach with a focus on responsible planning to avoid excessive taxpayer burden. Strategies include seeking state and federal grants for green infrastructure projects like permeable pavement and rain gardens, aiding in natural stormwater absorption and flood prevention. Additionally, utilizing data and technology for proactive monitoring and problem prediction is crucial. Collaborating with neighboring communities and regional authorities in a regional task force can enhance the effectiveness of stormwater solutions while managing associated costs.

JOHNS CREEK ELECTION GUIDE Question 3: SKINNER: First and foremost, the city can ensure our public safety personnel are compensated competitively. Secondly, the city can ensure the capital requests and infrastructure needs of our public safety departments are being fully funded. Finally, the city can continue to support and encourage communication between ourselves and our surrounding cities and update our ordinances accordingly to ensure public safety. DABNEY: Ensuring public safety is a collaborative effort, starting with meaningful conversations with our exceptional leaders, chiefs Mark Mitchell and Chris Coons. Proper funding for their priorities is paramount amid a

national hiring crisis in public safety. Building relationships with our public safety leaders is vital, transcending emergencies and moments of contention. The Citizen’s Police Academy offers an engaging opportunity to learn and support our community’s safety. We must be accountable to each other in our collective commitment to public safety and maintaining the excellence of our law enforcement and fire departments. Question 4: SKINNER: Going back to my response to Question 1, the more assets the city acquires, the more funding we will need to allocate for routine maintenance and for the operational costs associated

AppenMedia.com/Municipal_Elections | October 2023 | 3

with those newly acquired assets, whether it’s a park or otherwise. My thoughts on park spending are that, for one, the residents of Johns Creek love parks and expect our parks to be maintained according to Johns Creek standards. Secondly, we must carefully balance and consider expanding our parks with additional funding that goes beyond the upfront costs of acquiring land and developing. We must also include ongoing maintenance and operational funds in our assessment. Finally, we have to be conscientious and take prudent measures to avoid taking on more assets than we have the budget to maintain, so as to not overburden the residents with higher taxes. DABNEY: Fully funding

Creekside Park while opening Cauley Creek is a vital development for our community, enhancing our quality of life. A robust parks infrastructure fosters a sense of belonging for every neighbor, offering gathering places for social interactions, physical activity and overall well-being. Parks strengthen our community and bolster the local economy through events and festivals. To fund public infrastructure like parks, I’ll prioritize partnerships with private sector stakeholders and seek grants, ensuring Johns Creek thrives as a beautiful community with exceptional green spaces. Public-private collaboration and grant acquisition can complement traditional funding sources, making our city stand out.

4 | October 2023 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Municipal_Elections

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