Jerry Summers
The rapidly approaching March 4 contest to fill the contested or vacant city council seats in Gig City has only been under shadowed by the battle for the top spot (mayor).
In 2021 the non partisan Democrat/Republican, office seeker slate was pared down from 15 public service aspirants to two runoff participants.
In the 13 that didn't make the runoff was one of nonpartisan candidates who received 491 votes (1.73 percent) but was not discouraged from being a candidate in 2025 as the sole opponent to the incumbent nonpartisan Democrat chief office holder.
In an appearance before the Big Elephant Club on Jan. 13, the slight underdog announced his candidacy and laid out his plan to solve what he perceived as the major unsolved problems in Choo Choo City that have not been addressed during his opponents’ four year term.
Most politicos expressed their opinion that the low prior 2021 vote results will prevent the dark horse from being a formidable foe against the incumbent, who previously loaned their campaign over $1,000,000 during the last campaign.
Other election gurus and experts have expressed other speculative reasons for the non politician Republican attempting to climb the political mountain with a ton of rocks on his back, but those go beyond the intended scope of this article.
However, three of the prior foes of the reigning public servant on the city throne (KW, WH, MM) have done pretty well after their 2021 loss (and questionable arrests).
The real reason for this article follows.
A public forum designed to assist the voting public to obtain information from the prospective city fathers, mothers, candidates was held on Feb. 4 at the former fire hall adjacent to the always traffic free Ridge Cut over I-24 on Bragg's Folly.
The three candidates for the District 9 City Council seat appeared and answered the slow pitch lob ball questions, allegedly written and submitted by the audience and selectively chosen by the knowledgeable moderator.
Unfortunately, none addressed the eternal question (since 1929-1930) as to who is to maintain and repave the original concrete road, pillars, steel cables, and sidewalks for the 6.9 miles from Glass Street in the north and the Georgia state line in the south (Missionary Ridge).
An anonymous member of a long time Crest Road family allegedly asked the reigning head of the neighborhood association as to when the membership/residents would hear from the two mayoral candidates and was advised that no forum was planned before the March 4 election. The budget raid on the Scenic City’s “rainy day” fund for 2025 includes a $1,000,000 item for “Crest Road” out of a proposed $29,800,000 reduction that may have long term consequences to the current 114,876 registered voters?
(Should the old and new taxpayers on the higher elevation (Missionary Ridge) have an opportunity to hear the two mayoral candidates state their positions on this and other important issues prior to March 4?)
Jerry Summers