Voters in the City of Lula will find two names on the ballot Tuesday for the Lula City Council District 4 seat: Incumbent Garnett Smith and challenger Roy Hall.
AccessWDUN recently spoke with Smith and Hall about their campaigns and why they feel they are the best person for the job.
Voting runs from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Lula City Hall.
Garnett Smith (I)
Smith has served on the Lula City Council for just under a decade and has lived on Belton Bridge Road his entire life.
Throughout that decade, Smith said he has helped accomplish several successes for the city, including saving the Cobb Street Bridge, remodeling a building to create a Community Center and creating the Veterans Park fountain.
Additionally, Smith said he was involved with creating the Lula Christmas Parade, obtaining $13 million in grants, and more.
Smith said he believes the biggest challenge in Lula's near future relates to the construction of the Inland Port.
"We're going to have to get some help from Hall County on the roads due to the Inland Port that's going to come, that's going to create a lot of traffic in downtown Lula," Smith said. "And then we needed houses, and we definitely need a grocery store out here on Belton Bridge Road. The City of Lula needs a grocery store very badly."
Smith said he will take calls from constituents and has never turned a call down. Smith can be reached at (770) 869-7344 or (770) 356-7749.
Roy Hall
Hall said he has lived in Lula for eight years, and had lived in Forsyth County for about 10 years prior. He is a retired commercial residential development business owner.
Hall said he routinely attends Lula City Council meetings but did not have any interest in running for office until recently.
"I just felt a nudging ... kind of a divine inspiration is the only way I know to explain it ... and so that's kind of what got me to go ahead and go forward with it," Hall said.
This is Hall's first time seeking public office, but he said he got a taste of local politics during his time working in commercial development.
Hall said he believed managing growth is one of the city's biggest challenges in the coming years.
"The growth is coming, it's just by osmosis really," Hall said. "So the only thing that you can do is try to manage it as best as you can ... and try to make it where it's more palatable for the citizens."
Hall said his background with commercial development would be helpful in making decisions if he is elected to the position.
Anyone interested in speaking with Hall can contact him by email at [email protected] or by phone at (678) 630-9001.
