Having the pleasure of serving on the Dunwoody City Council for the last 11 years has given me the unique experience of witnessing a behind the scenes view on those currently running for Mayor as well as opportunities to work closely with the various leaders in the community willing to run for the vacant city council positions. With this election the dynamics of the council will shift, elections have consequences and leadership matters. Vote wisely.
Every Dunwoody citizen will be able to vote for the
city-wide elected seats as well as vote on an
ethics referendum, which may sound positive on the surface but is really a
wolf in sheep's clothing, therefore,
I am recommending that you vote no. Finally, the polls are already open for early voting at the Dunwoody Library, Monday - Friday from 8:00 to 5:30 so skip the lines on November 5th and vote at your convenience at the library prior to November 1st.
Lynn Deutsch for Mayor of Dunwoody
I have been a huge fan of Lynn Deutsch for many years, going back to her service working with the DeKalb School System. In 2009, when staffing the first Planning Commission, which is the committee that sees all zoning applications prior to their arrival to the City Council. I nominated Lynn to be my Planning Commissioner as she was the most qualified and dedicated person I could find as she has bachelor's degrees in government and journalism as well as a master's degree in City Planning from Georgia Tech.
Eight years ago, when Lynn decided to run for City Council,
I broke from my usually stoic stance of not endorsing any candidates in order to endorse her for City Council. At that time being responsible to assist in leading this city forward, I saw the need to recommend Lynn over her opponent and for just the second time in 11 years, I am again breaking from my shell to inform you that I believe Lynn Deutsch's vision of progressive change mirrors that of myself and that I along with Kristin will be voting for Lynn to be the next Mayor of Dunwoody.
Stacey Harris for City Council District 1
Kristin and I have known Stacey Harris for over 10 years - through kids' activities as well as involvement in numerous community organizations. Stacey and I have sat in countless meetings together both working to make a Dunwoody a better community. Whereas I have always been on the city council, Stacey has been involved with many volunteer boards, including her current position on the Zoning Board of Appeals. Her leadership with the Dunwoody Homeowners Association was instrumental in continuing great Dunwoody traditions such as Light Up Dunwoody and 4th of July parade, and she also collaborated with Red Bird Events and the city to begin Food Truck Thursdays.
We all have kids in Dunwoody schools, and we know Stacey will continue to advocate and collaborate with other groups to push for progress in our schools. As past President of the Dunwoody Homeowners Association, I also know Stacey has a common-sense approach to development in our city. We've seen her question land use attorneys and developers to ensure their plans are the best for the community.
Most importantly, we know Stacey is a leader in our community with a strong desire to actively contribute to making Dunwoody a better place to live and work. The main leadership qualities I see in Stacey after numerous meetings with her are her ability to collaborate with others, followed closely by her integrity, commitment and passion. Kristin and I have enjoyed a friendship with her and Jack for a decade and we look forward to working even closer together in the near future.
Heyward Wescott for City Council District 2
I have also known Heyward Wescott for over 10 years. I met him soon after I got on the Council and recognized he cared deeply about Dunwoody and cared how we were going to make our new city thrive. One of the reasons why I am supporting Heyward is that I have watched him be very engaged in our community for the past two decades. He served on his swim & tennis club board as President and helped them raise their renovated clubhouse.
Lemonade Days didn't have a dunk tank until Heyward came along. He thought it would be a great opportunity to raise funds for the Dunwoody Preservation Trust, and he convinced all of the Council to sit in the tank on a very cold spring day. The event raised over $3,000 to help the Dunwoody Preservation Trust. He has always wanted every organization in our community to thrive. Heyward is a leader in the business community and he cares about Dunwoody in many ways that I do. He is very approachable and helps starts community dialog on important issues that affect our community.
This summer I reached out to Heyward because we have a Dunwoody Police officer that lives in Dunwoody with his family. I thought it would be a neat idea if our swim clubs could discount their memberships for officers that live in our community. The next time I heard back from Heyward, he had presented the idea to the
Kingsley Racquet & Swim Club board. Not only did he take that idea and run with it, but they expanded on it too. They approved waving all initiation fees ($1,200) for all first responders and active military who live in the community. He also just recently help form the
Dunwoody Police Foundation.
In closing ...
Dunwoody is now over 10 years old, and we've seen a lot of community growth therefore our vision of Dunwoody needs to also expand with the needs of that community. We need continued stable leadership on the Council to help make our community the best place to live and raise a family.
Lynn Deutsch is our choice for Mayor, and Stacey & Heyward would be great additions to the City Council, therefore Kristin and I will be voting for this block to ensure that well thought out, sustainable, progressive change happens.
Thanks
John & Kristin Heneghan
Dunwoody North Subdivision
Early Voting Has Started!
Monday through Friday*
Dunwoody Library
8:00-5:30 PM
Through Nov 1st
