Milton Beacon Chimes In On District 2 Race

AREA COUNCIL RACE SPARK DEBATE IN NORTH FULTON.

From The Milton Beacon

By John Fredericks / Staff Editor's note: The Beacon does not endorse political candidates nor does it take advocacy positions on local issues. The following article is a subjective analysis of the November municipal elections in the cities the Beacon covers.

In the 1968 U.S. presidential election, independent candidate and Alabama Governor George C.Wallace justified his long-shot bid for the White House by using the now infamous catch phrase, "there ain't a dime's worth of difference" between the other two candidates, Republican Richard Nixon and Democrat Hubert Humphrey. Not so in this election.

Area voters have very stark choices in deciding who is in and who is out.

All races are elected at large (all residents of each city elect each candidate).

Here is a candid assessment of the races, the candidates and the politics behind each campaign.

Milton

There are three City Council seats open and each incumbent is running for re-election after having served less than one year. The elections were staggered to bring Milton into compliance with Georgia law regarding municipal election cycles.

Under normal circumstances in a new city with a newly formulated charter and a new government, one would think even first-year incumbents would be a shoo-in for re-election. It's only been a year; give them a fighting chance, right?

Not so in Milton. These are not normal times and not normal circumstances. The first year of the city government's existence might be described by some as chaotic at best and a calamity at worst.

Unfortunately for the incumbents, many of their successes, like getting both their police and fire departments fully staffed and operational in their first year as a functioning government,are overshadowed by the three primary gaffes that have plagued the city of Milton in their first year. These include Mayor Joe Lockwood's losing battle with Georgia State Representative Jan Jones over changes she made to the city charter that resulted in a messy ethics charge levied against him by several of his Council opponents, the city manager's failure to file the necessary paperwork on time that has at least temporarily cost the city over $850,000 in lost state funding(the city manager has since resigned) and the awkward-looking decision by City Council to engage in private team building exercises with an industrial psychologist.

Milton District Two

JULIE ZAHNER-BAILEY (INCUMBENT)VS. ROGER SANTI

Julie Zahner-Bailey, a twelve-year, vociferous and tireless community advocate with an astonishing record of success at the community activist level may have had a difficult time transitioning that record of accomplishment to a functioning city government.

Capturing just over 50 percent of the popular vote in her maiden quest for public office and besting two other candidates just one year ago, Zahner-Bailey garnered nearly 3,600 votes and was the leading vote getter among Council candidates on Election Day. She won outright and avoided a run-off by drawing a plurality of just under 51 percent.

A year later she is facing a very stiff challenge from a formidable candidate who she handily defeated last time, CPA and Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) appointee Roger Santi. Zahner-Bailey is in for the race of her life.What gives?

Zahner-Bailey is intense, focused and very passionate about her mission as it relates to the City of Milton. "I have consistently dedicated the last four years to the city of Milton and my experience and leadership are key factors in my ability to bring good stewardship to our new city."

The incumbent is a former corporate finance executive with Citibank and Equifax and is currently substitute teaching in Fulton County while she raises her family. Zahner-Bailey added, "I am supported by a broad base of listeners.Mayor Lockwood supports my efforts in Council." Regarding the campaign, Zahner-Bailey said, "I am continuing to work on Council and I fully focused on the issues facing our city. I will not let this campaign deter my efforts or distract me. I am truly humbled by the support and encouragement I continue to receive from the community I serve."

She defined her re-election effort this way, "My campaign is about stewardship. In one year we have got the city up and running, created a fully functioning public safety department and created and passed a balanced budget."

When asked about the missing $850,000, Zahner-Bailey skirted direct accountability and said, "Our governing charter clearly defines our role in issues such as these and this was the sole responsibility of our city manager. We have a strong city manager form of government in Milton and this was not something council should have been involved in, according to our governing charter."

The candidate would not disclose the amount of money her campaign has raised to date nor would she offer up a fundraising goal.

She depicted her two-time opponent this way: "He serves up rhetoric." "The real issue in this campaign is the risks we face. The risks of over-development, of special interests and of downgrading our quality of life are key issues facing our future.My mandate remains clear.My pledge to the citizens of Milton is to govern with consistent application of our land use plan and to restrict sewage facility growth."

Zahner-Bailey summed up the race this way, "What drives me is that we all have a common mission, which is to build a great city of Milton.We are at a critical point in our city's future and my pledge to protect our quality of life while finding long-term solutions for easing traffic and building more parks and recreation facilities for our residents are key factors in my relationship with our community."

Roger Santi ran against Zahner-Bailey last go around and got 1,000 votes to her 3,600. Gordon Hunter came in second with about 2,500. Gordon Hunter is now supporting Santi and has taken a position in his campaign organization.

Santi is a CPA with his own practice. He was appointed to the Atlanta Regional Commission district 12 by Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel and has served two years of a four-year term.

Santi says his name recognition is increasing steadily and he plans to campaign vigorously to defeat the incumbent. He partially blames her for the missing $850,000 and said, "While my opponent was focused on getting a salary increase for city council members the deadline came and went with no oversight. If I were there I would have pulled out all the key dates in the documents and made sure I had followed up on their implementation."

Santi also classified Zahner-Bailey as a "divisive force" inside City Council and said, "My opponent is the primary reason the Council's meetings go on until 2 a.m. She does most of the talking and attempts to wear everyone down to get her way. This approach may have served her community activist agenda well but it is [anathema] to building consensus and running a city government."

Referring to Zahner-Bailey as the "town bully," Santi pledged to bring order and process to the Council. "I am a unifying force that will bring different views and factions together to get the best solutions for our city." He cited his divorce mediation experience as his baseline for promising to do that.

Santi also outlined his financial analysis experience and said,"My financial knowledge will be a very important asset to making sure we have the appropriate fiduciary oversight as well as maximizing our ability to secure all available grants and funding. The challenger listed two of his key supporters as U.S. House Representative John Linder (R-GA/ 7th D) and Fulton County Commissioner Lynne Riley. "My support from the business community is very deep. Zahner-Bailey is the automatic "no" vote on most zoning requests. She wants to keep Milton just like it is now forever and simply ignore growth and progress. This is a short-sighted and simply not feasible. There has to be a responsible balance between controlled growth and resident quality of life." Santi concluded, "Many people in the business community are afraid of Julie Zahner-Bailey."

The Santi campaign has "so far raised several thousand dollars," said the candidate. "We anticipate raising $50-$60,000 and we are prepared to do what it takes to win this seat. The stakes are high and many of our supporters are very motivated to end her tenure." "I will knock on every door and talk to as many people as I can. We need a change."

ANALYSIS

This race has all the makings of an old fashioned humdinger with a knock down drag out atmosphere. This is the classic confrontation of business vs. community activism as it pitsthe longstanding public advocate against the upstart businessman and entrepreneur. Both of these candidates have intensity, both have an inspired base and both are very tough street fighters. Both are also highly intelligent and equally passionate in their beliefs. Zahner-Bailey has a huge edge in ground troops (volunteers) and Santi will have a tremendous advantage in funding.

This race is as much a referendum on Zahner-Bailey as it is about Santi.

HOW EACH CAN WIN

Zahner-Bailey needs to get her entire contingent of supporters out on Election Day. She will need 3,000 votes to win again. This is a tall order in an off year. However, this candidate is not to be under-estimated as she is a relentless campaigner and a tireless worker.

If and when Santi goes negative, Zahner-Bailey has to stay off the defensive. If she doesn't, Santi will gain the initiative.

Santi is for real. He has one losing campaign under his belt where he got his clock cleaned and he has learned from that first foray. Santi must raise all of $50,000 and use every penny of it to get his name recognition to an acceptable level and to continue to highlight his differences with his opponent.

The Santi campaign has a lot of negative fodder to toss out on Zahner-Bailey and they can't be shy about using it. It appears they aren't. His supporters want her out as much as they want him in. He has to get the business community out in droves as he paints her as an obstacle to progress and growth. He must inspire new voters who did not participate in 2006 to come out this time and punch his ticket.

CURRENT ASSESSMENT

Zahner-Bailey is vulnerable on the issue of the dysfunction within the Milton City Council. Although she is the incumbent and has a 12-year track record of selfless community service, she is the underdog in this race.

Santi will likely take this seat.