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The Tucker Observer invited all candidates running in the Nov. 2 municipal election to submit up to three letters on their behalf. One of the letters could be written by the candidate. Here are the letters in support of Clarkston City Council candidate Susan Hood. 

Dear Tucker Observer,

When Susan told me she was considering running for Clarkston city council I was delighted.

When she told me her signs were ready, I asked to be the first person to get one.

It’s always difficult getting quality people to stand for office and I have long felt Susan would do a fine job on our city council.

I have known Susan for quite a few years now. We started running into each other at city council meetings and having discussions about the state and future of the city. I was impressed with her intelligence and depth of knowledge, especially when it came to zoning, city planning and city organization.

While I was not on the Charter Review Committee, I did attend most of the meetings and was extremely impressed with Susan, who was co-chairperson, and how she organized and meticulously went over every detail of the old charter and covered if it should be kept as is or changed for the better. I got to see firsthand how knowledgeable, experienced, and organized she was.

Susan has shown years of dedication to the citizens of Clarkston and truly loves this city. She is a big fan of open government and has on more than one occasion used her own resources paying for Open Records Requests to make sure things were being conducted ethically.

On a personal note, Susan and I have become close friends in the past year. I have been battling cancer and Susan has driven me to and from dozens of radiation treatments, chemo treatments and checkups and one emergency room visit. I really don’t know what I would have done without her kindness and support, but that’s just the kind caring person she happens to be.

As I said, it’s hard to get people who are extremely qualified, intelligent, and kindhearted to run for public office. So, I am very pleased that someone of Susan’s caliber has decided to run.

And I am even happier to support her and vote for her.

– John Beck, Clarkston

 

Dear Tucker Observer, 

As a former Clarkston City Councilwoman and now the mayor of the most diverse city per square mile, I am honored to serve this wonderful community. I know the importance of being a servant leader and working with a city council with different backgrounds committed to creating a better Clarkston for all people.

Clarkston residents have the choice to select three Council members this November. You want to elect people who will listen to the community, make wise decisions for the entire city, and lead Clarkston with excellence.  That person in this election is Susan Hood.

Susan has a strong passion and commitment to educating our community. She co-created Save Clarkston’s Neighborhoods to help residents organize and hold developers accountable for zoning in the community’s best interest.  She taught residents about zoning and educated them on their homes’ zoning classification and the implication of future development.

Susan’s advocacy passion is only surpassed by her years of experience in land planning and usage, property acquisition process, and administrating multi-million budget for Dekalb County. Additionally, she has progressive leadership experience as the Former Assistant Director, Zoo Atlanta, Former Director of Special Projects, Visiting Nurse Health System, Former Assistant County Administrator for DeKalb County Parks and Greenspace, and a graduate of Leadership DeKalb. The skill sets obtained in the above positions allow Susan to lead and work with teams and analyze information. Susan has already managed a multi-million budget and made critical decisions that impact DeKalb County’s residents. As a result, she will be able to make the right policies and decisions for Clarkston.

Another excellent quality of Susan is her commitment to the environment and conservation of our scarce resources. She is a graduate of the Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership. For example, Susan expanded DeKalb County’s parkland and greenspace by over 1,000 acres. As Clarkston grows our available parks, maintains our existing nature preserves, and balances development while preserving our urban tree canopy, we need leaders like Susan to create policies to accomplish these goals.

It is my honor to support Susan Hood for Clarkston City Council and respectfully encourage you to vote for Susan Hood on November 2nd or in early voting.

– Beverly H. Burks, Mayor, Clarkston

 

Dear Tucker Observer, 

As a native of Clarkston and former city council member, I know what it takes to do the job and I see in Susan Hood all those qualities.  She is committed to making our city the best it can be and she will listen to all citizens.  She will use her knowledge and experience to solve problems and move our city forward.

Susan is on several key city boards and committees and has already had a positive impact on the city. She also devotes a lot of time helping residents organize, to understand their rights and how to make their voices heard by elected officials.

She is a champion for open government and the rights of citizens. She spoke up when residents weren’t notified about a large development proposed for their neighborhood.  (Her recommendation to begin requiring written notice by the city to near-by property owners in such cases was added to the city’s code.)  She organized a community forum on zoning and land use planning.  And she helped lead a successful citizen campaign to ensure that the city’s zoning code rewrite was done by a professional firm.

I am so glad Susan is running for city council.  I can’t think of anyone better for the job.

– Pat Davis Morris

More information about voting in the Nov. 2 election: 

Editor’s note: Decaturish and the Tucker Observer have published an Elections Guide, a 76-page e-edition featuring Q&As with nearly every candidate running in our communities. To see it, click here. This special e-edition features candidates running for public office in Decatur, Avondale Estates, Atlanta City Council District 5, Clarkston Tucker and Stone Mountain.  There is a PDF version of this, which you can see by clicking here, but due to the format of this e-edition, we strongly encourage you to use the e-reader version.

All elections coverage can be found at Decaturishvotes.com and Tuckerobservervotes.com.  

Election Day is Nov. 2. Early voting will begin on Oct. 12 and will end on Oct. 29. The voter registration deadline is Oct. 4. To register to vote, click here.

To see a list of important dates in the 2021 election year, click here.

Voters in DeKalb County are eligible to apply for an absentee ballot as of Aug. 16. 

To apply for an absentee ballot:

— Visit the Georgia Secretary of State website.

—  Complete the absentee ballot application using the state’s official paper form. Use black or blue ink only.

Applications can be mailed to the county elections office at this address: DeKalb County Election office, 4380 Memorial Drive, Decatur, GA 30032-1239.

Applications can also be submitted by fax, 404-298-4038, or email, [email protected].

Voters may send an absentee ballot request for multiple people who live in the same household in the same envelope or email.

If an absentee ballot is not mailed to you, call DeKalb Elections office, 404-298-4020. You may still vote in person, either early or on Election Day.

An absentee ballot application must be received by Oct. 22.

In accordance with SB202, a new voting bill signed by Gov. Brian Kemp in March, a copy of a voter’s ID is required to apply for an absentee ballot. A Georgia driver’s license, Georgia state ID, Georgia voter card, U.S. Passport, U.S. military ID, employee ID issued by any branch of the federal or state government, tribal ID, or a document verifying a voter’s name and address – including a paycheck, utility bill, or bank statement – are accepted forms of ID.

Early voting begins Oct. 12 and ends Oct. 29. The hours for early voting are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. There will also be weekend early voting on Oct. 16, 17, 23 and 24. Call your elections office for hours.

Beginning Oct. 12, you can participate in early voting at the following locations: 

– Bessie Branham Recreation Center (2051 Delano Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30317)

– Lynwood Recreation Center (3360 Osborne Road NE, Brookhaven, GA 30319)

– Berean Christian Church – Family Life Center (2197 Young Road, Stone Mountain, GA 30088)

– DeKalb Voter Registration & Elections Office (4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 300, Decatur, GA 30032)

– Tucker-Reid H. Cofer Library (5234 LaVista Road, Tucker, GA 30084)

– Stonecrest Library (3123 Klondike Road, Stonecrest, GA 30038)

– County Line-Ellenwood Library (4331 River Road, Ellenwood, GA 30294)

– Dunwoody Library (5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Road., Dunwoody, GA 30338)

For the most up-to-date and accurate information regarding early voting times and locations, visit Decaturishvotes.com and Tuckerobservervotes.com or call 404-298-4020.  

The Tucker Observer is a new community news website owned by Decaturish.com. We provide locally sourced news about Tucker, Clarkston and Stone Mountain.

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