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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 Tucker City Council District 1, Post 1 candidate Roger Orlando. 

Dear Tucker Observer, 

I am writing this in support of Roger Orlando who is running for City Council, District 1, Post 1.

I have known Roger for about ten years and always enjoyed his approachability and interest in our community issues.  Despite his national reputation as a lawyer, he is a humble, welcoming person. You would never know you were in the presence of such a celebrity.

When I learned that Pat Soltys was finishing her term for this position and asked Roger to run I wasn’t surprised that she asked as much as he would do it.  Roger is doing this only to give back to a city he knows, loves and has been a part of.  He is not punching his card to enable further ambitions.  He does not need to give up his time and countless evenings to prove anything to anyone.  We could only wish more people like him would run for these positions of service.

Our city is a wonderful place to live and has seen real progress under the leadership of Frank Auman our mayor and the excellent existing team of professionals he has assembled.  The City of Tucker is on an excellent path into the future.  I would hope the voters appreciate this and take this opportunity to replace members of that team with the best available talent.

It is for this reason I want to applaud Roger Orlando for volunteering to be one of these team members.  Roger does not need to fill in his dance card proving he is eligible for some other opportunity in the future.  This election can’t be about some formula about what race or political orientation “representation” the person has.  Tucker is much more than a collection of perspectives.  What the candidates must be able to do is to understand those perspectives and to seek the collective best interests by listening to them and making informed, balanced, and sustainable choices.

Anyone building an organization and coping with the hard choices forced upon it knows that you want your management team to be the most competent and experienced it can be.  You want diverse and comprehensive skills and someone like Roger with his legal prowess will be extremely valuable as tough decisions and complex issues are encountered.  You want people who have been through it before.

We are so fortunate to have a person of this caliber willing and eager to serve for no other reason than to give back to our community.

Thanks for your consideration,

Joel Gilbert, Resident of District 1

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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