Q&A With the Council Candidates, Part 4

This is the last in a series of Q&As with Lilburn city council candidates ahead of Tuesday's elections.

There are six candidates for two city council posts -- two for Post 1 and four for Post 2. The answers are presented in alphabetical order and by post.

Question: What is your vision for Lilburn in the next five years?

Post 1 Candidate Teresa Czyz: My vision for Lilburn came to light as I spoke with people in the city. There are a lot of opportunities to do some unique things in our small town. I see a business community that is vibrant and bustling, with restaurants, shops, offices, industry and corporations. I see a park system that offers a variety of activities and events, which will bring people to Lilburn. I see entertainment venues that cater to our residents, from the young to old. I see a small town with the amenities and activities of a big city, without the problems of a big city.

Post 1 Candidate Thomas Wight: I want to see win another football championship. I am joking. But I’m also serious. I want 2015 Parkview to look more like 2005 Parkview. I want to look like 2005 Parkview. I want our private schools like Providence and Killian Hill Christian recognized and built up. The city needs to be focused on quality-of-life issues. We don’t control the schools or a lot of the funds, so we need to be lobbying Gwinnett County to make Lilburn a great place to live.

Post 2 Candidate Angel Alonso: I want Lilburn to regain the home town feeling. We have to attract good businesses that will stay here, and not just pawn shops and check-cashing places. We have to make sure that we don’t waste all of the good things that Lilburn has to offer.

Post 2 Candidate (incumbent) Scott Batterton: I want it to remain a safe community while making it an economic engine for south Gwinnett. We need to bring in retail and restaurant business. We need projects like the big league dreams, anything to get people to spend money here as long as it is legal and moral. I don't like the pawn or title stores, but the only way to force them is by making the neighborhood upscale.

Post 2 Candidate Kay Bennett: I want to see a cleaner city. Where people come in and they don’t see empty shopping centers. That’s not good for our community. Like the shopping center on Highway 29 where Chick-fil-A is, it looks hideous. And when the carnival is in the parking lot there is trash and water running all over. It doesn’t look nice. We need to clean up Lilburn.

Post 2 Candidate Porter Deal: I see Lilburn continuing to thrive. I’d like to see us focus on attracting a diverse mix of restaurants, retail, and office/general business development to the area, both to increase near-home employment for our residents and to make our community a more livable area that allows residents to live, work, and relax in their hometown. I see us growing steadily, but in a planned and controlled manner that takes into account issues like traffic, public safety, and the involvement of all our residents rather than a select few.

Question: How do you plan to improve Lilburn’s community involvement? 

Post 1 Candidate Teresa Czyz: In order to improve community involvement you have to begin with the fundamental basic, which is communication. First, I plan to produce a quarterly newsletter to keep everyone informed about what’s going on in our government. Second, I plan to hold meetings where you can share concerns, ideas, and opinions. This will create an opportunity for residents to meet one another and talk. Finally, I understand that a basic human need is to feel safe and secure. I would use this common thread to work with SafetySmart Lilburn to unite our community by using communication to educate the public about safety and the benefits of neighborhood watches.

Post 1 Candidate Thomas Wight: It starts with leadership. We need a city manager and city council actively lobbying the schools and the Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce. They need to get with the CID, the Woman’s Club, and the School PTA. If they can’t answer a question about what is going on, then maybe we need to find new people who can. We need to be part of the discussion because right now the Lilburn City Council is not part of the discussion. Residents will then realize the importance of the city and how much the city can impact their lives. They need to see us as a positive influence. Right now the Lilburn government is seen as a negative influence.

Post 2 Candidate Angel Alonso:  We need more opportunities for people to get together in the park like they have in Norcross. They have events there just about every week where the community can gather. We need to be friends again. We’re in old town Lilburn and we want a place to listen to music, to drink some hot chocolate, and to be with our neighbors. We need to have more people to have the opportunity to be involved in helping to run our town.

Post 2 Candidate Scott Batterton: I actually think people are more engaged now than ever. is an excellent example of that. We continue to do a lot in the city to keep people informed with newsletters and emails that we send out. The city staff is extremely diligent in taking calls and meeting anytime people want. We have the best staff we have ever had. And I listen to people who come into my office with a beef.

Post 2 Candidate Kay Bennett: I think we already have good community involvement. The Lilburn’s Woman’s Club is active in the schools like Lilburn Elementary, Lilburn Middle, and Arcado. There is a lot of volunteering. I think we just need to ask people to volunteer. Once we ask, they say, ‘hey we can do that.’ Lilburn City government and the Woman’s club help host events for everyone to come out. I was surprised by the number of people who came to National Night Out. We also have movie nights in the park. So I think we have plenty of people who volunteer in our community.

Post 2 Candidate Porter Deal: By making our city government more transparent, I definitely believe more of our citizens will be enticed to get involved. The workings of city government should not be a mystery to its taxpayers. I want people to know what’s going on inside City Hall. We will conduct meetings openly and with community notification. I will be available to Lilburn residents to hear their concerns, listen to their needs, and to work with them to address problems as they arise.

To read more Q&As with council candidates, see these articles:



To read Q&As with the mayoral candidates: