Lilburn Elections: Q&A With Council Candidates

The six candidates for Lilburn city council posts - two for Post 1 and four for Post 2 - in next week's elections responded to a set of questions from Lilburn-Mountain Park Patch. Here's what they had to say. Stay tuned for more in the days leading up to the Nov. 8 ballot.

Question: What is the biggest problem facing Lilburn?

Post 1 Candidate Teresa Czyz: The biggest problem facing Lilburn is our inability to maintain stability in business tax revenue. Moving to a “revenue based system” next year will help, but we need to build an infrastructure and create an environment that will attract the kind of businesses that want to make Lilburn their home.

Post 1 Candidate Thomas Wight: I see three areas that are the biggest problems. First, residential vacancy and foreclosed homes is a problem. Second, business vacancy is bad and has gotten worse. Everything the city is doing on Highway 29 is making it worse. The concrete strip down the middle limits ingress and egress into the businesses. I don’t want a high speed throughway; I want people to stop in Lilburn. Third, the schools are declining. Lilburn Middle and Elementary have gotten worse. Berkmar is going in the wrong directions. And Parkview’s test scores and dominance is declining.

This can all be solved by refocusing on quality of life issues. People move to Lilburn because of their quality of life, not based on where Wal-Mart is located. My family moved here because of the schools and our church. We need to focus on those things that attract people to move to Lilburn. We need to focus on the residents of Lilburn.

Post 2 Candidate Angel Alonso: The biggest problem facing Lilburn is that our elected officials and the ones who work for them run the town like it belongs to them. The back-door dealings have to stop.

Post 2 Candidate Scott Batterton: In the past three years we have cut our budget by about $800,000. However, revenue is still our biggest challenge. We need to generate it in a way that doesn't overtax residents or businesses. We do that by attracting new businesses and improving infrastructure to make Lilburn look better. My wife says that we are ideally placed because we can get to Lennox and Perimeter in 20 minutes. We need to get those people to come to Lilburn instead. I want to see us become a self-sustaining economic powerhouse.

Post 2 Candidate Kay Bennett: We have a bad image. Everyone sees us as a town of bigoted people. When people drive down highway 29, I don’t think it looks great. We’re not attracting businesses like Suwannee, Duluth and Norcross are doing. We have lagged behind the other cities. We need to clean up the shopping centers on 29 by putting in quality businesses.

Post 2 Candidate Porter Deal: I believe the biggest challenge this city has is that government has lost the trust of its citizens. Lost trust is difficult to get back, but it can be done. Because I have not been jaded by holding public office, I believe Lilburn's residents can put their trust in me. Moreover, I am committed to making our city government more open and transparent while remaining responsive to the needs of our citizens.

Question: What is the priority in Lilburn’s tax dollar use?

Post 1 Candidate Teresa Czyz: The priority in tax dollar use should be for city operations, primarily focused on public safety for residents and businesses in the city. The effectiveness and responsiveness of the Lilburn Police Department is a crucial selling point to businesses and individuals who are thinking about locating here. SPLOST money should be spent on improving the roads, sidewalks and other pieces of infrastructure to accommodate business and residential growth.

Post 1 Candidate Thomas Wight: First, our taxes are too high. The city is making it hard for small businesses like me to operate with their new tax structure. With the new taxes I will be taxed 51 percent of my revenues. I will repeal any taxes based on revenue. We can look at other ways of taxing to benefit small businesses and people. For example, the federal tax business code had a category for every business and the tax rate. The work is done, it is easy to use and enforce. I want to promote growth and entrepreneurship.

But I also plan to lobby Gwinnett County to get funds to create transportation infrastructure. I plan to lobby the county about our schools and ask why the best teachers are either being pulled away or leaving our schools.

Post 2 Candidate Angel Alonso: Lilburn’s tax dollars should be spent wisely and not to line developers’ pockets. Public safety and quality of life have to come first.

Post 2 Candidate Kay Bennett: I think traffic is the main thing. I like the Main street realignment project. Anything to help traffic is a positive thing. I know it is difficult to notice Main Street when you’re driving down 29, especially with the horrible traffic at rush hour. Building of sidewalks is important. Getting new and quality businesses into our city is also a priority. And I want to make Lilburn look nice again.

Post 2 Candidate Scott Batterton: Security of our citizens is the main priority. We also need to continue to provide parks, planning and zoning, and infrastructure. Like the Main Street realignment project.

Post 2 Candidate Porter Deal: A few months ago I’d told you it was business development, but after talking to so many people that seem to be concerned about our police force this may be the number one priority now. That doesn't mean we don’t need business growth, because we do, but seems to me that the people have spoken on this and some attention needs to given to this issue.

To read a previous Q&A with council candidates on Lilburn-Mountain Park Patch,