If ever there was a career where it’s important to learn the proverbial ropes, it’s politics. Georgia’s Cities checked in with four legislators-turned-mayors (and vice versa) to find out what’s worked for them, what they wish they’d known before and how experience in previous government roles helped them along the way.
Prior to his election as a state legislator, Rep. J. Collins (JC) (R - Villa Rica) spent four terms as the mayor of Villa Rica, where he guided the area through a significant population boom (5,000 to 14,000).
Mayor Tom Dickson (TD) serves Varnell, a small but spirited city in North Georgia. He spent 12 years as the area representative for the Georgia House, where he chaired the Education Appropriations Committee and served on many others.
Rep. Susan Holmes (SH) (R – Monticello) spent 12 years behind the mayor’s desk serving the city of Monticello before moving to the Georgia General Assembly. She is vice chairman of the committee on Agriculture & Consumer Affairs and holds leadership positions on several other committees.
Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul (RP) is a triple-threat of political experience, with four decades spent in local, state and federal positions. Currently in his second term as mayor, Paul also served as Chairman of the Georgia Republican Party, a state senator and assistant secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations for the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
GC: How has your previous role in office informed your decisions in your current role?
JC: As a former mayor, I think it’s most important to remember that while you’re a state legislator you certainly don’t want to dabble too much into the affairs of local government. I was always an advocate of local control, and state legislators should never step over the bounds and impede upon it.
RP: Having previously served at all three levels of government, I’ve been able to combine that experience. Knowing how our tapestry of government is interrelated has helped me understand how to access resources at all levels to our city’s advantage.
GC: What do you wish you knew before taking your current position?
TD: While in the legislature, I knew a lot of legislators who were mayors or councilmembers or county commissioners before. I just did it backwards. Sometimes they would say, “You need to know more about what cities do to make wise decisions in the legislature,” but I can say the same thing works both ways. You learn as you go.
RP: How much social media has changed not only how government officials relate to and communicate with their constituents, but how it amplifies the echo chamber that exists in every community. We must rely on and monitor communications channels that include not only the news media, but dozens—maybe hundreds—of apps, social media outlets, emails, blogs and neighborhood websites. This changed environment requires local officials to stay more vigilant about the information (accurate, inaccurate or sometimes misleading) that our constituents are receiving. It requires us to respond faster than ever.
GC: What are some practical ways that public officials can better nurture relationships and a culture of respect while in office?
JC: If you’re an elected official, you have to be accessible and responsive to the people that you’re serving. Also, be involved in other aspects of your community than politics. If you spend time with your constituents and know the issues, you will earn the respect of your peers and your people. Most importantly, do what you say and say what you do. That’s #1 in my book.
TD: I think personal contact, there’s no substitute for it. I’ve always known that when I go to the grocery store, I’m fair game, and I think you’ve got to go into that looking forward to it instead of dreading it.
GC: What advice would you give to your colleagues at the State Capitol when it comes to engaging and legislating on city issues?
SH: Get to know the GMA legislative team and learn the pros and cons of pending legislation. Stay in close touch with mayors and councilmembers. Be accessible. Ask their advice. Make sure they are aware of current bills that affect municipalities. Even though you may not always agree, let them know how you intend to vote.
JC: The main thing I really enjoyed about local government was that the issues were non-partisan, and as a result, we were able to achieve more. I encourage everyone to look at those issues that are facing cities through a non-partisan lens.
GC: What advice would you give city officials about engaging with legislators and participating in the legislative process?
RP: We share the same constituents, but we each have specific, distinct responsibilities. First, educate yourself on the issues that impinge on your ability to fulfill your specific responsibilities. Second, recognize that legislators confront hundreds of legislative issues over their 40-day legislative session. Understanding all the nuances of this range of issues is very difficult, so making your concerns as easy to understand is very helpful. Third, don’t wait until the session begins to launch your conversations with your legislators—start early. Finally, stay alert to the evolving legislative dynamic and be proactive in calling, emailing and meeting with legislators as issues emerge. Bills move quickly, so you can’t delay your involvement or assume someone else will make the call.
GC: How has your experience as a state legislator informed your current role on GMA’s Legislative Policy Council (LPC)?
RP: I understand the unique circumstances that legislators face. Also, if there is an issue that concerns them, they have only one tool to address it: a bill, a law. It’s an imperfect tool for solving most problems, so I look for ways to address their concerns that are less intrusive, more effective and mutually satisfying.
TD: Knowing how the legislative process works encourages patience as opposed to panic. That’s a little extreme, but it’s true. The LPC gives the folks at GMA some real strength when they go into talks, because they have an entire group of city leaders to back them up and explain how a particular policy or bill will affect cities specifically.
This article appears in the January/February 2020 edition of
Georgia’s Cities Magazine.