Sandy Springs mayoral candidates face off at local panel

As Sandy Springs inches closer to the November elections,  the four candidates for mayor hashed out their platforms at a Sept. 15 “meet and greet” for Grogan’s Bluff and Huntcliff residents at Elevate Church. 

It’s a competitive race. Sandy Springs will turn 20 in December, and the next mayor could mark a shift in local politics. Mayor Rusty Paul is the second-ever mayor in Sandy Springs’ history; he succeeded the founding mayor, Eva Galambos, in 2013. He’s held office ever since. 

But when he announced a run for his fourth term as mayor, two sitting council members decided to challenge Paul. Jody Reichel and Andy Bauman both say it’s a tie for new leadership that can spur development and school improvements.

Dontaye Carter also rejoined the field after he ran against Paul in 2021. He wants more diverse voices at the table to reflect the growing city. 
They all came together at the Sept. 15 event. Resident Gary Alexander moderated the 90-minute panel, where each hopeful laid out their goals for the city’s top office. 

“This year, the city turns 20 years old, and we’re at an inflection point,” Bauman said. “What I’ve heard from all of you is that the status quo is just not good enough.” 

The candidates were passionate about their platforms, so much that most of the night involved the panelists responding to each other’s comments instead of taking questions. They interrupted each other, had off-mic conversations and faced off with veiled mentions of the other hopefuls.

But all four candidates honed in on a few major issues facing Sandy Springs as it marks two decades of cityhood: The future of the city development, school systems, housing and the environment. 

Some candidates had particular platforms. Reichel wants to create a Sandy Springs School District. The sitting councilmember said she led the effort to create North Springs High School, but she wants Sandy Springs to create its own district entirely. 

“I believe it is both possible and necessary,” Reichel said. 

She mentioned the Fulton County school board’s February vote to close Spalding Drive Elementary, a controversial move in the community. A group of parents has since pushed to buy the property and turn it into a charter school. 

Mayor Rusty Paul said charter schools are an immediate solution, instead of the “pipe dream” of creating a school district – he said the Georgia Constitution would have to be rewritten, but Reichel said an attorney found otherwise.

But schools weren’t the only flashpoint. Housing and development dominated the conversation. Councilmembers Jody Reichel and Andy Bauman both pointed fingers at Mayor Rusty Paul for a lack of development, especially on the North end. 

Bauman and Reichel railed against the “thousands of apartments” that had been built under Paul’s tenure. Reichel said she wants to tear at least one of the partially vacant developments down. Both pushed for more owner-occupied housing. 

“We can make the North end the talk of the town, and we can start by paying attention to it,” Bauman said. 

“A healthy city has a mix of renters and homeowners, families and seniors,” Reichel said. “Right now, too much of our land is tied up in complexes that need to be redeveloped into owner-occupied homes, mixed-use communities, and places where families and seniors can put down roots.”

Meanwhile, candidate Dontaye Carter wants to create a Housing Advisory Committee to bring in more local voices.

Bauman said he’s committed to long-term investment in the area, and wants to bring things like the Sandy Springs Farmer’s Market he began to that part of town. He said the North end requires “experience,” and his real estate background helps with that. 

Candidate Dontaye Carter also said the mayor needs to engage the North End, but the people in the area need to be given a seat at the table. 
“What slowed down developing the North End is the people that need to be in the room, helping us to guide these conversations, aren’t there,” Carter said. 

The candidate said he would look to Fulton County partnerships to make sure tax dollars are going to projects like demolition for vacant apartments. Carter said the city is “multi-layered,” but he wants to do a better job of having open conversations.

Mayor Rusty Paul acknowledged the issues with the North End, but he said “this is a great place to live.” Still, Paul said the city needs more restaurants and development– he wants to create a special tax district to “kick start” things. 

He also pointed out that the two councilmembers, Bauman and Reichel, were local officials during the development (or lack thereof) they have criticized. Carter agreed. 

“They bear responsibility for the things that have and have not happened,” Paul said. 

Reichel said she hasn’t gotten a lot done because she didn’t have support from Paul. Bauman said the mayor sets vision and drives investment, and as a councilmember, he didn’t have the same level of power. He said a mayor should accept responsibility for the city. 

“I’ve been proud to serve with Rusty for the past 12 years, but we need to move on, it’s time to move on,” Bauman said.

The four candidates will face off in the Nov. 4 elections, along with a packed roster of local elections in and around Atlanta.