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BARROW NEWS-JOURNAL
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023
Candidate questionnaires
Bethlehem Town Council
Sharon Johnson
Sharon Johnson
1. What specific experience or
skills do you bring to the role of may-
or/council member?
First, I would like to thank you for
giving me the opportunity to answer
these questions so voters will know a
little more about me and where I stand
on these issues.
Two main things in my life have
equipped me with experiences and
skills to help me excel as a council
member. For more than 15 years, I have
sat on the board for Barnabas Minis
tries and held the position of secretary.
This ministry ministers to the incar
cerated in Gwinnett County. This has
taught me how board meetings and
council meetings are to be conducted
and how to run the ministry on a tight
budget. Also, I am a retired Registered
Nurse from Emory University Hospital
where I worked ICU and special pro
cedures. Working in the prison and the
hospital has given me experience in
working with people from all walks of
life and from all over the world. Both
have helped to fine tune my communi
cation skills and fill that desire within
me to help others.
2. What do you see the biggest is
sues facing Bethlehem, and how do
you plan to address them if elected?
If elected to Bethlehem’s city coun
cil, I will bring to the table concerns
the citizens have brought to my atten
tion when speaking to them in their
home. These are issues that they have
expressed in the past but nothing has
been done. Some of those concerns are
roads that are not marked with a road
sign, road water runoff that floods their
property, drains that have not been
cleaned out, edges of roads that need
repair, restrooms at the park, festivals
where the community can come togeth
er, and better Christmas decorating.
3. Are there specific areas of the
budget where you believe resources
should be increased or decreased?
I would vote for the City of Bethle
hem to designate money that is avail
able in the bank to address the issues
listed above. Each of these issues
would benefit the entire community not
just one household.
4. How would you promote eco
nomic development?
To promote economic development, I
would like to see a larger library where
we encourage children to come once or
twice a week and have citizens volun
teer to read to them. Once a quarter or
every six months get volunteers, includ
ing council members, to go around the
city and help our seniors that could use
a helping hand around their home. This
could also help the aesthetic quality of
our town. We also need new businesses
placed on the commercial properties in
the city that will bring jobs and at the
same time benefit those that live here.
Last but not least, it would benefit the
city to have a city marshal that can help
with code and law enforcement.
5. How do you plan to maintain
ethical conduct and accountability in
your role as mayor/council member?
You ask me how I plan to maintain
ethical conduct and accountability as
a council member. Ethical conduct is
based on the principles of honesty, in
tegrity, fairness, and good-faith. First
and foremost, I am a Christian that de
sires to please God in what I say and
do. I consider myself to be one with
high moral standards. I am not perfect
but I strive to be. I know God’s Word
teaches me how I should live, which in
cludes the principles just listed.
For almost two years now, I have
been addressing these principles with
Bethlehem City Council. We should
not be picking and choosing who we
confront with code violations. We also
do not need to be using the city’s mon
ey or equipment to help out a friend or
one holding a position. This is not the
good old boy system. We need to be
fair. We need to make sure we are abid
ing by the laws set before us.
If I am elected, I will strive to make
Bethlehem a better place for us all. A
place we can call a quaint little town
under the star. So, citizens of Bethle
hem, remember on November 7th to
vote Sharon Johnson for city council.
Scott Morgan
Scott Morgan
1. What specific experience or
skills do you bring to the role of may
or/council member?
In my sixteen (16) years on the
Council, Bethlehem has grown and
prospered. Not only has the Town’s in
frastructure been improved (new traf
fic signal and stormwater pipes), but
services have increased (Fire Station
under construction, Town Hall Library
and park/pavilion for public use) and
our roads have been well-maintained.
All residents continue to receive free,
weekly waste and recycling pick-up.
We have planted new trees, purchased
a park playground, equipment to main
tain the public rights-of-way and are
purchasing new Christmas lights and
decorations for the town. All this, and
with our conservative use of public
funds, the Town now has a total reserve
in excess of two million ($2,000,000)
dollars.
2. What do you see the biggest is
sues facing Bethlehem, and how do
you plan to address them if elected?
Sanitary sewer and roads are two of
the primary issues facing Bethlehem.
We must continue to work with Bar-
row County, to bring sanitary sewer
to the Town, in order to make further
development possible. We are working
with the State DOT, to facilitate the SR
316/11 intersection improvements, in
creasing public safety. We must contin
ue to use LMIG monies, and support
TSPLOST efforts, in order to have
Mayor of Bethlehem
Sandy McNabb
Sandy McNabb
1. What specific experience or
skills do you bring to the role of
mayor/council member?
I have served 24 years on the city
council and 16 years as Mayor.
2. What do you see the biggest is
sues facing Bethlehem, and how do
you plan to address them if elected?
Road paving is one of our major
maintenance issues and because it is so
expensive only small portions can be
done at a time. Growth is going to be
come more prevalent in our town, but
not having sewer is a problem for com
mercial growth.
3. Are there specific areas of the
budget where you believe resources
should be increased or decreased?
Each year we end up with a surplus
in our budget which could go towards
our bigger projects like paving and
stormwater issues. We are using our
rescue funds to upgrade our Christmas
decorations and add items into the R.
Harold Harrison playground.
4. How would you promote eco
nomic development?
We just participated in the county’s
full-service rebranding through a mar
keting company and acquired a new
logo which we implemented into our
website and letterheads, etc.
5. How do you plan to maintain
ethical conduct and accountability in
your role as mayor/council member?
Our meetings are always open and
recorded. I welcome any questions as
do my council members by phone or
email or even an in-person meeting.
the funds available, to keeps our local
roads properly maintained, as traffic
throughout the Town continues to in
crease.
3. Are there specific areas of the
budget where you believe resources
should be increased or decreased?
We have increased salary and wag
es, to provide raises for town employ
ees. We have allocated additional road
funding, as the cost of road mainte
nance continues to increase. We have
increased our solid waste funding, to
offset higher landfill prices. We have
increased our capital outlay, to pay for
renovation of town buildings. We have
reduced accounting resources, because
our audit certification has been updat
ed. We have decreased tree mainte
nance funding, because this program
demand has been reduced.
4. How would you promote eco
nomic development?
The Council has worked with Bar-
row County and a private company in
a branding and marketing campaign, to
also improve the image and attractive
ness of Bethlehem, resulting in a new
Town logo. As I mentioned previous
ly, providing all utilities throughout
the Town is also essential in attracting
quality development.
5. How do you plan to maintain
ethical conduct and accountability in
your role as mayor/council member?
I have always acted in the best in
terest of the Town, been transparent,
followed the rules and told the truth.
My opponent Sharon Johnson, has
not. She has no interest in the better
ment of Bethlehem, her campaign is
solely based upon a personal vendet
ta against me. She continues to make
false and defamatory statements about
me and my family. In my opinion, she
has no respect for the rules or law and,
if elected, this is the mindset she will
bring to the Council.
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