Candidates outline how mayor, council and city manager should share responsibilities
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Summary
At the Hoschton forum, candidates described governance styles and the separation between policy-setting by elected officials and administration by the city manager. Several candidates emphasized listening and consensus-building; one candidate noted moving the city from a strong-mayor to a weak-mayor system in recent years.
Candidates at the Hoschton forum described their approaches to leadership, how they would bridge differences on council and how they view the role of the mayor versus the city manager.
Mayor Debbie Martin said the mayor-and-council set the policy "what" while the city manager handles the "how," arguing that elected leaders should "stay in their lane" while respecting the city manager’s role in executing council policy. "The city manager's job is to handle the day-to-day operations and execute the vision of the mayor and council," Martin said.
Several candidates emphasized listening and relationship-building as tools for consensus. "Tell them the truth. You don't withhold facts. ... Start there and build on that," said Shannon Sale, who also described himself as an organizer who pushed for the current city-manager (weak mayor) form of government and said that change provided continuity as the city grew. Other candidates said they prefer to let council members speak first so their own remarks do not unduly influence the debate; Debbie Martin said she typically listens first before speaking.
On work styles, Fredrea Sterling and others said listening and respecting differing opinions helps the council blend viewpoints and arrive at decisions. Candidates repeatedly framed the role of leadership as one of service and facilitation rather than micromanagement of department staff.
No governance changes were proposed or adopted at the forum; candidates laid out differing leadership philosophies and approaches voters can weigh ahead of the election.