The City of Dawsonville has three seats to be filled this November mayor and two city council positions.
Qualifying to run for office takes place Monday-Friday, Aug. 31-Sept. 4, at the Dawson County Board of Elections, located at 96 Academy Ave., Dawsonville.
Fees to run for mayor are $781 and council seats are $180 each. Fees are based on 3 percent of the positions salary.
Candidates interested in running for office must reside inside city limits, be a resident of the city for at least one year, be 18-years-old or older, and able to pay the one-time fee.
Mayor James Grogan and council members Jason Power and Caleb Phillips each plan to run for re-election.
Grogan, 73, is seeking a second four-year term in office.
Im running for re-election because there are things Ive started that I would like to see through to completion, he said.
Two of those items are revitalizing the downtown area, which has been talked about for two years, and moving power lines from the square.
The revitalization project has been an arduous task, Grogan said. Weve applied for grants but havent gotten any.
The city is expected to receive nearly $10 million in SPLOST 6 (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) money during the next six years.
We have money in our SPLOST to do some of that, too, he said.
Other projects include building an 18-acre park behind city hall, and paying off a $2 million debt on the city hall building.
Grogan said his accomplishments since taking office include acquiring land for the park, adding sidewalks and a right-turn lane in front of Old Towne Pizza. He also pointed out 33 new residential building permits for the city.
Power, 32, also seeks a second term. First elected in 2011, the freshman council member said hes excited about the citys future.
Im definitely running, Power said. I want to follow through on some of the great things weve got started. Weve got a park to build and several other projects that are going to be coming in the very near future. It has been a pleasure for me to serve the city. Ive gotten to know a lot people and have been able to help a lot of them.
Phillips, 29, was the only person to qualify for city council during a March special election to fill the seat vacated by former council member Chris Gaines. Gaines resigned immediately following a vote that denied his request to have residential property annexed into the city.
Phillips was sworn in to office in April and plans to run for the open seat.
My biggest thing is sidewalks, streets and landscaping, he said. And we need extra parking in the city, especially during the Moonshine Festival. I enjoy serving on city council. Thats why I do it. I like being a part of what happens.
Phillips built a home on Howser Mill Road four years ago, he said.
Were glad to live here and call it home.
City council members serve four year terms.