Dawson County native Calvin Byrd confirmed Thursday he will seek a seat on the Dawsonville City Council.
Byrd, who will celebrate his 25th birthday on Friday, believes he will bring a new viewpoint to the council - “not necessarily a younger viewpoint, but a current approach,” he said.
The sixth generation Dawson County resident and president of KARE for Kids, a local non-profit that provides necessities for underprivileged children in the county, first began considering a run for city office over a year ago.
“Since I’ve been involved with KARE for Kids, I’ve realized how much I care for this community,” he said.
Byrd said he would like to see the city continue to prosper by adding additional sidewalks, possibly another park for its residents to enjoy and further upkeep and improvements to the historic district.
“I feel like the future is very bright for the city of Dawsonville, if the growth is guided in the proper direction,” he said.
Byrd said he’s received tremendous encouragement to run over the last few months by residents from both the city and the county.
“It’s been such an honor that they believe in me. I’ve been thinking and praying about this for a while, and I look forward to meeting the citizens of Dawsonville in the upcoming months,” he said.
Byrd is a member of Bethel United Methodist Church and currently serves on the executive boards of the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce, Family Connection and Hall-Dawson CASA.
The council seats currently filled by Linda Grant and Jonathan Cox expire Dec. 31. Both say they play to run for second terms.
Also announcing an intention to toss his hat in the race is former city councilman Frank Craft, who served four years on the council before being elected to the Dawson County Board of Commissioners in 2004.
Craft resigned his commission seat in mid-2007 to run for mayor of Dawsonville. His campaign was not successful against Joe Lane Cox.
Qualifying for the Nov. 3 city election will be held Aug. 31 - Sept. 4.
E-mail Michele Hester at michele@dawsonnews.com.