United We Stand

On November 3, 2015, the citizens of Snellville voted overwhelmingly for a mayor, and city council members who campaigned on a platform of unity. Specifically, Mayor elect Tom Witts and council members elect Cristy Lenski, Roger Marmol and myself (an incumbent) are committed to eliminating divisiveness, both real and imagined, uniting our citizens, and serving their best interests. As our campaign material stated, we are “United for Snellville”, and are joined in that commitment by current Council members Barbara Bender and Bobby Howard.

Phrases incorporating reference to unity have been spoken in response to a wide range of issues ever since 1768, when John Dickinson, one of the founding fathers of the United States, wrote, “By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall!”. Although the dictionary definition of “unity” is relatively simple, its practical application is a somewhat more complex matter. As it applies to this City Council, the term refers to a unity of purpose, not a monolith of thought. Each member of the Council brings a unique panoply of perspective, experience and expectation. Each member sees himself or herself as a contributor, not an autocrat.

That aspect of the new Council’s working relationship became apparent during campaign season. Each candidate worked with the others, yet each also worked independently, not for individual benefit, but for the benefit of the entire group. That approach was largely a result of each candidate bringing a unique perspective to campaign strategy. The synergy of those perspectives resulted in the best possible outcome for each candidate, and for all candidates collectively. That same synergy will be applied to future Council decisions, resulting in the best outcomes for the city of Snellville.

Snellville has never had a brighter future.