Early voting started this week, and voters in Lula have their choice for the next mayor.
The incumbent mayor, Joe Thomas, is not seeking reelection. One of the candidates, local business owner Amanda Browning, actually spearheaded an effort in 2023 to remove Thomas from his seat.
“Whether it be a development or anything currently going on … I don’t see very much interaction with him,” Browning said. “I don’t feel the last mayor was taking it in the right direction.”
Browning, who has lived in Lula for 32 years, said she was a bookkeeper for 22 years for a multimillion dollar business and now runs Amanda’s Farm to Fork at the Tea Room, giving her a solid financial background to be the Mayor of Lula.
Bruce Lane is also running, and says he has lived in Lula for 22 years. He’s been in the transportation industry for nearly 40 years, and has run trucking companies. He says his background in logistics and problem solving will transfer over to running Lula.
“Over the last few years, I’ve seen a lot of issues arise out of Lula … people just generally not happy with the current administration and current decisions,” Lane said. “A lack of somebody that is willing to stand up for the people, somebody that’s willing to stand up against development.”
Development and growth
Development and growth is top of mind for a city that saw a big boom between the 2000 and 2010 census, but has seen just moderate growth since then.
With the Ga. 365 corridor and the inland port just south of the city coming soon, another big boom could be on the horizon. Those factors will prove to be contentious issues for the next mayor to carry the city through.
“As I sit back and I’m looking at all of the development, I feel like it may take a strong person to be able to say ‘no’ to some of the things coming our way,” Browning said.
Browning has said in her platform that Lula must find a way to grow “without losing the small-town charm” and “sense of community.”
Lane echoed a similar sentiment.
“Infrastructure is not in place yet for all this growth that is coming,” Lane said. “I want to see responsible growth. I’m not saying growth is bad, growth is coming and we’ve got two choices: we can either accept it or reject it.”
Lane said if rejected, they would “watch everything go around us” and “watch the city dry up.”
Lane evoked the classic movie “Field of Dreams” saying “if you build it, they will come.”
SPLOST
A 1% Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) will be on the ballot for Hall County voters this year, and is a key issue for residents.
“I’m never for tax, but I also understand that 1% sales tax … would have to be made up somewhere,” Lane said. “There’s no way for Lula to make that money up to be able to fund projects that need to be done.”
Lane said that $600,000 to $700,000 is produced for the City of Lula from SPLOST, and it spreads the burden out to everyone that purchases, not just residents and property owners.
Browning does not support the SPLOST tax.
“I know that SPLOST is the fairest tax … but I would like for Hall County to be more accountable for what they do with the taxes that I’m paying in for property tax. Where’s all that money going?”
Browning said she is skeptical that it keeps property taxes from going up, because property taxes have gone up the last eight years even with SPLOST on the books.
Potential police force
Another issue that has been brought up is whether or not Lula should have its own police force.
“[Lane] would like a police department, and I don’t think that our small city can afford one,” Browning said. “As we’ve seen on many of the sites out there right now, they’re talking about Hall County doesn’t live within its means. I’m very budget effective.”
Lane said although he thinks that the Hall County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) does a great job, he worries that added households in Lula could put a strain on them.
“Lula is going to double in size. Is that feasible for Hall County to be able to patrol and take care of?” Lane said.
Lane said he’s looked to other small towns in northeast Georgia who have implemented a police force to see how they did it, and he is looking into grants and programs that could supplement a police force for Lula.
Final statements
Both candidates said that the choice is ultimately up to the voters.
“It’s your voice and your choice,” Lane said. “You need to choose the person that you feel is best fitted for the position. We’re not going to always agree on everything, but we can agree to disagree and still come to a conclusion that’s going to work for everybody.”
Browning said she will not run a “dirty” campaign.
“If they choose me, that’s fantastic. If they decide to choose Bruce, that’s fantastic,” Browning said. “I want them to vote knowing that whatever they do, it’s because they love Lula and they want something more than what we currently have.”
The election is set for Nov. 4, and early voting will run until Oct. 31.
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