Mayor of Athens-Clarke County
706-369-9457
kelly.girtz@accgov.com
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Kelly Girtz’s Website
There is no question that Kelly Girtz has been a massive improvement over his predecessor as mayor, but we would like to see him fulfill more of his campaign promises. With Linnentown he has yet to put the resolution on the agenda, but he has met with the organizers and residents to form a committee. This is a first step to meeting the demands but the residents want the resolution passed and a specific committee for Linnentown. Kelly appears to be standing in the way of decriminalizing cannabis at the local level. His leadership on the COVID-19 outbreak was quick and forward thinking, and he has taken some steps toward an equity package and bail reform. That said, those steps do not go far enough, and Girtz remains unwilling to push for people-led legislation.
Professional and Civic ExperienceJunior League of Athens Advisory Board
Former District 9 Commissioner
Bachelor of Science in Sociology, Old Dominion University
Donations: Donated to John Edwards (D) in 2007.
Inferred Party: Democrat
Issues: Living Wages
“I think that just like with the structure we have with our full-time employees, there is a floor. We set a floor. We don’t push any of our full-time employees down to $8 an hour, we shouldn’t do that to our part-time employees either.”
Kelly Girtz, May 12, 2016 Work Session
Issues: Fare-Free Transit for K-12 students
“I see this as a public good in a broad sense. You could think about any number of public resources for which we’re not charging. We’re not charging to use the sidewalk or to ride a bike on the Greenway, and I see those as comparable amenities.”
Kelly Girtz, July 19, 2016 Agenda-Setting Session
Voting Record
Moving Work Sessions to City Hall: YES
Redesigning the Chase Street Corridor: YES
Updating County Anti-Discrimination Policy: YES
Reject Concept Maps for Athens in Motion: NO
Athens in Motion plan: YES
Bike Lanes on Barnett Shoals: YES
Delay Designating SPLOST Projects: NO
(More information about 2018 votes)
Progress on Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan: YES
TSPLOST project list and referendum: YES
Re-zoning Mitchell Street: NO
(More information about 2017 votes)
Complete Streets Improvements for Chase: YES
Allow Sale of Growlers in Brewpubs: absent
Fare-Free Bus Rides for K-12 Students: YES
Bar Admittance and Civil Rights Committee: abstain
(More information about 2016 votes)
FY 2016 Budget: YES
Removing Wetland Buffers: NO
Delay repaving of Chase Street: absent
Adopt Securus Tech Contract: absent
Allow Food Trucks: YES
Keep Domestic Partnership Benefits: YES
(More information about 2015 votes)
2018 Questionnaire Responses
Transportation
- Do you support fare-free bus service?: YES
“See http://bit.ly/2rakhcV for additional commentary.”
- Do you support expansion of transit service (e.g. increased frequency, more locations, longer service hours)? YES
“See http://bit.ly/2rakhcV for additional commentary.”
- Do you support increasing the budget for bike and pedestrian infrastructure from the general fund? YES
“See http://bit.ly/2rakhcV for additional commentary.”
Criminal Justice Reform
- Do you support marijuana decriminalization? YES
“See http://bit.ly/2rakhcV for additional commentary.”
Environmental Sustainability
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- Do you support a ban or fee on single-use plastic bags? YES
“See http://bit.ly/2rakhcV for additional commentary.”
Racial Justice
- Do you support an Athens Civil Rights Committee established through the county government? YES
“See http://bit.ly/2rakhcV for additional commentary.”
- Do you believe that Athens-Clarke County should move forward with comprehensive non-discrimination legislation? YES
“See http://bit.ly/2rakhcV for additional commentary.” Q: White people still hold a hugely disproportionate amount of economic and social power in Athens-Clarke County. If elected, what will you do to help fight this structural imbalance, increase the economic security of, and ensure the equal treatment of Athenians of color; especially black Athenians who continue to be most targeted by past and present systems of oppression? A: (click to read)
Affordable Housing
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- Do you support repealing the single-family ordinance? YES
“See http://bit.ly/2rakhcV for additional commentary.” Q: Rising rents and the proliferation of luxury student apartment complexes has been a major issue in town for the past several years. What will you do to promote affordable housing in Athens for its current residents? A: (click to read)
Challenging Unjust State Laws
Q: County Attorney Bill Berryman has recommended inaction on certain issues in order to avoid, in his view, potential conflicts with state law. These issues have included operational funding in TSPLOST, marijuana decriminalization and comprehensive non-discrimination legislation. Citing his interpretations, the Mayor and Commission have elected to take little to no action on these and similar issues. Do you support a different approach, even if it may lead to Athens-Clarke County challenging state law? A: (click to read)Childcare and Early Childhood Education
Q: Lack of funding in the CAPS program means that there is an “early learning gap” of over 2,000 children in Athens. There is also a lack of quality rated childcare providers here. Turning this situation around would be quite expensive and difficult, but also extremely important to the lives of many Athenians. Do you support policies that would expand access to childcare subsidies, encourage more childcare providers to become quality rated, and incentivize quality rated providers to accept children receiving subsidies? A: (click to read)Poverty
Q: The rates of poverty and income inequality in Athens remain extraordinarily high. What will you do to specifically support low-income and low-wealth Athenians? A: (click to read)Open-Ended
Q: What is your most important policy priority for 2018? A: (click to read)2016 Questionnaire Responses