Athens Mayor
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Q&As
Equity a Priority for One UGA Student in Upcoming Mayoral Election
Isabella Gonzalez, a 22-year-old voter who grew up in Athens and attends the University of Georgia, has a personal tie to the upcoming mayoral election, as she used to babysit for the current mayor, Kelly Girtz. There are 80,500 registered voters in Clarke County, and 18-24-year-olds make up 10,067…
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Athens-Clarke County
Athens Mayoral Candidates Talk Issues in February Debate
Candidates for Athens mayor — Mara Zuniga, Tim Denson, Dexter Fisher and Lakeisha Gantt — faced off at a public forum at Ciné on Feb. 7. Immigration enforcement, rapid growth and homelessness emerged as key issues shaping the future of Athens. Hosted by AthChat podcast co-hosts Drew Abney and Russell…
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Athens-Clarke County
On 50th Anniversary, Lay Park Playground Faces Possible Changes
City officials and residents are split over a redevelopment plan of 295 E. Dougherty Street, where supporters expressed excitement for new parking, student housing and urbanization while others warned the project may disrupt community services, limit access to Lay Park Community Center and overlook housing needs. Lay Park Community Center…
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Q&As
Q&A: Athens-Clarke Mayor Wants Opportunities to Be His Lasting Impact
Kelly Girtz is in his final term as mayor of Athens-Clarke County, which has more than 128,000 residents. Q: Alright, so you’ve had a long history of working in the Athens community, from education to District 9 commissioner. What inspired you to become the mayor? A: I really wanted to…
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Athens-Clarke County
Athens-Clarke County to End Cash Bail, So What are the Alternatives?
According to Mayor Kelly Girtz, the Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission plan to take steps to end cash bail at the municipal court level this spring. The Municipal Court handles county ordinance violations, state misdemeanor traffic violations, state misdemeanor crimes of theft by shoplifting, possession of less than an ounce…