James Shepherd

Nonpartisan

I will change our zoning codes to encourage safer streets for our kids while requiring developers to build the infrastructure that is needed for them to have safe places to play in our neighborhoods.

I’ll require developers to pay the full cost of their projects with impact fees and infrastructure requirements that turn growth from a burden into a benefit. No taxpayer should be forced to put their hard-earned money into the pockets of parasites—whether they’re cut-rate developers or corrupt realtors.

As Newnan’s mayor, I’m ending the gravy train for outside developers. Our money should stay in our town to pay for our priorities. In my career as a corporate attorney and management consultant, I’ve worked on billions of dollars of deals. I’ll bring that expertise to making sure the city we love stops getting robbed by developers who make big promises but never follow through.

I will scrap the wasteful pet projects, stupid subsidies, and developer handouts that have cost our city tens of millions of dollars under the Brady regime. That money, coupled with impact fees on irresponsible developers, will be reinvested to encourage affordable housing development and infrastructure improvements that directly benefit our citizens. Our tax dollars should go to our citizens’ needs, not to our mayor’s ego.

Growth isn’t going away, but it has to happen on our terms. We need to grow as Newnan, in a way that benefits the citizens who are already here. As your mayor, I’ll scrap the tax and zoning codes that give developers a free ride while putting the burden of higher taxes on homeowners.

My administration will invest in the infrastructure that makes starter homes possible while getting out of the way of people who want to build homes that fit their needs. Every decision I make will be based on whether it makes our city more affordable for our citizens—full stop.