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The Tucker Observer invited all candidates running in the Nov. 2 municipal election to submit up to three letters on their behalf. One of the letters could be written by the candidate. Here are the letters in support of Tucker City Council District 2, Post 1 candidate Thomas Walker. 

Dear Tucker Observer, 

I wholeheartedly support and recommend Thomas Walker for City of Tucker – City Council /District One.

After weighing the pros and cons of the candidates up for election this coming year, it is clear that Thomas Walker is the most skilled and will prove to be an asset to our City of Tucker.  As a seasoned attorney and litigator, his 29 years of law and litigation experience would truly be invaluable toward improving Tucker.

Thomas Walker is upright and honorable.  He sat as Pro Tem Judge in Clarkston Municipal Court;  he has devoted many hours toward speaking and lobbying for Tucker’s cityhood referendum; he has the utmost competency with contracts and documents and is thoroughly qualified to get matters moving and lead Tucker in the right direction. He has a wealth of knowledge with local, Georgia /state, U.S. government and constitutional laws and has been instrumental in the fight for Tucker’s cityhood.

The Tucker community has been honored to have had Thomas Walker diligently working in the past for us and I know his future endeavors are in our favor.  Thomas is approachable and he will be a good listener to all those who might reach out with concerns.  I know that Thomas Walker is reliable and dependable; his idea for small business owners in Tucker to get more involved or “in touch” with promotional incentives was one of his ways to better Tucker.   Keeping Tucker homes from being flipped and out of our price range was also one thought he voiced, as younger first time homeowners should have a welcoming place to relocate here.  Tucker is a small town, yet very diverse.  I trust Thomas Walker to serve the community well for years to come.

My husband and I have resided in Tucker since 1986.  The privilege we have to endorse and support those we deem to be dedicated servants to our community is one that we don’t take lightly.

Sincerely,

Lillian Vardase

 

Dear Tucker Observer, 

As a longtime resident of Tucker I write to share my enthusiastic support for Thom Walker’s candidacy for City Council, District 2, Post 1.

Thom came to my law firm as an associate in 1992 and we were delighted when he returned to join our practice in 2016.  Of course he is smart, and a very capable advocate for his clients, but what sets Thom apart is his work ethic.  No one works harder, longer, or with more determination, than Thom.

No matter what the assignment he gives 110%.  This is exactly the kind of advocate our community needs.  Thom will follow up on every detail to ensure that DeKalb County is held accountable under its agreements to provide essential services to our town.  No detail will escape his notice and if they fall short he will be unrelenting.  Thom is committed to improving road safety along our major arteries, both for motorists and pedestrians. Roads and sidewalks need to be made safer, and traffic studies commissioned to find ways to relieve congestion, particularly near our schools.  Finally, in this period of rapidly rising real estate values Thom will work hard to contain property taxes so people in Tucker don’t get taxed out of their homes.

On a personal note, Thom was a devoted son to his late mother and is a proud alumnus of the Georgia Bulldogs’ Redcoat Marching Band. Most evenings you’ll find him walking his beloved dogs around their neighborhood.  I am proud of Thom for taking on the challenge of public service and encourage all eligible voters to join me in voting for him for City Council on November 2.

– J. Larry Stine, resident of Tucker District 2

 

Dear Tucker Observer,

I am running for Tucker City Council because I have a deep emotional investment in our city.  I have made my home here in Tucker for the past twenty-four years – that is longer than anywhere else I have lived and is almost half my life.  From 2005 to 2006, I volunteered on the Tucker Civic Association’s committee studying ways to improve Tucker and I co-authored the committee’s white paper on Tucker becoming a city.  During 2014 and 2015, I was at the State Capital speaking at House Committee hearings on behalf of Tucker and lobbying State Senators.  In 2016, I ran for City Council in Tucker’s first elections and fell just nine votes short of making the runoff in a four person race.  When my mom, who I had been close to, passed away in 2019, I laid her to rest in Floral Hills Memory Gardens on Lawrenceville Highway.  Finally, in 2020, through a combination of hard work and some good fortune, I was able to pay off my home’s mortgage six years early.  My connection to Tucker is personal.

My desire to be a strong advocate for my neighbors in District 2 motivated me to run for City Council.  As an attorney for the past 29 years, I fight for my clients in the courts every day.  I want to take my experience as a litigator and fight for the interests of my neighbors before our city government.  Having lived in Tucker twenty-four years, I know the concerns and desires of my neighbors and I want to be their voice.  For decades, people in Tucker resisted cityhood because they were afraid their taxes would go up and cityhood would just result in an extra layer of government.  I want to ensure our taxes do not rise because of the City and I want our local government to make meaningful improvements to our community such as cleaning up and beautifying the Lawrenceville Highway corridor.  I also want to fight against potential government abuses.  The Tucker Charter Review Commission recommended removing term limits for our elected officials, eliminating each district’s veto power over re-zoning within their own district, and conducting citywide elections for each district’s Post 2 council members.  Every person I have talked to on the campaign trail about these proposals strongly opposes them.

Finally, I want to rebuild the excitement our citizens had for Tucker when we approved the charter for cityhood and regain the trust of those who have become disillusioned.  People voted for cityhood because they wanted something different than the status quo with DeKalb County.  They wanted a government that would serve them.  Yet, while Tucker has contracted to have the County repair potholes in the streets, the County seems to think metal plates are an acceptable long term solution.  Moreover, when the County fills potholes, the repairs do not last. Our City government is not holding DeKalb County accountable.  And, many Tucker citizens are dismayed with new higher density housing developments in parts of town with already congested roads.  Finally, I hear many neighbors ask why Tucker keeps commissioning studies but seems paralyzed with inaction.  The Downtown Development Authority is chomping at the bit to get going but the city has not allowed it to come out of the starting gate.

If you vote me onto the Tucker City Council, I will always remember that I hold your power in trust for your benefit.  As with my clients, I will place your interests above all else and work for you.

Sincerely,

Thomas L. Walker

More information about voting in the Nov. 2 election: 

Editor’s note: Decaturish and the Tucker Observer have published an Elections Guide, a 76-page e-edition featuring Q&As with nearly every candidate running in our communities. To see it, click here. This special e-edition features candidates running for public office in Decatur, Avondale Estates, Atlanta City Council District 5, Clarkston Tucker and Stone Mountain.  There is a PDF version of this, which you can see by clicking here, but due to the format of this e-edition, we strongly encourage you to use the e-reader version.

All elections coverage can be found at Decaturishvotes.com and Tuckerobservervotes.com.  

Election Day is Nov. 2. Early voting will begin on Oct. 12 and will end on Oct. 29. The voter registration deadline is Oct. 4. To register to vote, click here.

To see a list of important dates in the 2021 election year, click here.

Voters in DeKalb County are eligible to apply for an absentee ballot as of Aug. 16. 

To apply for an absentee ballot:

— Visit the Georgia Secretary of State website.

—  Complete the absentee ballot application using the state’s official paper form. Use black or blue ink only.

Applications can be mailed to the county elections office at this address: DeKalb County Election office, 4380 Memorial Drive, Decatur, GA 30032-1239.

Applications can also be submitted by fax, 404-298-4038, or email, [email protected].

Voters may send an absentee ballot request for multiple people who live in the same household in the same envelope or email.

If an absentee ballot is not mailed to you, call DeKalb Elections office, 404-298-4020. You may still vote in person, either early or on Election Day.

An absentee ballot application must be received by Oct. 22.

In accordance with SB202, a new voting bill signed by Gov. Brian Kemp in March, a copy of a voter’s ID is required to apply for an absentee ballot. A Georgia driver’s license, Georgia state ID, Georgia voter card, U.S. Passport, U.S. military ID, employee ID issued by any branch of the federal or state government, tribal ID, or a document verifying a voter’s name and address – including a paycheck, utility bill, or bank statement – are accepted forms of ID.

Early voting begins Oct. 12 and ends Oct. 29. The hours for early voting are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. There will also be weekend early voting on Oct. 16, 17, 23 and 24. Call your elections office for hours.

Beginning Oct. 12, you can participate in early voting at the following locations: 

– Bessie Branham Recreation Center (2051 Delano Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30317)

– Lynwood Recreation Center (3360 Osborne Road NE, Brookhaven, GA 30319)

– Berean Christian Church – Family Life Center (2197 Young Road, Stone Mountain, GA 30088)

– DeKalb Voter Registration & Elections Office (4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 300, Decatur, GA 30032)

– Tucker-Reid H. Cofer Library (5234 LaVista Road, Tucker, GA 30084)

– Stonecrest Library (3123 Klondike Road, Stonecrest, GA 30038)

– County Line-Ellenwood Library (4331 River Road, Ellenwood, GA 30294)

– Dunwoody Library (5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Road., Dunwoody, GA 30338)

For the most up-to-date and accurate information regarding early voting times and locations, visit Decaturishvotes.com and Tuckerobservervotes.com or call 404-298-4020.  

The Tucker Observer is a new community news website owned by Decaturish.com. We provide locally sourced news about Tucker, Clarkston and Stone Mountain.

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