Candidate Q and A with Smyrna City Council Candidate for Ward 4 Charles “Corkey” Welch (I)

The municipal elections for five of the seven cities in Cobb County are currently underway. This includes Acworth, Austell, Kennesaw, Powder Springs, and Smyrna.

The Cobb County Democracy Center, in partnership with Spotlight, believes that voter engagement and informed decision-making are crucial in shaping the future of these cities. Candidates within competitive races have been asked to provide their positions on various issues to allow voters to gain insights into the candidates’ perspectives and priorities as voters make their choices in these local elections.

COBB COUNTY DEMOCRACY CENTER: Tell voters about yourself.

CHARLES ‘CORKEY’ WELCH: I am currently the Senior Client Manager for Goodwyn, Mills & Cawood, Inc. a full-service Architecture and Engineering firm based in Montgomery, Alabama. My current position involves the sales and project management of various Architecture and Engineering projects throughout Georgia. I previously served as President of Stevenson & Palmer Engineering, Inc. located in Smyrna, Georgia. My experience in the consulting field spans over 42 years working on a variety of public infrastructure projects with communities throughout Georgia. While the primary focus of my consulting career has been water and wastewater projects, I have been directly involved with the funding, design, permitting and construction management of numerous streetscapes, community centers, downtown redevelopment, and park projects. Originally from El Dorado, Ark., and a graduate of El Dorado High School (’77), I have lived in the Smyrna area for over 42 years. I attended the University of Arkansas and later received a Bachelor of Science in architectural engineering technology from Southern Polytechnic State University. For the past 12 years, I have also served as the ward 4 representative on the Smyrna City Council. I also serve as a board member for the Cobb County Marietta Water Authority. I reside at 870 Austin Drive with his wife, Catherine. Together, we have one son, Charles W., one daughter, Nikki and two much adored grandsons, William Mayson Welch, and James Charles Welch.

COBB COUNTY DEMOCRACY CENTER: Tell voters why you are the right choice for the Smyrna City Council and why they should cast their ballots for you.

CHARLES ‘CORKEY’ WELCH: I feel that my experience in my job as a consulting engineer and my 12 years experience on City Council provide an understanding that is unmatched by my opponent. 

COBB COUNTY DEMOCRACY CENTER: What experience will you bring to the role?

CHARLES ‘CORKEY’ WELCH: 42 years as a consulting engineer and 12 years as a City Councilman.

COBB COUNTY DEMOCRACY CENTER: Give voters your thoughts on Ethical Leadership and why it should be a factor they consider as they elect the next Council person for this post or ward.

CHARLES ‘CORKEY’ WELCH: In my opinion, there is nothing more important than being ethical in each and every elected position within the City. This issue is not negotiable. You either fall in line or you fall out. I work in both my professional career and that as a City Councilman to choose the right position.

COBB COUNTY DEMOCRACY CENTER: Other Cobb cities are actively looking at setting up ethics committees to review complaints and remedy conflicts of interest by city officials. Would you consider setting up an Ethics Committee to address unethical behavior in government?

CHARLES ‘CORKEY’ WELCH: I wholeheartedly support the issue. Many of our sister cities around the state have adopted the model setup by the Georgia Municipal Association. It’s time the City of Smyrna followed suit.

COBB COUNTY DEMOCRACY CENTER: Tell voters your thoughts on Transparency in Government.

CHARLES ‘CORKEY’ WELCH: While there are times when we, as elected officials, cannot disclose items due to legal considerations, anything outside of these issues should be disclosed. I will admit that, at times, it is simply difficult to get the information out there to the public.

COBB COUNTY DEMOCRACY CENTER: What are your thoughts on Smyrna’s economy?

CHARLES ‘CORKEY’ WELCH: We are doing well but spending cannot continue at the current rate. The federal government provided us with $8.0 million due to Covid in 2021. As of my last inquiry, the balance was less than $2.0 million. While some of these funds were needed, many were simply wanted. No formal plan was ever put in place for spending and saving. We, as an elected body, should have met and discussed the overall impact of the funds and made a group decision as to where they should be allocated. Some of these funds were used to balance the budget and that is a dangerous course. I believe we can, and should, take a close look at our short term and our long-term needs and then formulate a plan to meet our goals.

COBB COUNTY DEMOCRACY CENTER: Share with voters your views on Smyrna’s infrastructure.

CHARLES ‘CORKEY’ WELCH: We continue to provide safe and dependable water, sewer, and stormwater facilities throughout the city. That’s not to say everything is perfect. Our recent two-day storm event yielded devastating flooding in several areas of the city. The city should evaluate the stormwater systems in these areas and make improvements as needed. Past mistakes that allowed building in certain areas cannot be overcome without massive expenditures and, in some cases, these issues are irreparable. The city’s streets are always in need of resurfacing. Each year the city needs to resurface 8.0 +/- miles of street just to maintain. For the past several years, this has not happened, and we are roughly $2.0 million behind in our resurfacing program. This trend cannot continue if we want to maintain our streets in passable conditions. It is important that we continue to maintain our infrastructure throughout the city. The annual budget should ensure that this happens.

COBB COUNTY DEMOCRACY CENTER: Share your thoughts on Diversity and Inclusion and why it is important in Smyrna.

CHARLES ‘CORKEY’ WELCH: I have lived in, or in the area of, Smyrna for over 40 years now. The community has risen from the stigma of being a “redneck community” as described in a 1988 National Geographic article to the thriving, diverse community we live in today. I firmly believe that the city shed the old “redneck” persona one day at a time. What I mean is we all, as citizens of Smyrna, have had some part in the transformation. The City Council didn’t enact the laws or ordinance that made this happen. The people of Smyrna made it happen as everyone worked toward the goal of diversity and inclusion. The transition continues to this day and will continue forever as long as the people are willing to accept the inevitable change.

COBB COUNTY DEMOCRACY CENTER: What are your thoughts on Smyrna’s Public Safety? 

CHARLES ‘CORKEY’ WELCH: I think public safety should always be our number one priority. There is nothing more important than the safety of our citizens. The city has taken multiple steps to ensure that we provide this right to our citizens. Despite our best efforts, our police force is not at full staff. Our efforts have been matched by our neighboring cities. We continue to work diligently to hire and keep police men and women. The city’s fire department is in much better shape than our police department, personnel wise. While the staff might see routine turnover, we have continually been able to hire personnel to fill empty positions.