Candidate Q and A with Smyrna City Council Ward 5 Candidate Susan Wilkinson (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.

SUSAN WILKINSON: It is my honor and privilege to serve as the Ward 5 council representative since 2011. As an Atlanta native, I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design and Illustration from the University of Georgia. I moved to Smyrna as a single professional and worked as an independent contractor for more than 15 years. As an independent design consultant, I worked extensively with developers, architects, and engineers. As a current council member, I am uniquely qualified, blending my visual design expertise with my current interests and background in zoning and development, and strong city governance. I first moved to the Cheney Woods subdivision near the downtown area of Smyrna in 1986, where I still live with my husband, Doward. We are proud parents of two adult daughters who grew up in Smyrna and graduated from Georgia Tech.


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. 

SUSAN WILKINSON: Why am I the right choice for the Smyrna City Council? — I’m a true public servant for the People— the people of our diverse community are by far our most important asset, and I’m continually motivated by the wonderful people of Ward 5 that I have the honor and privilege to serve. I really enjoy being a public servant for the people of my community. I’m responsive to my constituents. I have personal contact with many of them on a regular basis. I’m a good steward of their taxpayers’ dollars. They trust me to help them and to represent their best interest— and that’s why I’ve been elected three times. I’m proud to be a public servant for my constituents!


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

SUSAN WILKINSON: Part of the experience I bring is my 12 years of service on the council and the institutional knowledge I’ve gained. A careful steward of taxpayer resources, I’ve sought to responsibly grow the amenities and services that increase our quality of life without imposing an undue tax burden or fee schedule on city residents. In my eight years as the Parks and Recreation chair, I worked to expand the network of parks, playgrounds, and multi-use trails that citizens enjoy. In my tenure I’ve been proud to see the council approve a Parks and Recreation Master Plan that provides a framework for improving all parks in Smyrna including a unique mountain bike park and two linear parks, one on the banks of the Chattahoochee River. As an active participant in the Georgia Municipal Association’s (GMA) Leadership Training Program, on January 22, 2023, I was awarded the prestigious Certificate of Dedication from the Harold F. Holtz Municipal Training Institute, a joint effort of GMA and the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia, requiring 276 credits in courses ranging from municipal law, finance, economic development and transportation to water management. My training includes participation in “mobile workshops” that allow officials to see how other cities are approaching urban revitalization— with the inclusion of affordable housing, innovative parks and recreation areas, and pedestrian and senior-friendly development. I bring these insights into good governance and equitable growth together with the needs and priorities of citizens in Ward 5.

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

SUSAN WILKINSON: The public rightfully expects its elected officials to conduct themselves with honesty and integrity while working for the common good. Being a council member and public servant is a position of privilege and trust. It’s my privilege to be a public servant and these are the principles I stand by: • Serve others, not ourselves • Use resources with efficiency and economy • Treat all people fairly • Use the power of our position for the well-being of our constituents • Create an environment of honesty, openness, and integrity


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?

SUSAN WILKINSON: YES. The formation of an independent ethics board can be an essential step in implementing a comprehensive code of ethics. Currently, the City of Smyrna does not have a board or process in place for reviewing complaints and to remedy conflicts of interest by city officials, nor is the City of Smyrna a member of the Georgia Municipal Association’s City of Ethic’s program. I support the City of Smyrna becoming a member of GMA’s City of Ethics program as well as their guidelines set forth for the formation of an Ethics Committee.

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

SUSAN WILKINSON: I believe in transparent government – the only kind that’s in the best interests of all citizens. The Georgia Sunshine Laws— provide the necessary steps for the government to be transparent. As elected officials, we have the means of creating transparency in our government that goes beyond the minimal standards and requirements. Transparency includes easy access to official city records of meetings and the decision making that takes place during discussions of city business. There must be a way by which any citizen can freely gain the information regardless of their access to technology. Use of cell phones and/or personal or business email addresses by elected officials is not acceptable as it allows discussions outside the realm of official meetings of city business and impacts transparency.

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

SUSAN WILKINSON:  The city supports a business-friendly environment and I look forward to working with anyone who wants to invest in the city. We must balance our needs vs. our wants in the context of our budget. For me, it is a priority that we retain our AAA bond rating and our reserve funds. 

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

SUSAN WILKINSON: Municipal roads, storm water drainage, sewage collection and disposal are among a few infrastructures for which the city provides with taxpayer resources. As a city, we need to make sure we are prioritizing, addressing, and keeping up with these needs. Much of our city’s stormwater infrastructure needs review and possible updating. If reelected, it will be my priority to push for the city to perform a storm water management analysis. We also need to make sure we keep up to date with the repaving schedule for roads. I’m happy to see the city is currently conducting a service line inventory of the water line infrastructure in the city. During my tenure, I’ve been a strong voice for the continued revitalization of Ward 5 – especially the South Cobb Drive corridor (between Windy Hill Road and Concord Road) and the continued connectivity of Smyrna’s new multi-use trails on this side of Ward 5. After engaging in a 16-month study of the South Cobb Drive corridor with GDOT and other partners, the council adopted the formal study in 2017 which was included in the 25-year Smyrna Comprehensive Plan. Completing this project would improve the much needed vehicular and pedestrian safety along this corridor as well as allowing the city to add parks and multi-use trails along both the South Cobb Drive and Windy Hill Road corridors in Ward 5.

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

Smyrna’s population is representative of a majority minority city and I’m proud to serve in one of the most diverse wards. During the candidate forum sponsored by the Cobb County Center for Democracy, I was proud and honored to be present among Smyrna’s diverse community. I’ve been encouraged by the relationships I gained throughout our diverse community, always conscious of inclusion of both women and minorities when recommending appointments for boards.

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

SUSAN WILKINSON: I’m so proud of the city’s Public Safety employees from both the Smyrna Police Department and the Smyrna Fire Department. We have all heard that first responders and teachers are struggling to find affordable housing in our communities. I would like to see the city work on partnerships that provide options, both rental and homeownership, for first responders and teachers so that they may live in our community. 

COBB COUNTY DEMOCRACY CENTER: Please provide a closing statement.

SUSAN WILKINSON: My voting record demonstrates courage and commitment to the citizens of my community. As a strong voice for the citizens of Ward 5 and all of Smyrna, I hope you will vote for me, Susan Wilkinson, on November 7th, 2023!