Snellville City Councilmembers Sworn in

In a very crowded council chamber, three Snellville city councilmembers were sworn in Monday (Nov. 11) following last week's city election.

Mayor Pro Tem Tom Witts and Councilman Bobby Howard will resume Post 3 and Post 4, respectively, on the council. Newly elected Councilwoman Barbara Bender also was sworn in to Post 5, replacing former Councilman Mike Sabbagh. (Read his goodbye to the council here.)

Bender had served on the council from November 2005 to July 2011, when she resigned to run for mayor.

"I'm actually very, very excited to be back, probably more than I thought I would," she said during her council report. "It feels great to be sitting back up here. I appreciate all of the support, all of your votes and all of the volunteers." 

"It goes without saying how much I appreciate everybody that helped me get back here for another four years," said Howard. "I'm very proud to sit here and proud to represent each and every one of you here in Snellvile. I can tell you that it's gonna be a great four years for me and for our city and for just all the good things that we're going to continue to do."

"Thank you for all you did. I'm thrilled to have Bobby [Howard] back, and all is right in the world because I have Barbara [Bender] on my left again," said Witts, referring to their seats on the dais. 

Snellville Chief Municipal Judge Mark Layng had the honors of swearing in Bender and Witts, and Howard was sworn in by Melvin Everson, a former Snellville councilman and the Republican executive director of the Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity.

There were two campaign teams in the city election, with Bender, Howard and Witts on one team and their opponents on the other. Bender spoke of a "clique" that her team and many Snellville residents are part of during her first council report back. 

"The definition was put up on Facebook that a clique is an exclusive group and they're not nice to people that are not in that group and not welcoming of others," said Bender. "I would say that we do definitely have a clique, and I'll tell you, I'm gonna name that clique the Snellville Clique. It's a clique that the only requirements to join and to come in to our clique is a heart that's willing to work for the city of Snellville and the willingness to work hard. You have those two things, you're in, and we would love to have you."

Mayor Kelly Kautz, who endorsed candidates Dexter Harrison, Alisa Boykin and Sabbagh, also spoke about the election results. She emphasized that she has no intention of resigning. 

"I think that everything happens for a reason," she said. "I think that after my election [in 2011] ... my supporters were excited about our vision for the city, and somewhere along the way, we got offtrack. There was so much animosity between the two sides, so I hope this election is something positive. I know it's been eye-opening for me, and for the next two years, the animosity between the two sides is not healthy for this city. The bickering back and forth, the name calling, the way we've acted towards each other has not been healthy, and I think that this was God's way of trying to teach me a lesson, that you have to learn to work with everybody, even if you don't like them. ... That's what I plan on doing for the next two years."