Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Kautz, a 34-year-old attorney, has been sworn in as the city's newest mayor. New council members also take seats.
It was an arduous campaign, but Kelly Kautz and her new fellow council members must step into the present now, and move into the future. Kautz, a Brookwood High alumna, was sworn in November 14 as the first female mayor of the city she grew up in. Those standing with her included her mother, Carol Kautz. Her father, Tom Kautz, clicked photos from the audience. After she was sworn in, there was a standing ovation at Snellville City Hall, where citizens crowded along walls and in the lobby to see the new leader step forward. In her remarks as mayor, she thanked her family and campaign supporters, but she also thanked the citizens of Snellville for coming out to vote and Barbara Bender -- her opponent -- for her leadership. Now, the 34-year-…
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Win or no win, Kelly Kautz is still fired up about the distribution of emails she says were altered.
No, she isn't letting it go. Kelly Kautz said Tuesday that she could hardly pay attention to campaigning on Monday because of a flurry of emails published on a local blog, where she was depicted as a threatening name-caller. At the end of the night, while celebrating her win, it was still on her mind. "I'm still going to pursue that," she said Tuesday evening. "People keep thinking they can do whatever they want and it doesn't matter the consequences or if it's above the law, or not. "Even though I won, I'm not going to let it go. People may say, 'well, she won, just, you know, move forward.' But, to me, it's not about that. It's about what's right and wrong, and that was completely wrong." Since learning on Nov. 7 of the blog postings, …
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Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Our team of Patch Local Editors reported all afternoon and into the night Tuesday as Gwinnett voters went to the polls. This live blog, now closed for comments, includes coverage from votes for offices in nine communities, alcohol sales on Sunday, the county E-SPLOST and whether Peachtree Corners voters approve becoming a city. Our thanks to all of you who read and commented. If interested, you can go back and see what readers had to say as the results came in.
So-called "blue law" repealed by city voters.
Snellville residents voted 65 percent to 35 percent in favor of allowing beer and wine package sales in the city limits on Sunday. The referendum specifically allows for the sale of malt beverages and wine in the Snellville city limits between the hours of 12:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. Currently, this mostly affects gas stations and supermarkets that sell beer and wine. City Clerk Melisa Arnold said the effective date of Sunday sales is Nov. 15. That means it will be Sunday, Nov. 20, before sales start. Other cities that passed Sunday sales, include nearby Grayson, Lilburn and Loganville. Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal signed legistlation in April 2011 that would allow individual municipalities to decide if they want to sell alcohol on Sundays, …
Kelly Kautz wins with 52 percent of the vote after a contentious campaign.
That Kelly Kautz was elected as Snellville's first female mayor was kind of lost on the night. She and Barbara Bender had run a hotly contested -- often contentious -- race for the city's top spot. Right up until the last moments, and even after the unofficial results were announced in Snellville's City Hall, tensions were high. At one point Tom Witts, a councilman and Bender supporter, got into a verbal confrontation with D. Warren Auld, a local attorney and supporter for Kautz. Later, Dave Emanuel, another Bender supporter, could be heard calling Auld "a sleaze." When Rita Sabbagh, a vocal Kautz supporter, tried talking to Bender -- to thank her for her service, Sabbagh said -- the candidate threw up her hands in opposition, telling …
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Kelly Kautz pushes pass Barbara Bender to win the hotly contested mayor's seat in Snellville. Sunday alcohol sales also gets nod.
Here are the unofficial results for the two major Snellville elections: the mayor's race and Sunday package alcohol sales. Total Votes: 2,847 votes (both elections) Mayor's Race, with 2,802 votes total: Sunday Package Alcohol Sales, with 2,792 votes total: Check back with Patch tomorrow for a full report, including comments from candidates, photos and E-SPLOST.
Candidates for mayor were in good spirits Tuesday afternoon.
By 12:30 more than 850 people had come through Snellville City Hall to cast their ballots in elections for mayor and Sunday alcohol sales. And, about that many had already voted in advance of the election, according to poll officials. With more than 1,600 votes cast by lunchtime, this municipal election is shaping up to bring out more citizens than the 2007 mayoral race between Jerry Oberholtzer and Bruce Garraway. In that election, some 2,183 people voted for mayor, with just 19 votes separating the two candidates. This time around, Kelly Kautz and Barbara Bender are vying for the top spot. Each with devoted supporters, ideas for progress for Snellville and a history of work on the city council. After dealing with a few campaign issues in…
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Snellville City Hall
2342 Oak Rd, Snellville, GA
/articles/voter-turnout-steady-in-snellville-mayoral-election
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Snellville voters head to the polls on three critical issues that will affect the future.
Today is Election Day. Voters in Snellville and throughout Gwinnett County will head to the polls to decide critical issues involving leadership, education and retail. (Read our story on Election Day here, including quotes from candidates, supporters and turnout.) In Snellville, voters will decide between attorney Kelly Kautz and Barbara Bender, a certified public accountant, for the position of mayor. Three open seats for city council already have been decided, with Dave Emanuel, Diane Krause and Bobby Howard running in uncontested races. In addition, citizens will decide whether Sunday package alcohol sales come to Snellville. It is one of handful of municipalities in Gwinnett County, including nearby Loganville, that will be voting on …
33.857584
-84.015761
Snellville City Hall
2342 Oak Rd, Snellville, GA
/articles/election-day-bender-vs-kautz-e-splost-and-alcohol-sales
1139076
/locations/5767168
Friday, November 4, 2011
Barbara Bender has now been endorsed by several more Snellville leaders.
Barbara Bender's mayoral campaign got the boost of several more endorsements in the past week. Outgoing Councilman Tod Warner, Councilman Tom Witts, and incoming council members: Diane Krause, Bobby Howard and Dave Emanuel have all endorsed Bender for the next mayor of Snellville, according to press releases from her campaign. In addition, campaign officials also say she has been endorsed by Former State Rep. Melvin Everson, who now leads the Governor's Office of Workforce Development, and a former Snellville city attorney, Mike Byrne. Bender is running against Kelly Kautz to be Snellville's first female mayor. Election Day is Tuesday, November 8. Early voting closes Friday, November 4. (Editor's Note: In the interest of transparency, we …
Thursday, November 3, 2011
If you want to vote early, voting ends Friday, November 4.
Early voting in Snellville ends today, November 4. Early voting runs through today, ending at 5 p.m. for the 2011 November elections. Citizens may now request absentee ballots, as well. There will be a general election to vote in new council members and a special election to vote on an alcohol sales referendum. Although council seats have been decided, there is still a mayoral race between Barbara Bender and Kelly Kautz. Because no one is running against the three council candidates -- Dave Emanuel for Post 1, Diane Krause for Post 2 and Bobby Howard for Post 4, will be sworn in accordingly. Their first council meeting will be November 14. Tod Warner, who is stepping down from Post 2, and the Mayor Jerry Oberholtzer, whose term comes to an…
Laura Sullivan
9:58 am on Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Hi Andi, Did you go to the back of the church? The polling spot was a little hidden, I've heard from many people. Either way, that is a shame. more ›