Many gathered at the McKenzie Office Park in College Park for the 3rd Annual “Meet the Mayors of Georgia” event hosted by the Georgia Real Estate Investors Association.
This community event featured distinguished municipal leaders from across Georgia, including Riverdale Mayor Evelyn Wynn-Dixon, Warner Robins Mayor LaRhonda W. Patrick, and South Fulton Mayor Carmalitha Gumbs.
Lithonia Mayor Shameka Reynolds was not in attendance.
The evening offered an opportunity for meaningful dialogue on local governance, regional collaboration, and community engagement.
This community event featured distinguished municipal leaders from across Georgia, including Riverdale Mayor Evelyn Wynn-Dixon (above), Warner Robins Mayor LaRhonda W. Patrick, and South Fulton Mayor Carmalitha Gumbs. Photo by Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice
The night began with a few icebreakers for the all-female, all-Black mayors, leading into topics ranging from why they became mayors to data centers, advice, and more. Wynn-Dixon said she has been the mayor of Riverdale for the last 18 years. She said it was never her desire to be mayor at first, but later changed her mind after she progressed in life.
“After having my three kids, my ex-husband decided he wanted to leave me. I was homeless on welfare, sleeping in my car. What gave me the courage to run for mayor is I told God if he delivered me from my lights and gas being turned off and put my children through school, I’ll make my life a magnificent obsession helping other people,” she said.
Gumbs said she saw what was happening in the City of South Fulton and all over metro Atlanta before she became mayor. With the passing of her mother, Gumbs had the opportunity to return to Virginia to spend time with family, and during that time, she took a step back and reevaluated her life. This turned into the spark that made her want to make a difference.
“Becoming mayor was not in my bingo card. I never, ever thought that I would be the mayor of South Fulton, but it needed leadership at that time, and I was leading teams. I worked in corporate America. I knew that I had the opportunity to really engage people. I’m just a people person, and I knew how to collaborate,” she said.
Patrick said she ran for mayor because she wanted to be the change she wanted to see when she was in college at Georgia State.
“My senior year I got to work at the Georgia Assembly with the House of Representatives and then full-time admin staff for the Senate before going to law school,” she said. “When I was there, I got to see the real deal when it came to laws being made or not made in our state. This made me, in turn, say I want to run.”
Both Gumbs and Patrick were asked about the mindset on balancing the concerns of data centers and where they’re built, how they’re built, amid balancing concerns and the alluring prospect of the tax dollars.
“In Middle Georgia and especially Warner Robins, we have none. We have had some look at us, and we’re right next to Forsyth Monroe County, and there was a huge fallout with the residents on a potential data center coming to the community,” Patrick said. “Our job is to educate our community about what data centers mean and let them draw their own conclusion on that. When it comes to the tax incentives and things that they’re receiving, I won’t say that I necessarily agree with the amount of tax incentives that they are giving.”
“We have been hit with quite a bit of data centers wanting to come to our area. I do believe that there is a push for cities of color, because they do think about money in front of a lot of these cities and think, ‘oh, well, they’ll just give in,’” Gumbs said. “In South Fulton, we got caught preaching at the will as a young city.”
The discussion further focused on the challenges and support for small businesses in various cities.
In South Fulton, the primary hurdle is licensing compliance, with 8,900 unlicensed businesses identified. An amnesty day was created to waive back taxes under $10,000, encouraging businesses to come into compliance. The mayor actively supports small businesses by visiting them and promoting them.
In Warner Robins, the city highlights local businesses and encourages community support through events like Small Business Saturdays. However, financial help programs are lacking, focusing instead on easing permit processes and giving business advice. Innovative strategies include integrating businesses into city events and offering unique dining experiences to attract customers.
The conversation later shifted to the importance of engaging younger generations in public service and politics. Patrick emphasizes connecting with youth through internships and community initiatives to foster a passion for service.
“I love connecting with the middle schoolers, high schoolers, and young adults, and inviting them into City Hall, educating them about public service careers in local government, and encouraging them to come out and shadow an intern at the city of Warner Robbins,” she said. “We’re trying to come up with different things to entice them to apply for boards for the younger adults in the city so they get to learn about city business, and this encourages them to volunteer in our community through city initiatives or otherwise, so they can understand what it’s like to give back to serve our community.”
Gumbs discusses making politics relatable by addressing issues like bullying and vaping, and starting an intern program to bring fresh ideas. Dixon also stresses the need to teach young people the value of voting and practical skills, criticizing outdated educational practices and urging them to stop sagging.
All mayors said they all agree on the importance of meeting young people where they are to inspire civic engagement and community service.