By Joe Johnson
Stephanie Johnson, a native Athenian who works in the county's Finance Department, has set her sights on securing a seat on the Athens-Clarke County Commission.
Johnson on Thursday announced her intention to qualify for the open seat on the Athens-Clarke County Commission that will become vacant due to incumbent District 6 commissioner Jesse Houle not seeking another term.
District 6 primarily includes neighborhoods along the Atlanta Highway corridor, Stonehenge, Tall Tree, Ridge Pointe, Cleveland Road, Newton Bridge Road, Saxon Woods, Jefferson River Road, Tallassee, Vincent Drive, and sections of Mitchell Bridge Road.
Johnson on Thursday released the following information:
Stephanie is running for District 6 Commissioner because Athens is her home, and nothing could compromise her investment in, as she likes to say, “the community that raised me."
She has a wide range of personal and professional experiences that have developed her fresh eyes and out-of-the-box perspective that will contribute significantly to the growth of Athens.
Stephanie has more than 25 years of professional and executive-level experience in the public and private sectors. She’s held various positions in the insurance, banking, and biopharmaceutical industries. Her most recent experience was as a former employee of Athens-Clarke County, where she worked in the Finance Department and the Office of Operation Analysis for more than a decade.
Stephanie’s proven institutional knowledge and deep understanding of the inner-workings of ACC make her the most qualified candidate prepared to work on day one.
Her campaign will seek to connect with District 6 constituents in the coming weeks to learn about issues important to them. “My campaign will speak to our community’s needs to address public safety and crime in response to recent events, promote transparency and accountability in our local government, and to finally put people over politics in District 6,” she said in making the announcement. Johnson will also address issues of homelessness, traffic, property taxes, and fiscal responsibility.
"People need to feel connected to and supported by their local government again. This intentional outreach will be a foundational pillar of my campaign. District 6 has been ignored for far too long. The time is NOW for District 6 to get on the right track and receive equal infrastructure and funding attention afforded to the other districts in Athens-Clarke County,” Johnson added.
A formal campaign launch is scheduled for Monday, March 4, 2024, from 6 to 8 pm. The event will be at 3812 Atlanta Highway, Athens, GA 30606. All are welcome.