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I want to start by thanking everyone who made it out to the polls to vote for me today; I am very humbled by your choice to have me represent you in our City’s government.  While it would take forever to thank everyone who has helped us in our campaign, it would be a mistake not to first thank my family for allowing me time away from them while on the campaign trail, Tom Collins my campaign manager who was the first to sign on, Janet Love my finance manager who helped me navigate through the campaign rules, and Brandi Dzikowski who helped me as my volunteer coordinator. 

I would also like to acknowledge the fine campaign my opponent, Jim Herold, ran and thank him for choosing to run a positive campaign.  It was very important that we get as many people to the polls as possible and negative campaigns tend to drive the voters away. 

We have laid down a roadmap for things we want to see in the future for the citizens in Flowery Branch: improved communication between the residents and government, planned development where the city provides the infrastructure before building occurs, fiscal accountability so that the citizens do not bare an unfair cost of development, and fair appropriations so that all of the citizens receive the benefits from our city government.  As a newly elected member of the Flowery Branch City Council I look forward to working with the other council members, staff and citizens to make Flowery Branch the best place to live in America. 

Let's look at the math.  Under the old contract the city collected $11 per month from the citizens but was charged by Red Oak $8.50 per month per household.  I called the city and discovered that there are 1698 households that take the trash service.  This amounted to a surplus of $50,940 per year ({$11-$8.50}*1968*12 months) that would normally be transferred into the general fund to pay for overhead or any other expense that your tax dollars would be spent on. 

With the new contract, the city still collects $11 per month, but now pays Red Oak $10.42 which leaves a surplus of $11,818 or a loss of $39,122 annually.  In other words we are paying almost $40,000 per year for garbage cans.  So does than mean we will get new cans every 3 years?  I don't think so.  It means that the city now has to find $40k somewhere in the budget or raise our taxes.  

Since this is a political forum, I should mention that my opponent  motioned to approve this contract and then voted for it.  If broken cans were the main driver for the contract, the city would have been better off just replacing the broken cans.  Let's assume that there are 100 cans that need to be replaced this year, it would have only cost the city $6,500 to replace the cans (assuming we couldn't get a better price than $65 per can) leaving us over $32,000 per year better than this current contract.   

Just two days until the big day.  We are on the last push to try and get the vote out.  Since I can't think of anything real inspiring to say, here are some words from George W. Bush's inaugural address in 2001; "We are bound by ideals that teach us what it means to be citizens. Every child must be taught these ideals. Every citizen must uphold them.... I ask you to be citizens. Citizens, not spectators. Citizens, not subjects. Responsible citizens building communities of service and a nation of character."

Are you motivated now?  I ask you to remind your neighbors and friends to get out and vote.  See you at the polls on Tuesday.  

I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend.   

While it is nice to be small, you can't ignore the fact that Atlanta continues to march north.  It will be important to try and maintain the small town feel as we continue grow.  Thanks again Flowery Branch for adopting me and my family into your community.  

And thanks for getting out to early vote.  When I went by City Hall after lunch today we were at 43 votes.  That is a great start.   Let's have a big showing on Tuesday.  

I can't begin to tell everyone how much I have enjoyed this process.  Win or lose, it has been one of the greatest learning experiences of my life.  I have been able to meet so many new people and start to develop new friendships.  Overall, this has been a great blessing.  And to all of you who have e-mailed, called or told me that you have already voted for me, I can not begin to tell you how humbled I am for your support.  

My opponent's  platform now seems to be that things have been going well the last couple of years, so let's not change the city's direction.  Don't believe me, click here and hear it for yourself.  So, how do you think things been going?  Ordinance 330 to increase our millage rate for 2006; Ordinance 332 to place a 3% franchise fee on your local phone bill; and Ordinance 350 to place a 4% fee on our power bill.  All I have seen is more money from my paycheck going to the city.  

Then I was doubly blessed when friends and supporters came over today to help me on the campaign trail.  I think we hit over 400 homes today reminding everyone that early voting begins tomorrow.  I received some great feedback while out meeting many of you and now I am on the top of the world again.  Thank you so much Flowery Branch!

Oh, by the way, the Gainesville Times ran another article today.  Click here to view it.  Click here to listen to a brief clip of my interview. Just for your information, I did this interview while on the way to a softball game.  Pretty quick thinking; wouldn't you say?

We already know that we have a surplus on our trash service that could be considered a tax as well.  For me these additional "fees" amount to more than a 20% increase in taxes since 2006.  This is compounded by the fact that I am unable to itemize these taxes for my federal returns making them even more costly.  We must control spending before the city finds other creative ways to charge us.     

Yesterday in the public hearing Newland Communities proposed a rezoning of Spout Springs and Lake Sterling to commercial.  As you are aware, with the increased traffic volumes on Spout Springs, the new library and the growing church, this intersection is becoming more and more dangerous.  It would appear that the city is o.k. with the change in zoning, and recommends that a traffic study be done in the future.  I say do the study now and delay any further build out until the study is completed, recommendations have been made and solutions implemented.  That way we can be sure that we are following the correct course. 

Our waste treatment facility is out of capacity and our police department is burdened with writing enough tickets to meet their budget, yet the city plans to target vacant buildings for demolition thereby reducing the assessed value of the property and tax base.  The assumption is that by declaring a building unsafe and receiving an abatement order, the city can open up for future development.  But how can they develop if there is no waste treatment capacity?  First things first, we need to maintain our tax digest and use the money wisely.  We also need to insure that as we expand the waste treatment facility we use the TAD money for the development of Flowery Branch, not Hall County or Oakwood. 

I propose that we prioritize our infrastructure before our development.  

For the past two years I have tried to keep up with the activities of our city government; it has not been easy.  First, the meetings are generally held at a time that is not convenient to a person who works for a living, most of the time ordinances are passed before they are available in the minutes, and to obtain information on ordinances I have to call the city, ask for a copy, then pay $.25 per page. 

Let’s look at the 4 ordinances that are being discussed right now: 348-5, 356-1, 360, and 372.  Did you know there was a public hearing tonight on these ordinances?  There were several Flowery Branch citizens at the meeting tonight; but I was the only one to comment on any of the ordinances (Probably because I was the only one to get a copy for $6 and change).   I did have a question to ask, what is the motivation behind the unsafe building ordinance?  This is what I said: 

“If there is one thing I know about city ordinances, it is that they do not happen in a vacuum.  In other words, there is a reason, purpose or motive behind the need for the ordinance. 

An ordinance is not written up and passed without thought given to how it will be used and enforced.  As I have walked around, I have noticed several vacant buildings that could be declared as unsafe or do not meet code.  This ordinance puts a process into place where you could have a court of law decide the future of the dwelling or business. 

When looking at the city’s image, things need to be balanced and put into perspective.  In this case, while many of these buildings are unsightly, is the city better off with the building or vacant lot?  I randomly checked several of these buildings and found that their improvements, while probably not usable anymore, contribute to over 70% of the tax-assessed value for the property. 

So where the city has been collecting tax dollars on an unusable building by enforcing this ordinance we are saying that for the image of the community we would rather forgo a large part of your tax to the city.  And if this is the case, this ordinance which references Georgia Code 41-2-15 allows for our city to assist the owner with any demolition or repairs; do you envision a mechanism to help the owner even though it could result in a decreased future tax revenue?  Or do you see this as a way to gain leverage on the property owner so that you can provide compensation for the property under 41-2-14? 

I would be more interested in seeing how you intend to apply Ordinance 372 rather than you just reading it to me for my information.  So, what is the motive for the ordinance here?” 

The response….. “Mr. Lutz, thank you for your comments”.

So what is the solution?  First, ordinances that are pending should be posted on the web site for viewing.  I have heard that the city has to pay an administrator to do this on their site.  If elected, I will do it on my site like what is shown here.  Also, when direct questions are asked, I will ensure that they are answered.  I may not know the answer at that time, but I will ensure that you get an answer.  I will also work to get the council meetings moved to a reasonable time where the majority of the working residents can attend if desired.  

Can you believe that we are two weeks away from the election?  Wow! 

Well, the election is going great!  While I continue to cycle from I'm going to win to I'm going to lose about 10 times a day, I am having fun and I think I am learning a lot.  This process has enabled me to meet new friends that I would have otherwise never have met.  

I think there are a lot of reasons why I am doing this, but the most important reason is that I feel that I have something to contribute to the community.  I believe we can make Flowery Branch a better place to live and work.  And, I'm having a lot of fun!  

I am hoping that this was just a case of the message not being loud enough.  So, it looks like it is time to turn up the volume on the campaign.  As George Jean Nathan once said, "Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote".   Let's get ready to get out and vote!!!  

Another busy day started with another loss on the tennis courts.  It was a great match and the guys we played against were a lot of fun.  After lunch my daughter and I took off on the campaign trail knocking on doors in hopes of meeting and getting to know you.  Everyone was so nice.  I was even invited into a house that had my opponents sign out front. 

We had the Meet the Candidate Forum tonight and I had a blast.  I got a chance to meet a lot of you and I hope that you had a chance to learn a little about the candidates.  I must say that while I have done sermons in church, I have done presentations for business and school; I have never done anything quite like this.  If you were unable to make the Forum, you can view my speech here.   

Happy Birthday Fran!  Tonight while celebrating my Mother-in-Law’s birthday at Longhorn with my family, I received a call from Jessica Jordan of the Gainesville Times for a quick phone interview.  Well, since my salad hadn’t arrived yet and I knew I had a softball game that night, we went ahead and knocked it out.  Jessica asked 3 questions: what are my qualifications for office, what do I want to accomplish while in office, and what do I hope to get out of the Meet the Candidates Forum. 

As it turns out I had been thinking about similar questions as I prepared for the Forum.  I would say the three most common questions asked of me have been why run, why me, and what do I want to do for the city.  If the article makes the paper tomorrow, I will update this blog entry with the link.  More importantly, if it is in the paper tomorrow, you will get a sneak preview to the why me, and what I want to do for the city questions.  

The Gainesville Times called me today for a picture.  It looks like the Times is going to run a Public Service Announcement (PSA) on the Meet the Candidate Forum being held this Thursday at 6:30 in the Sterling on the Lake Clubhouse.  Awhile-back Ken Rada (the person who took the family picture on my front page) told me that he would take a picture that could be used for these types of things.  Unfortunately, I dragged my feet and tonight my wife took this for me to send: 

What a goofball.  Oh well, don’t laugh too hard when you see it in the paper.  A little friendly advice, when a photographer offers to take a picture for you, take him up on it!!!!! 

Happy Columbus Day!  Is there another holiday that recognizes such a colossal mistake?  I mean Christopher Columbus was looking for a passage to India. Did he think he missed China when he ran into the new world and named the natives “Indians”?  I guess old Columbus gets bashed enough these days; I can only hope that one day I can show the courage he displayed back in 1492.

As I start to prepare for the “Meet the Candidates Forum” I wonder to myself, what will my opponent say during his 5-7 minutes?  Will he try to defend his record?  Will he say that he has experience and I don’t?  Will he try and spin items on my website?   Hmmm.  I ponder this and wonder how I should approach the limited time allowed.  Should I call him out on his record or should I just focus on what I can do for the community?  I am guessing that there will be something in the middle.  Please e-mail me and let me know what you would like to hear in my 5-7 minutes.   

It will also be interesting to hear what the other candidates say.  To any casual observer, it looks like a 2 party race with coalitions formed between the seats.  Will there be some cross-seat politics during the forum?  It almost has a Survivor feel to it; will an alliance help or hurt?   

• -> Tom Collins, my Campaign Manager, was the first person to step in behind me when I took my first step forward.  Personally, I think it was to keep me from stepping back to the line. 
• -> Janet Love, my Finance Manager, my dad always said that if you were going to do something, do it right.  Janet is my CPA and I knew she would be the one to make sure we could navigate the complexities of campaign finance rules.
• -> Brandi Dzikowski, my volunteer coordinator, she got stuck with me because her mom wanted to make sure she married well.  You see her mom worked for me and when I was hiring someone for my staff, she slipped Brandi’s husband’s resume into the pile.  He turned out to be a perfect fit for my group and got the job.  Brandi turned out to be the perfect trooper as she got stuck playing softball with us and putting up with me when I would talk politics to her husband into the wee hours of the morning.  She stepped into a huge space and has been a great blessing.

I am looking forward to seeing everyone on October 11 at the Sterling Club House.  The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.  If you need directions, feel free to send me an e-mail. 

At today’s City Council meeting, three citizens came forward to ask the city for help on the new concrete median placed on Spout Springs Road by I-985.  The owner of the BP station, the owner of the Fitness Center and a property owner all complained about the loss of business and potential safety concerns due to the inability of the Fire Department to access Holland Dam Road from westbound Spout Springs.   

Before I comment, I want to stress that due to the limited space under I-985, the proximity to I-985, and safety concerns, I am in favor of the median; allowing left turns from westbound Spout Springs will cause major traffic issues and allowing left turns from Holland Dam Road will result in accidents.  That being said, there were two things that bothered me: 1- the city did not understand the problem that was stated and 2- my opponent took an “it’s not our job” attitude. 

My first issue is that the citizens were complaining about the ability to turn left from Spout Springs Road, not turning left onto Spout Springs Road, but the city focused on the safety issues of the latter, not the traffic problems of the former.  While the citizens would have liked to rebut and clarify their position, they were not allowed to do so.  If given a chance they would have asked for Holland Dam Road to be a right turn only with the ability to turn left off of Spout Springs (once again, I see major traffic nightmares in that solution), but they were prevented from proposing this solution. 

The other issue I had was with the fact that my opponent lead the charge that it wasn’t the city's problem even though it was a city road.  He said that the county, state and federal government had control of the traffic patterns here.  Our government is based on a representative democracy; our elected leaders are charged with the responsibility to act on behalf of the people’s interest, but not always according to their wishes.  In this case, if it was in the people's interest, the city should have taken the issue to the responsible parties on the people's behalf. 

If elected, I will have the courage to say “no” when a decision is not for the best interest for the entire city.  I will not send citizens away with the story that it wasn’t my job to fix the problem.  And even if it wasn’t the city’s job, as your representative to government, I will try and get the issue into the right people’s hands. 

Here we are into October.  I have a couple of days I want you to block out: October 11 and October 28. 

The meet the candidate forum is on the 11^th and I would like to see you there.  It should be a good time to hear what I am about and why I should represent you at our city council. 

We are also organizing a rally for our volunteers and supporters for the 28^th.  We would like to cover the city with volunteers and make sure the vote gets out for the election.  I have some friends that will be cooking up something special for you when you get back to camp.  If you would like to volunteer or swing by, please send an e-mail to our volunteer coordinator, Brandi.

Speaking of Brandi, I think she may have snuck up on some of you.  Brandi has agreed to the position of Volunteer Coordinator (SuckerJ).  She is a native from Atlanta, a Business Graduate from Georgia State University, a wife, and a mother of a 1-year-old son.  I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am having her on our team.  Feel free to e-mail her if you have ideas on how you can help the vote4lutz campaign. 

I have been blessed for the past couple of years by managing a web site for Wayne and Terry McCarty, missionaries in Africa.  Today we found out that the mission they have been working on has been under attack by the enemy (Spiritual) and they have asked me to pull down their web site while they literally fight for their lives in Nairobi.   

John Calvin, the French Protestant Theologian, said; "For earthly princes lay aside their power when they rise up against God, and are unworthy to be reckoned among the number of mankind. We ought, rather, to spit upon their heads than to obey them." (Commentary on Daniel, Lecture XXX Daniel 6:22)  Please keep Wayne and Terry in your prayers as they deal with the enemy in Kenya.

“Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict.” (William Ellery Channing) 

This is only a partial solution for the city.  We will still have issues with the traffic under the I-985 exit.  If the city is ever going to be truly united, we will need to be able to get from one side to the other.  

I have started to prep myself for the “Meet the Candidate” forum.  In case the format winds up being a debate style, I have started collecting notes on my opponents voting record.  It has been very interesting reading the old minutes from the city council meetings and seeing the divisiveness that strangled the city.  The other interesting thing is the fact that there is no opposition now; it seems like all of the votes are unanimous in nature.  Mo Udall, the former U.S. Representative who served in Congress for 30 years once said, “If you can find something everyone agrees on, it's wrong.”  

I look forward to seeing you all on October 11. 

The “Meet the Candidates” forum has been set!!! We still do not know the format, but we do know that it will be held on October 11 at 6:30pm at the Sterling on the Lake clubhouse.  I spoke with the event coordinator, Erin Jackson, and she informed me that my opponent has accepted the invitation to be there.  This should be fun!!!!

I should get more details on the format next week.  I encourage you to come by that night to get a personal introduction to who I am and what I stand for.  I look forward to seeing you there. 

Out of postcards!!! The team has placed 1,000 postcards onto mailboxes or in your hands.  We are down to business cards until I can get some more postcards ordered.  I want to thank everyone that has helped to get the cards out. 

I look forward to meeting you all soon. 

The message at church today was, “How do you spend your time?”  How you spend your time determines your motivation, gifting, and destiny.  This afternoon my time was spent with my wife walking through several neighborhoods meeting a lot of nice people (and 1 or 2 that didn’t want anything placed on their mailbox).   

The campaign to flyer all of Flowery Branch is about 75% completed.   Those of you whom I have been able to talk to, I just want to thank you for your time and interest.  A few of you have asked about where you can get registered to vote; here are a few ways: 1- you can click here to get an online application to be mailed in, 2- you can contact Hall County Voter Registration, or 3- you can visit the Flowery Branch city hall to pick up an application. 

I hope to see you all soon!

What a busy day.  I won my first set in ALTA this morning (yea!), but I think my partners back will be sore for a week from carrying me the whole match.  My girls didn’t fair well at soccer, both losing close matches, but bounced back while picking apples.  The afternoon was spent working on an international finance assignment for my MBA class. 

This morning I met with some of the men in the neighborhood to tell stories and share information on the goings around.  One of them made a suggestion to have a “meet the candidates night”.  I think this is a great idea and I hope it can be pulled together.

While walking around meeting people, the most popular question asked of me is if I am a Democrat or Republican.  I normally respond that I am “very conservative”, which brings a chuckle because it seems like a very political and non-committal answer.  My ideals align more with the Republican ideals, but since I am not a party member (yet), I find that it is best way of describing who I am.  So, if you meet me after reading this, just ask me what party I am from so we can both get a good laugh out of it.   I look forward to seeing you soon.  

I went to another city council/ public hearing meeting today.  No one, other than Councilman Jim Herold, spoke about the “Tax Increase”; but to some extent since there is no change in the millage rate, I guess I can understand why.  Jim let the media know that the increase was due to increased value of property and new property added.  I for one can tell you that my property taxes have only increased by 1.6%.  Overall, my issue has been with other taxes like City Ordinance 350.

Let me start by addressing a comment made to me by one of my neighbors when he said, “negativism and anti-city attitude does nothing to build good working relationships for the betterment of all of us who live in Flowery Branch.”  I have been reflecting on this comment for awhile and while reading the bible today I came across Ephesians 4:29 which says; “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen (NIV).” 

I want to focus more on what needs to improve and the services I can offer rather than focusing on the “negativism”.  I want everyone to know that I am not “anti-city”.  I think if I were, I wouldn’t be running for office.  If any of you feel that I am taking an “unwholesome” approach, please e-mail or call me.  I believe in accountability and I want to know when you see something that seems unwhole with me. 

The Vote4Lutz campaign ran into its first obstacle today.  The developer, Newland Communities, has made a ruling that campaign signs are not allowed until 2 weeks prior to the election.  This certainly places me at a disadvantage as compared to the incumbent.  My neighborhood gives me some home field advantages that the developer has now negated. 

As conspiracy theories run amok, I would like to say that we are asking the developer to reconsider their ruling and allow us 6 weeks to display our signs.  In the mean time, I have been given until Thursday to remove my signs.  If you live in Sterling and you have requested or placed a sign, I will come by and place it by your garage until we have this mess straightened out.  Thanks for all your support!!!! 

Look at the surprise my campaign manager had for me today!!  Wow!!!  Pinch me because I think I am dreaming.  Tom Collins had this sign placed right on Main Street and I have already had several people contact me about their concerns and aspirations for Flowery Branch. 

I have been asked about how it feels to see your name on signs around town and I can say that it feels surreal.  I think the only thing that will top this is on November 6^th when I go to the polls and place a checkmark by my name:)

Happy Patriots Day!!!  The American Heritage Dictionary defines a patriot as one who loves, supports, and defends one’s county.  God bless the American Patriots!!  As I reflect back to August of 1989, standing in a room with red carpet, raised hand, vowing to defend this country from enemies both foreign and domestic, I never considered that one day I would be taking part in the very thing that makes me love my country so much, the democratic process. 

I hope everyone had a great day.  Please never forget. 

Today I went to City Council meeting.  It wasn’t a real exciting agenda: the approval of a truck route around town, what to do with unpaid bills, fixing a typo on a resolution, and the authorization of a contract.  Pretty ho hum.  But then…. 

Then the council meeting closed and a public hearing started about our taxes.  While the millage rate remained the same, the overall assessment of property value increased resulting in almost 7% more city revenue from property taxes.  (Click here for the article).  While I do not remember reading a public notice for this hearing (that doesn’t mean it wasn’t published), I find it unusual that this has kind of been kept under the radar.  I see this as another example on how the council does not communicate.  In fact, I would say that they don’t want our opinion at all. 

BTW: Signs and post cards have been ordered.  If you would like a sign for your yard or you would like to help the campaign in another way, please click here.

Qualified!!! Looks like there are just two of us running for City Council post 1.  That is good news because it means there won’t be a runoff; it is just the incumbent and I.  Now it is real.  As a campaign our challenge will be to get out the vote and ensure that the issues are communicated to everyone in Flowery Branch.  I look forward to getting out in the community and meeting everyone soon.  

It is official!!! I am now a candidate for political office.  While on the one hand I feel like I am taking part in the American experience I am reminded that Thomas Paine once wrote, “Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.”  It is my desire to maintain government in the best state. 

I am looking forward to seeing whom I will be running against.  I am expecting a fair and honest look at how together we will design the future of Flowery Branch.  I look forward to getting out to meet you all very soon. 

A few of you have asked that I elaborate on the correlation between Flowery Branch and New Orleans that I mention in my Bio.  To begin to understand the story, you need to rewind back to September of 2005.  It was the time shortly after the hurricane Katrina hit and the levees failed.  I was working in the BellSouth EOC (Emergency Operations Center) on Labor Day listening to the conference calls and confusion.  Click here to get the rest of the story. 

Heraclitus said, "Nothing endures but change".  Certainly technology has changed, but so did my responsibilities within the company as I worked my way into leadership with BellSouth.  Gail Sheehy said, "If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we aren't really living."   The last quote I would like to share is from the poet Maya Angelou; "If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain."  Hmmm, there might be some clues here as to why I am running for office.  

My heart received a lift today when Janet Love agreed to serve as the Fundraising Director/Treasurer for the Lutz campaign.  Janet is a good friend of our family and the best accountant I have ever been around.  She has held several volunteer positions like Love In Action, an organization that ministered to individuals with AIDS.  Her duties included loving on infants that were abandoned at birth due to the AIDS infection.   

The Lutz campaign shifted into high gear today when Tom Collins agreed to take the position of Campaign Manager.  Tom is a retired educator who has been extensively involved with the Georgia Association of Educators and their PAC.  He has worked on various campaigns from County Commissioners to the Secretary of Education.   

We have come to the end of the 1^st week on the campaign trail and things are going great.  I have sent the site out to friends for feedback and help.  I have already had a lot of response and have incorporated many of your suggestions into the web site.   

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