The future of Sandy Springs will be much different than the last eight years.
The last piece of that puzzle fell into place on Dec. 3, as Andy Bauman defeated rival John Stoj in the municipal runoff elections for the District 6 City Council seat. Bauman received 66.5 percent of the vote, with 644 votes. Stoj received 373 votes.
Bauman and Stoj finished in first and second place in the Nov. 5 elections, beating three other candidates to advance to the Dec. 3 runoff. Stoj and Bauman became the frontrunners early in that race and spent much of the Nov. 5 campaign attacking each other. Bauman went after Stoj’s campaign finance forms, and Stoj told voters that Bauman was a Democrat, both issues being equally problematic in Georgia elections.
Both candidates turned down the heat on their rhetoric in the Dec. 3 runoff campaign and the attacks stopped.
“I’m elated, humbled and very excited to represent the Sixth District in the coming four years,” Bauman said. “With the campaign behind us there’s a lot of work to be done for our city and very important decisions to be made. I’m excited to get going and working with other members of the council and our mayor-elect.”
Stoj said he enjoyed the experience of campaigning.
“While I am disappointed, of course, after the effort expended on the campaign, I am sure that Sandy Springs and District 6 got a good councilman in Andy Bauman,” Stoj said. “The campaign was both fascinating and rewarding. Having the opportunity to get to know so many of our neighbors and our city that much better made me only more pleased to live in Sandy Springs and excited about our future.”
Bauman will replace outgoing Councilwoman Karen Meinzen McEnerny who decided not to seek a third term.
Bauman will join several other newcomers on the council when he’s sworn in this January.
Challenger Ken Dishman defeated incumbent Dianne Fries in the District 2 election. Graham McDonald will replace outgoing District 3 Councilman Chip Collins. District 1 Councilman John Paulson ran unopposed this year.
Only one returning member of the council, Tibby DeJulio, served on the city’s first council elected after the city incorporated in 2005. The new mayor, Rusty Paul, served on that first City Council during outgoing Mayor Eva Galambos’ first term.
With the departure of Galambos, McEnerny and Fries, the city of Sandy Springs will have no women council members for the first time in its history.