Politics & Government

Attorney, Former School Board Member Runs for City Council

Local attorney and former school board member Mike Miller is running for Douglasville City Council against Dennis McLain for for the Ward 2 Post 1 seat in the Nov. 5 general municipal election.

Editor's note: This is a solicited letter to the editor, written by Douglasville City Council candidate Mike Miller.

I am running for Douglasville City Council because I want my home town to be the best place to live, work, and play in the metro Atlanta area. The citizens of Douglasville must work together to make our city attractive to quality businesses so that we can build a bright future for our city.

I grew up in Douglas County and have lived and worked in Downtown Douglasville since 2001.

Over the past ...twelve years, I have actively worked with city leaders and other dedicated community volunteers on many committees and projects in an effort to recruit and sustain economic development in an effort to improve the standard of living for Douglasville citizens. I have served the city in leadership positions on the Downtown Development Authority and Historic Preservation Commission. During my time serving in those capacities, I worked tirelessly to fill vacant buildings, while preserving the historic charm of Douglasville. I worked with many people who endeavored to create a vibrant live, work, and play environment while building a stronger tax base for the city. Unfortunately, many of those efforts were stalled or thwarted.

As City Councilman, I am committed to encouraging private investment in the city, and I will not support initiatives, which use taxpayer dollars to compete with local private businesses. My candidacy for Douglasville City Council represents a new vision for a better Douglasville.

My goals as a City Councilman include:
1. Encouraging city/county cooperation with local economic development,
2. Developing plans for educational opportunities and alternatives in the city,
3. Strengthening the support of our public safety officials; and,
4. Utilizing the city Code of Ethics to guide city officials in their conduct and hold them accountable for potential questionable actions.

Economic Development
As a business owner, I understand the importance of quality private investment in our city. My first area of focus will be to work toward building a spirit of cooperation with Douglas County government in an effort to develop comprehensive strategic plans that are designed to increase the standard of living and reduce property taxes for city and county residents.

Education
Secondly, when I represented my neighbors on the Douglas County Board of Education, I often heard from concerned parents that Douglasville needed more alternatives for their children's education; as a result, I am committed to starting the conversation of increasing educational opportunities for city of Douglasville families.

Support Public Safety
Third, I fully support Douglasville's public safety professionals, and I know that they work hard to keep both citizens and city visitors safe. I understand the importance of supporting and valuing public safety so that we keep the best and most experienced officers on our city streets.

Ethics
Lastly, but most importantly, I support the utilization of the city's existing Ethics Ordinance. Employing an appropriate city Ethics Board will help promote ethical standards of conduct for city officials and serve as a deterrent from our city officials engaging in behavior, which may be a detriment to our city. I believe that enforcing the existing Code will also allow the city to take further steps to become a “City of Ethics”, thus giving businesses and citizens the confidence that our city officials do the right thing, the right way, at all times.

I am confident that working with city residents and businesses, the City of Douglasville can create a vibrant new identity and a better life for all its citizens. Join the campaign that will be the right voice for a better Douglasville.

His history
 

Michael J. Miller grew up in Douglasville, Georgia, where he attended Kings Way Christian School, Chapel Hill Elementary and Middle schools, and graduated with honors from Alexander High School in 1990. Mike is proud to be a product of the Douglas County School System. Mike is a graduate of the University of West Georgia where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics. Afterwards, he received a J.D. from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. Today, Mike is the managing attorney with the Douglasville firm of Miller & Hightower, P.C. where he operates a small business and practices in the areas of civil litigation, criminal defense, probate, and administrative law. Mike has been a legal advocate for thousands of individuals and businesses in the West Georgia Area over the past thirteen years. Mike also represented the people of Douglas County and Douglasville as a Member of the Board of Education, where he was a stalwart for fiscal responsibility and transparency. 

In 2004, Mike was named one of Georgia Trend Magazine's Top 40 under 40.  He attributes this honor to his dedicated work for his clients and his service to his community and the State of Georgia. Mike's experience in politics began in 1993 when he was an aide to three Committees in the Georgia House of Representatives. Mike went on to serve as a legislative aide to State Senator Perry McGuire in 1994. Shortly after his introduction to the legislative process, Mike joined the West Georgia College Republicans, and subsequently served as Vice-chairman in 1994-1995.

In 1995, Mike started working as an account executive for BellSouth Corporation, and became involved in the Douglas County Republican Party, where he served as a County Board member from 1995 to 1997.  Mike successfully ran the Party's fundraising projects and organized grassroots efforts until he began law school in 1997.  During this time, Mike also organized and chartered the West Metro Young Republican Club, serving Douglas, Carroll, and Paulding Counties.

Mike’s commitment to Douglas County brought him to clerk for the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office while attending law school. After Law School, Mike returned to his hometown in 2000, where he began working with the Law Firm of W. O’neal Dettmering, P.C. In contemplation of Mr. Dettmering’s appointment to the Douglas County State Court Bench, Mike began his own firm; practicing in the areas of criminal defense, civil litigation, and administrative and election law. He gained further litigation, and zoning and land use law experience during his tenure as an associate with the Douglas County firm of Hartley, Rowe & Fowler, P.C.

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In 2005, Mike again began his own firm, which became Miller & Hightower, after State Representative Dusty Hightower joined the practice in 2008.  Together, Miller & Hightower have developed a thriving boutique litigation practice concentrating on personal injury, wrongful death, workers’ compensation claims, criminal defense, probate, civil litigation and family law.

Outside of his law practice, Mike has contributed to numerous non-profit boards and local government commissions. Locally, the City of Douglasville appointed him to the Downtown Development Authority, and the Historic Preservation Commission, where he served as Chairman for both Boards.  In 2001, he accepted an appointment to Georgia's Blue Ribbon Young Driver DUI Study Commission, a legislative review board organized to develop legislation to reduce the number of deaths and injuries occurring on Georgia roads.  In 2003, Governor Perdue appointed Mike to the Secretary of State's Construction Industry Licensing Board, where he still today, helps to protect Georgia's consumers as well as the integrity of Georgia's sub-contractor industries. As a member of the Douglas County Board of Education, Mike served as the Finance and Insurance Committee Chairman and as the Board’s Legislative Liaison. Mike worked hard on the BOE to cut wasteful spending, saving the Douglas County tax payers millions of dollars during his term.  Mike also encouraged the BOE to be more transparent in its actions and institute policies that allow constitute input on Board decisions.

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Mike is a graduate of the 2002 Coverdell Leadership Institute, Leadership Douglas 2003, the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Regional Planning Academy 2004, and the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Regional Leadership Institute 2010. Mike is a Georgia Educational Policy Fellow, a Rotary Club Will Watt Fellow and has been a member of the Douglasville Twenty Year Future Land Use Planning Stakeholders’ Committee in 2003 and 2013. He has also served as Fundraising Chairman for the Boy Scouts of America, and been a board member for Sharehouse, Habitat for Humanity, and the Cultural Arts Council. Strong in his faith, Mike is a member of the Douglasville First United Methodist Church.


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