Meet Your Ward 4 Candidates

Mark Adams, a Douglasville native and John Moyse, a former military officer, are both running for Douglasville City Council to represent Ward 4.

No incumbents are seeking to hold their council seats during the 2011 election, including Mayor Pro Tem and Ward 4 City Council Member John R. Schildroth, who has been on the council since 2003.

"I desire to preserve the lifestyle and values I was able to experience as I grew up in my hometown of Douglasville," Adams said. "Though I support growth and progress, which we must have to survive, I also desire that same small-town way of life for our children and future generations. I believe we can have both."

Adams graduated from Georgia State University with a Bachelor's degree in Accounting in 1977. Initially working in retail banking, Adams has been self employed since 1981, working in the residential construction industry while building new homes and remodeling. He holds state licenses in Georgia and Alabama and is an associate broker with Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate, Metro Brokers and also currently works as a substitute bus driver for the.

"I want a cooperative spirit between our City and County governments, working as a team to promote and encourage new business development in our community," Adams said. "If elected, be assured that I will serve the residents of this ward and not any pre-conceived political agenda. I sincerely hope to have this opportunity."

Moyse served as an Army military police officer for the past 25 years and graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY. Moyse married his wife, Tammy, in front of the Douglas County Courthouse while he was on leave between tours in Afganistan and Iraq.

"A funny thing happened while I was deployed, my family made Douglasville our home," Moyse said. "So it was no surprise that when I retired in August of this year, we decided to stay here in Douglasville. It's a good thing too, since there is no way we could sell our house even if we wanted to, since there are a surplus of houses in this city and county, let alone a bad economy to boot.

"This leads me to why I'm running for City Councilman for Ward 4," Moyse said. "I have a simple philosophy in life, if you aren't willing to be a part of the solution, then you have no right to complain about those who are actually trying to do something. That said, I want to be the voice of the people of Ward 4, to assist in making a better Douglasville and Douglas County, bring back property values, jobs and ensure we invest in projects that will enhance our community and protect our future.

"We need to continue to plan for the future," he continued, "but right now we need to focus on fixing existing issues and disconnects such as improving our schools and repair our relationship with the County. Why throw money at a downtown conference center, with no guarantee of job growth, let alone no thought to all the other issues that will end up costing the tax payers, when the schools that are educating the future of Douglasville and Douglas County don't meet state standards. Let's not look to bring new companies and new construction into Douglas County, instead we should focus on creating jobs for our citizens and making use of all the excess housing and store frontage we have in both the City and County."

Adams has been married to Sandra Pilgrim Adams for 33 years. They have two daughters, Katie and Christy.

Moyse also has two daughters, Amber and Stephanie both attend and a son, Dalton, who is going to Bright Star Elementary.

"My wife and I take great pride in being a part of our children's education and schools, as members of the PTA, we have seen multiple times the shortage of funds, the need for expansion and growth, and the need for additional teachers at both these schools," Moyse said.

The general election will be held on Nov. 8 and voter registration ends on Oct. 11. Early voting will be held from Oct. 18 to Oct. 28. Advanced voting will be held Oct. 31 to Nov. 4 at the Douglas County Courthouse.

To see get more information about the overall Douglasville election picture, read here.