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Social media handle: Brandon Hembree | Facebook
Party affiliation: N/A
Salary: $500 monthly
Age: 46
If you have a second job, please list it here: Partner at Impact Public Affairs
What inspired you to run for mayor?
I have always had a great love for the community that my wife, Tara, and I have called home since we were first married. My inspiration to run for Mayor came from serving as the President of my neighborhood’s Home Owners Association, serving on City Council for eight years, and a desire to build upon and maintain the sense of community that we, on a daily basis, experience in Sugar Hill. Tara and I have claimed Sugar Hill as our hometown and want it to be the very best that it can be.
What are the three most pressing issues you believe your city faces? How are you addressing them? What people or entities are you enlisting to get these things done?
The three opportunities we have as a city are not unique to Sugar Hill and involve: planning for future growth; designing the live, work, play, and worship community that is in high demand for all demographic groups; and maintaining the sense of community that helps ensure a thriving and livable city. We are addressing these opportunities through planning, as well as by encouraging public and private investments in amenities like green space, sidewalks, parks and recreation, and our downtown area. We will address these opportunities with the help of our community groups, like the Youth Council, and through the input of our residents in Sugar Hill.
Describe your main goals for your first term in office.
For my first term of office, I hope the city can make continued investments into parks and recreation, green space, and the Sugar Hill Greenway. In addition, I hope to raise awareness about and make investments towards our Chattahoochee River Corridor. The Chattahoochee River, Lake Lanier, and the Chattahoochee National Recreation area are important assets that are under-appreciated and underutilized, but all three have the potential to help us achieve important community and economic development goals.
How will you foster a strong relationship with your constituents and ensure you are addressing their needs?
Open communication with constituents is key to fostering a strong relationship and knowing needs to address, and I am making this a priority through community engagement opportunities like “Ask the Mayor,” monthly “Meet and Greet” days, and just making my personal cell phone number available to residents.
You are involved with several local committees and boards, including the Sugar Hill Historic Preservation Society, the Gwinnett Municipal Association, the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce and the Sugar Hill Business Alliance. How does participating in all of these organizations help you to be a better mayor?
The members of these organizations help me be a better Mayor because, through involvement in these organizations, they teach me about important issues that affect the Sugar Hill community.
Why are you proud to call your city home?
I am proud to call Sugar Hill my home because it combines the very best attributes for a community – active and engaged residents, great schools, great churches, great non-profits, a strong sense of community, outdoor resources like Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee River, a unique history, great parks and greenspace, and a bright future.
Click here for a map to learn more about Sugar Hill. (Created by Maggie Lee)