A special election on Tuesday, March 15, will determine which of two candidates will take the Post 4 seat on the Sugar Hill City Council.
Alvin Hicks and Mike Sullivan will vie for the seat, which was previously held by Nic Greene, who submitted his resignation to the city in January.
The special election will be held from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 15, at Sugar Hill City Hall at 5039 W. Broad St.
The North Gwinnett Voice asked both candidates to submit a candidate profile and answer several questions regarding their candidacy and expectations for the future of Sugar Hill. The following are the candidates’ responses.
Alvin Hicks
• Occupation: Has worked in network operations for AT&T for the past 19 years
• Education: Attended Shorter University
• Political experience: None
• Contact information: alvinhicks4sugarhill@gmail.com
Why are you seeking election to the Sugar Hill City Council?
“I am seeking election to Sugar Hill City Council to expand in the way I can give back to my community. My family and I have lived in Sugar Hill for 7 years and we’ve met some amazing people within our community. It’s special to see how we band together for the greater good when given the opportunity. … I want to give that opportunity.”
What do you think you bring to the table as a candidate?
“I feel I bring a fresh perspective with progressive solutions that maintains the integrity and values of our community. I also feel with 15+ years in leadership, managing domestic and international teams, this allows me to continue to lead by listening first.”
What do you see for the future of Sugar Hill?
“For the future of Sugar Hill, I envision a community that preserves our family values, where you see families and kids outside enjoying our beautiful parks, taking walks and shopping at our locally owned small businesses.”
Mike Sullivan
• Occupation: Software engineer manager
• Education: Bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech
• Political experience: Served 12 years on the Sugar Hill City Council
• Contact information: mike4sugarhill22@gmail.com
Why are you seeking election to the Sugar Hill City Council?
“I was on the council from 2006-2017. We had an outstanding DDA chair that had also been selected as Sugar Hill’s 2015 Volunteer of the Year. He was ready, so I decided not to run. Taylor Anderson has been a great council member for Sugar Hill, and I’m glad he’s on the council. I’ve missed being able to represent the citizens for these last 4 years and I saw this as an opportunity to run again. With the recent churn in council members, I think I’ll be a good addition to the team.”
What do you think you bring to the table as a candidate?
“I’ve seen the council act both divisively and as a team. Teams don’t have to agree, and they don’t have to have the same priorities, but they work together, putting the city first. While I bring some history of where we’ve been and how we got to where we are, the decisions we make will impact what the city feels like in 5, 10, and 20 years from now. I believe I add value in that long term city view.”
What do you see for the future of Sugar Hill?
“Sugar Hill will see growth. We can’t stop it, we can direct it. I think downtown Sugar Hill is going in the right direction and I want to see it mature in these next 4 years. It won’t be done growing, but I’m hoping it’ll have finished a growth spurt. We’ve got some important decisions to make on land the city already owns near the Chattahoochee. The opportunities for residential or commercial development of that land would be fiscally strong for the city, but I think the land is more valuable to the citizens as a passive park with trails. We might find a compromise, but we’ll never get a redo on that decision.”
