Today, Nov. 7, Savannah voters are heading to the polls to cast their ballot for the Municipal General Election. Connect Savannah spoke with voters about the issues that are top of mind as they decide the future leadership of the city.

Martell Merritt, a Savannah native, said, “The issues [that] were important were about crime. We know that one person can’t control crime. But if we get a city council that is back together, without all that arguing and fussing and fighting, we can move forward and tackle the issue of crime, the youth, housing. I think those were the most important ones.”

Merritt’s hope for the future: “I hope we continue to move forward. I am grateful to the current mayor that he raised the minimum wage for city workers and I’m hoping that we can get the minimum wage raised for other workers and that we continue to move forward and like we said, we tackle the homeless issue and the housing issue.”

For Natasha Garvin-Holmes, a Savannah native for 53 years, the challenges she sees in the city include “The violence in our city, seeing so many young people, suicide, the drugs being affected in the city. I’ve never seen it so [crazy] in this city and around the world, but especially in our city, and where the young people don’t have enough, I think, activities because when I was coming up, there were more places to go, more activities,” she said. “I just want to see more people getting involved in helping the young people find their way and not just to violence and guns and drugs, but there’s a better way.”  

When asking Garvin-Holmes about her hope for the city’s future she said, “I hope to see more inclusiveness with all the people of Savannah, not just cliques, but a more inclusive Savannah that everyone gets a seat at the table and it’s equally divided, equally shared.”

Frederick Bailey has been a full-time resident in Savannah since 2015. “For me, crime, generally, just the progress I think the mayor has made in keeping the city safe, feeling safe and actually safe. And the balance between the development, particularly commercial development, and historic preservation,” Bailey said about issues facing the city.

“I’m hoping they can strike that balance I think that the voters and the citizens [are] looking for. And obviously, keep the city hospitable to our visitors that come, it’s a large part of the economy and things that are happening out on I-16 and 95 are very encouraging for economic development with the Hyundai plant. I just hope the balance can be maintained between smart development and preserving what we all appreciate and enjoy here as citizens.”

Gale Steves, a resident of Savannah for 13 years said, “I think that we’ve got a lot of issues getting our council back to civility is number one. Number two, I believe, is that we’ve got to balance tourism and the residents.”  

Looking to the future, Steves said, “I’m very optimistic. I think young families all over Savannah are the sign of life and I think we’ve got a good superintendent of schools, better educated children who can face the world and that’s what I hope Savannah can provide them with.”

Marsha Scott has been a proud Savannah resident all her life. “Affordable housing, number one,” she said about issues in the city. “Keeping the small hometown feeling with Savannah.”

Her hope for the future: “That we will all get along, that we will get together and that everyone will be happy and we will thrive.”

Steve Gerard has lived in Savannah about 21 years. When asked about issues he finds important he said, “I think pretty much the standard things that we’re all paying attention to. Crime, we need to bring down, affordable housing, county taxes, I don’t know how much the city is going to be able to help with that, but city taxes as well. I’m concerned with the extreme pace of growth of hotels and as I said earlier, lack of affordable housing and I don’t necessarily feel like in the last bunch of years the city government has been working together as well as they could. I’m hoping that we can bring candidates in that are going to work together for the betterment of our city.”

For the future of Savannah, Gerard said, “I don’t mind growth. I would like some healthy growth, sustaining our historic district and the historic status of the city is very important. Just continuing to be this beautiful place where we all live and work and I like to share it with other people.”
   

This article appears in Connect Savannah | November, 2023.