Today, November 18, 2025, was the last meeting of the Sky Valley City Council for the year. There is no meeting in December. The next meeting of the Sky Valley City Council is expected to be the first “organizational” meeting, on January 6, 2026, where three new City Council members and the new mayor will be sworn in. Thereafter, the schedule is likely to revert to the third Tuesday of the month. As promised during my campaign, I will work with the City Council and staff to schedule some meetings after-hours to facilitate attendance/participation for working residents.
On November 4, Beth Pence, Jesse Price and CareySue Beasley were the top three vote-getters of six candidates, who included incumbent Dan McAfee and Dee Van Camp and Jonathon Smith. Thanks to all who campaigned to serve on the City Council, and congratulations to the three winning candidates.
I’d like to express my gratitude also to outgoing Mayor Hollie Steil, who served three consecutive terms. I appreciate her service and that of outgoing council members Bruce Turner (withdrew his candidacy), Bill Oliver (did not run for re-election) and Dan McAfee (did not win re-election.) None of these positions are paid. The City Council and Mayor serve because they care about our City. Our visions for Sky Valley’s future may differ, but our hopes for its success are the same.
Once we are sworn in, the three new council members will serve alongside two incumbents: Tony Allred and Jim Curtis. Their seats are up for election in November 2026.
I would like to reiterate some points I have made in the past, and a few new.
- On November 5, the campaign was over. I am honored to serve as your next mayor. I look forward to moving us on as neighbors, and with civility. Again, candidates’ visions may differ but our goal is success for Sky Valley through the nonpartisan campaign platforms we espoused. For me, that platform is transparency, communication, integrity, and consistency.
- I promised to be accessible. The open-door policy is taking shape.
- I promised that we would have a needs assessment (not just an economic feasibility study) before deciding whether to move ahead with the proposed septic-to-sewer project. We will work on that once sworn in.
- I am not opposed to development or growth. However, I expressed my strong opposition to the Merrill Trust “Master Plan,” as presented to the POA then portrayed as “conceptual.” Specifically, I am concerned about the plan’s density and how that would impact our tiny community. I said the developer would need to come back to the table, and the community would be included. That stands.
- The candidates who won did not run in lockstep. In fact, I had not met Carey Sue Beasley, Beth Pence or Jesse Price before deciding to run for mayor. We all respect open government, and we all support City taxpayers’ right to know what we know, to the extent allowable by law.
- I believe that part-time residents deserve a voice and will operate accordingly.
- I will join the City Council and staff in exploring efficiencies in government, whether regulatory or budgetary. I appreciate the dedication of staff to Sky Valley’s safety and success.
- I will make every effort to work with incumbents and staff, regardless of whether they supported me or the new council members. I intend to be respectful and expect that to be mutual.
- I have no intention of a purge or sea change in City government. Given our mandate by voters, however, there will indeed be changes as we work toward a successful new administration. I hope this is a smooth transition. Because, to repeat the outgoing mayor’s remarks as she closed her final meeting today: “It is over.” Let’s move forward. Together.
- Some of you may be wondering whether I plan to close my social media accounts. As I said upfront, I wear many hats. My social media presence is important to that. In a nutshell, I will not close them. Nor will I relinquish any existing roles I hold.
While I thank supporters for your vote of confidence, I hope to earn the support and encouragement of those of you who didn’t see your candidate(s) win. We are so blessed to inhabit this precious corner of our beautiful state. We owe it to each other to work together to preserve Sky Valley’s heart and future.
From your Mayor-elect and on behalf of the incoming City Council candidates, may you enjoy a safe and blessed Thanksgiving with family and friends.
Above: Tuesday night, November 4, at the Rabun Election Office as I awaited election results with Clayton Mayor Roy Quilliams, CareySue Beasley and Beth Pence.