CUMMING – The first candidate has declared his intention to run for mayor of the city of Cumming.
Troy Brumbalow announced in a news release on Monday he would seek the office held by Mayor Ford H. Gravitt since 1970.
“I want to use my business and government experience to lead my hometown of Cumming, Georgia, as its next mayor,” Brumbalow said in the release. “Today, I want to officially announce my candidacy for mayor of Cumming. I have been honored and humbled by the outpouring of support I have already received.”
Brumbalow is a 1990 graduate of South Forsyth High School and attended Gainesville State College. He lives in Cumming with his wife, Jodie Bridges Brumbalow, and two children.
“I love my hometown and want to leverage my skills, knowledge, and experience to build upon the successes of the past while moving Cumming forward,” he said.
Registration for the mayoral seat – and Posts 1 and 2 of the Cumming City Council, held by Chuck Welch and Quincy Holton, respectively – will be Aug. 21-23. The election will be held in November.
“Over the next several months leading up to the election in November, I look forward to working hard and earning the votes of the good people who live in Cumming,” Brumbalow said.
Brumbalow owns several local businesses and said he wants to run to improve the future of the area.
“This is the basis of my campaign’s motto, ‘Respect the Past while Moving Forward!’ I want Cumming to be a place where people want to grow their businesses and raise their families.”
Brumbalow is the first candidate other than Gravitt to register for the seat since 2003.
Gravitt did not have a comment on Brumbalow’s announcement.
Registration dates for the race and qualifying fees were approved at the Cumming City Council’s January meeting. The fee for mayor is $380 for Council Posts 1 and 2 is $180.
According to the city’s code, a candidate must be older than 21 and have lived in the city for more than a year before the election and be a qualified voter in the city.
If an office is contested, the top vote-getter will be declared winner – no runoff is held for close races, as is the case in some other municipalities.