Here are my responses to the questions from the Cherokee Tribune Voters Guide:
Name: Farris Yawn
Occupation: Publisher/Accountant
Age:59
Residence: River Green
Hometown: I was born in Eastman, Georgia, but I have lived in Canton since 1978
Family: My wife is Stacy Westbrook Yawn and we have two Pugs (Pugslee & Wednesday).
Education: BA in accounting from Kennesaw College.
Have you served in elected office before?
Yes, I was a Councilmember for Ward Three for just over five years, from 2013-2019.
Why are you the most qualified candidate for the position?
Canton needs someone with the sense of history, respect for those who built this city, the drive to put in the hard work, and the vision to plan not just for next year but for the decades to come. I want to preserve what is great about Canton for future generations while managing the inevitable growth.
I have lived in Canton for 45 years, and my wife is a third-generation native. Our families own and operate businesses in this community, so our roots run deep. In addition, I have worked for the last 18 years in some form to serve this community and to help it grow and thrive, be it with the Arts Council, Downtown Merchants Association, Main Street Program (which I helped form), Chamber of Commerce, 2040 Vision Committee (among others), and ultimately City Council.
I became involved because I was dismayed by the stark contrast between the vibrant community center that I remembered and the shadow of its former glory Downtown was when I moved my business there. It took determination and hard work on the part of many people, but I am very proud of my part in the progress made thus far.
What is the greatest challenge facing Canton?
The greatest challenge facing Canton today is growth.
While it is wonderful that people are discovering what we have known all along, namely that Canton is an incredible place to live, they are coming faster than we can absorb them.
A big part of this challenge is that there are still areas of the city with existing master plans on the books from 20-plus years ago that are still not built out. The City Council has little control over what is built in those communities unless the developers want to change something.
Add to this the increased traffic overloading our roads and increasing demands for water and sewer, and Canton has a lot of work to do in the next few years to catch up and hopefully get ahead.
What is your solution to that challenge?
I am pleased to see that the sewer plant we worked so hard on while I was in office is progressing, and the water treatment plant we discussed is beginning the planning stage.
Another area we need to work on is traffic. I want to find ways to improve the efficiency and traffic flow of our streets and intersections with minor tweaks while we work with the county and state to speed up major improvements.
We need to make our inevitable growth more sustainable. By that, I mean we need to raise the bar on any new proposed projects to ensure we plan for the next few decades, not just the next few years. We need to put a reasonable expiration date on new or modified master plans. We need to balance the needs of all our citizens without causing undue burden on any one group.
I want to look hard at our budget to see where we can reduce the burden on our city taxpayers.
Finally, if the last few years have taught us anything, the biggest challenge is often the thing no one saw coming. I am eager to face Canton’s challenges with dedicated, determined, and experienced leadership.
