In the often peaceful suburb of Roswell, a political earthquake is rumbling beneath the surface. Twenty-one former elected officials—spanning four decades of the city’s leadership—have done something unprecedented: they’ve joined forces across party lines to publicly rebuke their successors.
The letter they delivered to City Hall this week reads less like a political statement and more like an intervention from worried parents who’ve watched their child veer dangerously off course.
“This is a crisis,” they write, their collective 200+ years of service lending weight to words that might otherwise be dismissed as routine opposition.
At Mimosa Hall, a historic property dating to the 1800s, more than four acres of 150-year-old trees were clear-cut without public input—a decision that has become emblematic of what these former leaders describe as a governance style that sidelines citizen voices and ignores established processes.
“We’ve been in your shoes,” the letter reminds the current mayor and council. “We know the job is hard. But now is the time to lead with integrity.”
Promises Unfulfilled
The former officials point to specific commitments they say have been abandoned: road improvements, neighborhood safety measures, park enhancements, and free public parking that voters supported through tax increases and bonds.
Instead, they allege the current administration is pursuing pay-to-park policies and secretly discussing a 16,000+ seat stadium project that was never presented to voters.
A Pattern of Exclusion
Perhaps most troubling to these former leaders is what they characterize as systematic efforts to silence opposition. Their letter describes current leadership sidelining public input, marginalizing advisory boards and excluding local businesses from comment.
The signatories—including the two previous mayors mayors Jere Wood (1998-2017) and Lori Henry (2018-2021)—express particular alarm over limited public engagement regarding Roswell’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan, which will shape the city’s development for years to come.
Financial Priorities Questioned
The letter also raises concerns about fiscal management, pointing to spending on high-level administrators, expensive consultants, and marketing campaigns, while cutting services. They note an unprecedented wave of staff resignations” and reference layoffs of nearly a dozen long-time employees shortly before last Christmas.
A Call for Specific Actions
The former officials are demanding concrete steps:
- Pausing development at Mimosa Hall pending independent review
- Commissioning a third-party audit of recent contracts and expenditures
- Reopening the Comprehensive Plan process with broader community input
- Reaffirming commitment to legal compliance with tree protection and zoning regulations
- Holding regular, unrestricted public forums
The letter concludes with a challenge: “Roswell’s mission is to be ‘the #1 family community in America.’ That vision is still possible—if you choose to listen, keep your promises, and restore trust.”
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
