John Gayle, mayor of Valdosta, Ga.
John Gayle was a business leader in Valdosta with little interest in public life; however, after selling his business in 1999 and with the subsequent prodding from peers and colleagues, he was convinced to run for office. ?Quite honestly I?ve enjoyed it,? Gayle says. ?[But] I?ve had a lot to learn.?
One of the issues Gayle had to tackle was Valdosta?s wastewater infrastructure. In 2009, the Withlacoochee Wastewater Plant flooded due to major rains north of the city. It was an issue that would continue to occur, unless a solution was found.
The decision was made to build a new $56 million plant 55 feet uphill (outside the 500-year floodplain), with a powered water main. This plan, however, was not without its challenges, Gayle says.
FEMA recommended applying for a grant to fund the new plant, but federal red tape and politically charged bickering blocked the funds. ?We appealed it three times and were turned down three times,? Gayle says. This resulted in nearly three years of political gridlock. A special purpose local option sales tax ultimately funded the project, and ground was broken July 1.