The mayor of Oakwood is likely Georgia’s longest currently serving mayor. Lamar Scroggs is up for reelection in the November 2 municipal elections in Hall County but faces no challengers.
Scroggs is an Oakwood native with an agriculture, timber, and trucking background. He’s a widower, a father, a grandfather, and a great-grandfather. Scroggs said he had just finished building his home in Oakwood in the early 1970s when community members encouraged him to run for city council. He earned a seat in 1974 and became mayor in 1975, a post he has held ever since.
“It's just to serve the citizens, the people and doing what do you think you can do to help the community and help it grow,” he said.
Scroggs said he was proud of how Oakwood has progressed, especially with industry. He recalled working for General Motors in Atlanta and having to drive there before the interstate. He pushed to get an industrial park built in Oakwood and said the industry sector has blossomed from there.
“I believe it's 83%, business and commercial tax base. That's unheard of, anywhere in the state of Georgia, anyone would give anything to have that kind of percentages,” Scroggs said. The residential portion of the city becomes more expensive as more people move there, usually in connection with the industry sector, but Scroggs said he’s not worried about the fluctuations. “It's always been my thinking the industry has really supported us that's where our funds has come from to really support the city.
Speaking of interstates, he was also pleased to see transportation change in Oakwood, especially with the development of Exit 14 on Interstate 985.
“That’s been in the making for 20-some odd years. I first wanted it at Plainview [Road,] well we were too close to Exit 16 to get it at Plainview. So we kept working and working, and right where it is is exactly the same amount of distance from Exits 14 and 16. It’s right in the middle and we were able to get that approved. It took 20 years.”
Scroggs is especially excited for Interactive Neighborhood for Kids to move into their new home in Oakwood. It’s part of a developing downtown Oakwood project that will include the museum, a farmer’s market, shops, and other elements.
“Back then it was a real dream, a real wish, or whatever you want to call it. Now a lot of it is beginning to come to fruition. And the INK project and all moving down here… I wanted to stay to make sure and help move that along and get that through.”
He already has ideas for items and exhibits that highlight Oakwood’s history, such as the post where the mail was picked up on the railroad and Scroggs’ father’s tractor that used to till many of the farm fields before the city became what it is today. Scroggs said preserving history and sharing it with the next generation was important to him.
“We need to preserve the history… the name and the history we need to preserve it and keep it as Oakwood. We need some history to teach the kids. Our kids are losing the history, they don’t know what’s all about coming up anymore. They don’t know where Oakwood came from.”
For the next generation of politics, Scroggs had some advice to those wanting to get involved in the game, advice he said he follows himself.
“Number one is be straight up and honest. Number two, don’t say something you can’t remember six months from now, and you can’t say the same thing and it connect.”
He also said collaboration with others, from the city council, city managers, other politicians, and community members made Oakwood what it is today. The secret to his collaboration skills was simple: “It’s not a ‘Big Guy, Little You,’ it’s just not.”
Scroggs and two city council members are on the ballot in Tuesday’s election.
The mayor of Oakwood is likely Georgia’s longest currently serving mayor. Lamar Scroggs is up for reelection in the November 2 municipal elections in Hall County but faces no challengers.
Scroggs is an Oakwood native with an agriculture, timber, and trucking background. He’s a widower, a father, a grandfather, and a great-grandfather. Scroggs said he had just finished building his home in Oakwood in the early 1970s when community members encouraged him to run for city council. He earned a seat in 1974 and became mayor in 1975, a post he has held ever since.
“It's just to serve the citizens, the people and doing what do you think you can do to help the community and help it grow,” he said.
Scroggs said he was proud of how Oakwood has progressed, especially with industry. He recalled working for General Motors in Atlanta and having to drive there before the interstate. He pushed to get an industrial park built in Oakwood and said the industry sector has blossomed from there.
“I believe it's 83%, business and commercial tax base. That's unheard of, anywhere in the state of Georgia, anyone would give anything to have that kind of percentages,” Scroggs said. The residential portion of the city becomes more expensive as more people move there, usually in connection with the industry sector, but Scroggs said he’s not worried about the fluctuations. “It's always been my thinking the industry has really supported us that's where our funds has come from to really support the city.
Speaking of interstates, he was also pleased to see transportation change in Oakwood, especially with the development of Exit 14 on Interstate 985.
“That’s been in the making for 20-some odd years. I first wanted it at Plainview [Road,] well we were too close to Exit 16 to get it at Plainview. So we kept working and working, and right where it is is exactly the same amount of distance from Exits 14 and 16. It’s right in the middle and we were able to get that approved. It took 20 years.”
Scroggs is especially excited for Interactive Neighborhood for Kids to move into their new home in Oakwood. It’s part of a developing downtown Oakwood project that will include the museum, a farmer’s market, shops, and other elements.
“Back then it was a real dream, a real wish, or whatever you want to call it. Now a lot of it is beginning to come to fruition. And the INK project and all moving down here… I wanted to stay to make sure and help move that along and get that through.”
He already has ideas for items and exhibits that highlight Oakwood’s history, such as the post where the mail was picked up on the railroad and Scroggs’ father’s tractor that used to till many of the farm fields before the city became what it is today. Scroggs said preserving history and sharing it with the next generation was important to him.
“We need to preserve the history… the name and the history we need to preserve it and keep it as Oakwood. We need some history to teach the kids. Our kids are losing the history, they don’t know what’s all about coming up anymore. They don’t know where Oakwood came from.”
For the next generation of politics, Scroggs had some advice to those wanting to get involved in the game, advice he said he follows himself.
“Number one is be straight up and honest. Number two, don’t say something you can’t remember six months from now, and you can’t say the same thing and it connect.”
He also said collaboration with others, from the city council, city managers, other politicians, and community members made Oakwood what it is today. The secret to his collaboration skills was simple: “It’s not a ‘Big Guy, Little You,’ it’s just not.”
Scroggs and two city council members are on the ballot in Tuesday’s election.
