Flowery Branch Mayor-elect Ed Asbridge said he is excited to tackle several large projects in the city over the next few years once he is officially sworn in as mayor at the first city council meeting in January.
Asbridge ran unopposed for the seat during the 2021 municipal election in November. Before he campaigned for mayor, Asbridge was a city council member representing Post 2.
He first got involved in local politics when he founded the South Hall Republican Club in 2011, eventually leading to his stint as a city council member.
“It’s a lot of work if you really want to be a public service, and do the job right,” Asbridge said. “I spent a lot of time working as a councilman, I met with the city manager almost every week … it was a lot of work, but it was also very rewarding.”
Asbridge said his work as a city council member was rewarding enough that making a run for the mayor’s seat was a no-brainer.
“I felt like, especially since we were getting a new city manager … we really needed somebody in that job that could do that job and not put extra burden on a new city manager,” Asbridge said.
New City Manager Tonya Parrish began work with the city on Dec. 20, following the unexpected resignation of Bill Andrew in May.
Asbridge said there is a multitude of projects in the works for Flowery Branch in the coming years, and he is excited to take part in their development as mayor.
“We have plans to double the capacity of our sewer plant … also doubling the volume of water that we provide, and those things probably in the next two to three years should be completed,” Asbridge said. “Really important is our downtown revitalization, and it’s going very well. The things we’ve got left to do … we’ve got to finish up our farmers market, then we’re going to do a streetscape of some of the streets, completely doing them with sidewalks.”
The city is also working on building a small amphitheater in a lot next to the Antebellum restaurant.
Asbridge said the revitalization project aims to keep Flowery Branch small yet vibrant.
Growth in Flowery Branch is a concern for some residents, and Asbridge said it is a topic that has been on his mind since he first ran for the city council.
“[We need to] make sure that the growth is done in a way that is going to enhance every part of the city,” Asbridge said.
Asbridge said Flowery Branch currently has room for about three or four more large subdivisions. He also believes the Thurman Tanner corridor will fill up with commercial properties in the coming years. However, he is confident that the city can handle that growth if it is managed properly.
