Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday for the Oakwood City Council Special Election.
Candidates Volley Collins and Rhonda Wood are both vying for a Post 4 City Council seat.
Find out more about the two candidates by reading AccessWDUN's Feb. 23 article below.
Original story published Feb. 23, 2024:
Early voting is now underway for a special election for the Post 4 seat on the Oakwood City Council following the passing of late Councilman Dwight Wood in September 2023.
The election is set for March 12, the same day as Georgia's Presidential Preference Primary, and seeks to fill the remainder of Dwight Wood's term.
Both candidates, Volley Collins and Rhonda Wood, have personal family ties to the Oakwood City Council.
Collins told AccessWDUN that his mother, Martha Collins, used to serve on the Oakwood City Council, while his father served on the Oakwood Planning Board.
"The timing was right for me to run," Collins said. "You want to keep taxes low and keep Oakwood growing ... kind of keep the community going in the direction it's going."
Additionally, Rhonda Wood is Dwight Wood's wife and hopes to continue his legacy.
"He's got huge shoes to fill - something that I won't be able to do because they're so big," Rhonda said. "But I want to carry on his legacy and help the citizens of Oakwood."
Collins is a lifelong Oakwood resident and owns a locksmith business, Ace Lock & Safe Security. He has worked in the locksmith business for nearly four decades. Collins said he has three children.
"I've seen Oakwood just go from little-bitty small to what it is now," Collins said. "[I] just want to keep it growing."
Rhonda said she has lived in Hall County since 1986, having graduated from Johnson High School and Lanier Technical College. She previously worked with Hall County Government but currently works in the insurance industry.
"I just want to keep the city family-oriented ... like every Christmas, there's a Christmas in the Park, just family things that I would love to continue and keep going forward," Rhonda said.
Rhonda said she has seen Oakwood's rapid expansion throughout the years.
"I never thought little Oakwood [would have] residential subdivisions building up everywhere you turn," Rhonda said. "Several of the residents that I have spoken to, they're not happy with it. I just want the residents to know that I will listen to them. A lot of things are out of the city council's control."
