Hulsey says he now has time to focus on the job of mayor

Published 11:01 am Saturday, October 30, 2021

Former Varnell mayor Anthony Hulsey said when he left office four years ago, he knew he would one day run for mayor again.

At the time, Hulsey was a Georgia State Patrol trooper.

“Due to my job, it really was hard to give the office of mayor the sort of time it needed,” he said. “I had to focus on the job that pays the bills. That was difficult, especially when we were getting called up for hurricanes.”

Hulsey’s final year in office, 2017, was one of the most active hurricane seasons in recent years. Troopers, including Hulsey, were called to provide security in parts of South Georgia hit hard by Hurricane Irma.

“But I knew that when I retired and had time to devote to the job I would run again,” he said.

Hulsey retired from the Georgia State Patrol on Aug. 1, and he is challenging incumbent Tom Dickson in Tuesday’s election for mayor. This is Hulsey’s second run for elected office. The race is nonpartisan, meaning no political party is listed. The term is for four years.

Hulsey said one of the major tasks for the City Council during the next four years will be working with the owners of Patterson Farms, a planned mixed commercial and residential development on 74 acres annexed into the city earlier this year.

“That’s going to have a major impact on the city,” he said. “It’s going to bring more residents into the city, more shops and amenities. It’s going to generate more tax revenue for the city. But the council is going to have to work with them to make sure we have the sewers and other infrastructure it needs.”

A 1989 graduate of Northwest Whitfield High School, Hulsey has a bachelor’s in criminal justice from Thomas University in Thomasville.

He served as a trooper in the Georgia State Patrol for just over 20 years and before that was an assistant manager at Lowe’s for 11 years. He also served in the Army Reserve for eight years.

He said he’d like for the City Council to create or help bring in more events and activities for residents, especially events that could bring a broad part of the community together.

“I’ve got some ideas,” he said. “I’m not ready to share them at this time. But if I’m elected, I’ll be discussing them with other council members to see what they want to do.”

He did mention bringing back movies in the park, which the city used to sponsor in the summer but hasn’t done in a few years.

Hulsey said the City Council members will also have to discuss what to do with the city’s baseball fields.

“The fields are old,” he said. “They just aren’t being utilized the way they used to be. We need to put something in that space the community will use. There’s been talk about a soccer field. I’d like to see a dog park. Maybe a skate park. Maybe a place for people to have picnics. But if the ball fields aren’t being used, we need to put something there that will be used.”

Hulsey said his main goal is “to do what’s right for the city.”

“If I’m elected, I’m going to listen to residents and work with council members to do what the residents want,” he said. “An elected official works for the voters, so my goals are going to be what they want.”