Farrow says his history of government service would be an asset for the Dalton City Council

Published 11:01 am Friday, October 29, 2021

Steve Farrow said he felt called to public service from an early age.

“I realized when I was young that there was more to life than getting up, going to work and coming back home,” he said. “I realized that it is important to give back.”

Farrow is challenging incumbent Gary Crews in the Tuesday election for the Ward 4 seat on the Dalton City Council. The race is nonpartisan, meaning no political party is listed. Council members are elected citywide, and council terms are for four years.

Farrow has held a variety of posts within government. He served in the state Senate from 1993-96 and a two-year term on the State Transportation Board in 2008-09. While in the Senate, he was chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee. He served four years on the State Ethics Commission (2003-06), serving as chairman for two years. He was also on the State Board of Workers’ Compensation, presiding as a judge (2009-13).

“It has been almost 10 years since I held public office,” he said. “I think I bring some skills that would be useful on the City Council. That’s why I’m offering myself.”

Farrow has practiced law in Dalton for 39 years. At his former law firm, The Minor Firm, he represented two county governments and six municipalities, including the city of Dalton. He also represented Dalton Utilities in various capacities.

“I was the county attorney for Murray County, the city attorney for Ringgold, Fort Oglethorpe, Rossville, Chickamauga and for Resaca,” he said.

For the past eight years, he has practiced law in the Dalton office of the Warren & Griffin law firm, which is based in Chattanooga.

Farrow said his background representing local governments would be an asset to the city.

“I have a vast knowledge of that area of government from working all of those years with local governments,” he said.

A Dalton native, Farrow graduated from Dalton High School, the University of Tennessee and the University of Georgia School of Law.

“Recreation would probably be at the top of the list of the areas I would focus on if elected,” he said. “In particular, I’d like to see what we could do to expand recreation infrastructure, particularly bicycle and walking trails. We’ve made some great strides with walking and biking trails, such as the trail around (Haig Mill Lake), and I’m glad to see the city is planning a trail from Crown Mill Village to Haig Mill Lake. But we could do more, and I’d like for us to look for other areas where we have or could acquire the property to create more trails.”

Farrow said he would seek grants and private funding to increase the number of bicycle and walking trails.

He said recreation will be a key to attracting and keeping young professionals in Dalton.

Farrow said the continuing revitalization of downtown Dalton would also help attract young professionals. He said the city should look at extending Streetscape beautification efforts onto streets that haven’t yet been touched by them.

“My emphasis will be, as it was in the other positions I have held, to get in there and devote my full energies to accomplish what I think needs to be accomplished and then move back into private life,” he said.