MARIETTA- As local elections draw near on Nov. 4, Marietta Mayor and incumbent Steve “Thunder” Tumblin faces off against KSU alumnus and IT systems engineer Sam Foster, who aims to upend Tumblin’s bid for a fifth term in office.
Sam Foster, a 24-year-old KSU alumnus and a first-time candidate for Mayor of Marietta, is running on a multitude of platforms, including affordable housing, improved city walkability, improved traffic and tax control.
For one of his biggest priorities, which is affordable housing, Foster has personally dealt with the challenges of finding a place that’s genuinely affordable and doesn’t break the bank. It’s a struggle he says many Marietta residents, including students, continue to face and one of the biggest goals he hopes to resolve if elected.
Foster also plans to reimagine parts of Marietta to create affordable housing, which could also help alleviate the issues of housing at Kennesaw State University.
“On highway 41, there are a lot of car shops, giant surface lots, strip malls, that we could reimagine and turn that into housing. I also think a central piece of housing, since we are a community school, is looking into that transportation piece, how can we make it easier for people who don’t live here, since this is a meeting concern, how can we make it easier to get here?” Foster said.
He is also running on increased transparency in local government, investments of Marietta primary schools and ending homelessness in the Marietta area by providing stable housing.
Sam Foster says fresh leadership is essential to move Marietta forward, arguing that many residents are dissatisfied with Mayor Tumlin’s leadership. In a recent interview with Isaac Hayes III, Foster emphasized that those who are unhappy need to show up at the polls and vote for the change they want.
“Mayor [Tumlin] has been mayor for almost 16 years. And one of the first questions we’ve asked ourselves is: If he’s been mayor for so long, is anyone unhappy with his tenure? And I’d argue yes. But the people who are unhappy with his tenure are not showing up to vote.”
Foster believes that, when it comes to his potential leadership, transparency goes a long way in government. When speaking to The Sentinel, Foster acknowledged that his first move would be to open that transparency to the general public.
“I think the biggest thing that I would do, first day, first month, is just to be more responsive- being open to new ideas, letting the community know that I am here to represent them, and here to serve.” Foster said to The Sentinel.
Voters will have the opportunity to choose Marietta’s next mayor on November 4’s election day, deciding between incumbent Mayor Steve Tumlin’s established leadership and Sam Foster’s new vision for the city.
