Savannah City Council District 6: Here are your candidates for November's election

Savannah City Council’s District 6 race has drawn one of the deepest fields among the races this municipal election. Incumbent Kurtis Purtee, who made history in 2019 as the city’s first openly gay alderman, is facing three challengers on Nov. 7.

Those challengers include medical device salesman Chase DeCarlo, school counselor Lisa Jackson-Lockhart, and youth pastor Mike McCann. Some of Purtee’s opponents have said the district lacks good representation in city government, but Purtee is running on accomplishments he made on the current council.

"Nobody is better off than they were four years ago," DeCarlo said at a forum hosted by Georgia Southern.

Kurtis Purtee (Incumbent)

One thing Purtee did during his first term as alderman was host town halls to meet with constituents. Purtee said the level of community engagement was so good, it was one reason he was inspired to run for re-election.

“There was such an engagement process that we hadn’t seen before,” Purtee said. “I think for so long the people in the area were told nobody cares about the southside, when, in fact, the southside has such a rich history.

One accomplishment Purtee is proud of includes the city’s update to its anti-discrimination ordinance, which prohibits Savannah businesses from discriminating based on actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, marital status, familial status, or veteran/military status.

There is also a new community center coming to the district at the beginning of next year, and it will be constructed on a city lot, Purtee said.

“That’s one way of reinvesting and reimagining recreation,” Purtee said.

When it comes to assessing policy, Purtee said he looks at everything through the lens of accessibility, connectivity, equity and opportunity. And if Purtee is elected to a second term, he will continue the community engagement to always keep the citizens’ thoughts at the forefront of his decisions, he said.

“I have a vision,” Purtee said. “But my vision is whatever the constituents’ vision is.”

Chase DeCarlo

DeCarlo sees the southside as home for another downtown, with bustling businesses and homes all where the Savannah Mall currently sits. The vision comes from the Congress of New Urbanism’s Southside Suburban Retrofit plan that has yet to come to fruition.

Implementing that plan could address myriad issues facing Savannah, from affordable housing to economic development, DeCarlo said.

DeCarlo also said one way to attack Savannah’s housing shortage is to make building homes easier for developers by eliminating impact fees. Those costs ultimately get passed down to homebuyers, he said.

What makes him stand out against the other candidates is his younger age, DeCarlo said. He said he can bring new perspectives and engage a younger generation in Savannah’s issues.

“That gives me a unique perspective on the city,” DeCarlo said.

Lisa Jackson-Lockhart

Jackson-Lockhart is a graduate of both Savannah High and Savannah State University, born and raised in the city for 57 years, she said. Jackson-Lockhart decided to jump in the race when she began noticing an influx of homelessness, loitering and abandoned buildings in the district, she said.

"I love where I live, and I want to preserve the historical beautification of the south side of Savannah," Jackson-Lockhart said.

If elected, Jackson-Lockhart said she wants to increase the likelihood of homeownership and initiate more after school programs for youth. She would dissolve barriers to homeownership by incentivizing banks, credit unions and developers to make housing more accessible.

"I am the best candidate for this seat because I care about the residents in my community."

Mike McCann

After working in the automotive industry for 26 years, McCann has built a cadre of credentials in youth leadership. The list ranges from his job as a youth pastor, to being on the board of Habersham YMCA and the Frank Callen Boys & Girls Club.

Once McCann started getting involved in youth organizations around the city, he noticed many of them had challenges receiving engagement from leadership, he said. That void is one reason he jumped in the race.

“I wanted to see people on that city council that are also in and a part of that work,” McCann said.

A few of McCann’s policy goals are to improve quality of life, fill vacant police officer positions and addressing Savannah’s housing deficit. To tackle the housing shortage, the city needs more than just single-family homes, McCann said.

McCann also wants to grow businesses that provide southside residents with more opportunities for dining and retail. The south side should be able to have restaurants like downtown staples such as Collins Quarter, McCann said.

McCann ultimately said he is best for the job because he will be more accessible and have the ability to collaborate without any dividing lines.

“I’m not doing anything different today than I was five years ago,” McCann said.

Evan Lasseter is the city and county government reporter for Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at ELasseter@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Kurtis Purtee faces challengers in Savannah District 6 election