Meet the Other Mayors: Ted Terry, Clarkston

On being the “hipster mayor,” upgrades for the city, and more
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Ted Terry
Photograph by Andrea R. Cervone

Terry describes Clarkston, a famously diverse DeKalb County city of 13,000, as an “amazing cultural mishmash” that he hopes to mold into a model progressive center. The 32-year-old, who works as communications director for Georgia AFL-CIO, defeated two opponents to become one of Georgia’s youngest mayors in 2014. He earns $6,500 annually for the part-time mayor’s position.

On personal investment My girlfriend and I just bought a house, so we’re property-tax payers now. We call her the “mayoress.”

Mayoral millennial Some of my detractors call me the “hipster mayor.” I don’t know if that’s a compliment or a dis.

Pending upgrades We’ve got an $8 million street­scapes project that will break ground next year, and will turn Market Street downtown into a true international market.

City of immigrants Time magazine said that we were the most ethnically diverse square mile in America. It’s amazing the stories you hear from people who came here 20 or 30 years ago with literally a suitcase. We’re kind of like the Ellis Island of the South.

This article originally appeared in our January 2016 issue.

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