Councilman Justin Wright announces campaign for Mayor of Centerville

CENTERVILLE— Soon after former Centerville Mayor John Harley resigned, City Councilman Justin Wright announced his campaign for Mayor on Jan. 6. 

For his campaign, Wright is mainly focused on fiscal responsibility, managing growth, improving quality of life, and ensuring a bright future for the City of Centerville. 

“Like a lot of candidates for local office, I ran for City Council because I was passionate about one issue. For me, that issue was the construction of whatwe now call Center Park,” he said. “After being sworn in, I began asking lots of questions about the park and I immediately discovered that the task of leading our local government is much more complex than it seems when you read about it in the Home Journal.” 

Wright pointed out the City of Centerville has a lot of moving parts and requires a lot of intentional management. 

“While we had to deal with a few other issues, including a little struggle with COVID19 in my first term, we were able to complete construction on Center Park and it is the crown jewel of the city, and one of the best and brightest public spaces in Houston County,” he said. “Since the construction of that park it has appeared to me that for many members of the governing body that the completion of Center Park was the finish line. I respectfully disagree. It was the firing of a starting gun as there is a lot more to be done here in the City of Centerville.”

Wright has served the City of Centerville for seven years and said the city has grown tremendously and there are brighter days ahead. 

“The city has grown from a bedroom community for Robins Air Force Base into a residential hot spot with low taxes, low crime and high livability,” he said. 

Wright also added the city is experiencing a transitioning period. 

“We have department heads with decades of experience retiring, but be replaced by younger, well-trained leaders waiting in the wings,” he said. “We’ve seen experienced department heads see their roles change and grow to better suit their talents and the needs of the city.”

Wright believes it is time for the City of Centerville to transition to a new and younger leader who has a fresh vision about what comes next. 

“As your mayor, I will focus on the types of development and programs that attract businesses to our city. We want to attract restaurants, shops, and professionals to our city that will provide the goods, services, and experiences that our citizens want, while generating the revenue that allows us to keep the millage rate low,” he said “We have the tools to make it happen, we just need the vision and the leadership to see it through. I am convinced that I am that leader and I humbly ask for your vote to be the next mayor of the City of Centerville.” 

After announcing his campaign, Wright said he is feeling good.

“We had a great response this weekend and we’re knocking on doors as a lot of folks are still surprised the Mayor has resigned,” he said. “A lot of our leadership is transitioning because they’ve been with us for many years, and it is time for us to grow into the next phase of what our city is going to be.”