Retiring Lake Park council member honored

Dec. 9—LAKE PARK — Tuesday night, a Lake Park council member bowed out of public life.

Ronald Carter, 86, had served on the council almost continuously since 2005. Before the council meeting, family and friends honored Carter with a reception as he prepared to retire from politics. His council term ends Jan. 1, 2023.

The reception was held at the old Lake Park Bank building on North Railroad Avenue. Dozens of people, including council members past and present, showed up to honor Carter for his years of service.

When the council meeting started at City Hall, Lowndes County Commission Chairman Bill Slaughter read a proclamation naming Dec. 6 as Ronald Carter Day.

"Lake Park citizens have benefitted from Mr. Carter's dedication to making the city a better place to live and work and he has made his decisions on council to reflect fiscal responsibility with an appreciation for the past, but with a vision to prepare for the future," the proclamation read.

Slaughter followed this by reading a commendation for Carter from Gov. Brian Kemp.

"Mr. Carter's service to the community extends well beyond the council duties. He has been an elder for the Lake Park Church of Christ for over 30 years and he has held the offices of vice president and executive board member for the Lake Park Area Historical Society," according to the commendation.

Carter had lived in the area all of his life, having grown up "halfway between (Lake Park) and Dasher," he said. He worked first in farming and then in petroleum.

Carter's political career began after he and his wife, Dorothy, moved to Lake Park in 2004. He was chosen to replace another council member who had resigned for health reasons.

He served throughout, except for one term following the 2011 election. In that contest, preliminary figures showed he led against Eric Schindler by one vote.

When the official tally was finished, things changed.

"The elections office called me and told me I had lost," he said.

The official record shows Schindler winning by two votes, 111-109. The change was chalked up to a number of provisional ballots.

Carter briefly served as Lake Park's interim mayor. The death of Mayor Keith Sandlin in August 2021 set in motion a chain of events which saw four mayors or interim mayors in Lake Park in less than a year's time. Carter, as mayor pro tem, took over the top seat when Sandlin died. He then stepped down for health reasons in January, turning things over to Oscar Griffith Jr., who had only just been sworn in minutes earlier as a new council member. Jena Sandlin — Keith Sandlin's widow — won a special mayoral election on May 25.

Carter said he intends to continue attending council meetings.

As the council meeting progressed, reports were heard on progress with the city's upcoming Christmas celebration. Planned for Dec. 10, the festivities are expected to start with a parade heading south on Marion Avenue at 3 p.m., followed by a festival with vendors and food trucks on Essa Street. The Lowndes High School Georgia Bridgemen and a jazz band are expected to take part.

Council members also discussed Lake Park's proposed Fiscal Year 2023 budget. The proposal foresees total revenues of $782,750, with $25,000 allotted for council member and mayor salaries, travel expenses and other governing body needs; $289,950 for general administration, which includes everything from City Hall's power bill to payments for attorneys, engineers and computer support; $12,525 for judicial operations; $274,000 for the police department and $49,100 for the fire department.

Terry Richards is the senior reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times.