Suwanee Mayor Goes Out Singing

Updated 7:19 a.m., Dec. 21, 2011

Dave Williams is known for ordering dessert first at restaurants. So it was not typical Tuesday when a sendoff ceremony at was held near the end of the City Council meeting.

Williams got a tribute and some teasing as he presided over his final council meeting as mayor. Council members, staff and family joined in, and former Suwanee and Gwinnett elected officials were among the crowd.

City Attorney Gregory Jay joked that Williams "once tabled his own motion to adjourn," and Council Member Dick Goodman said that Williams "is a font of good ideas, many of them worth considering."

But the serious stuff prevailed, as wife Debbie spoke to the City Hall crowd. "(Williams) might be quirky, but he loves it," she said. Of his unusual dessert habit, she said that "if he ate too much, he would still have room for (dessert).

"It might be 12 at night, but he still loves (riding around Suwanee). He loves this town."

The evening also included the swearing in of Mayor-elect Jimmy Burnette, a council member since 1996 and a lifelong Suwanee resident. He will officially take over on Jan. 1, 2012. Council members Dick Goodman and Doug Ireland also took their oaths.

In Williams' tenure, Suwanee moved into the current two-story City Hall and continued a reputation for a vibrant city whose parks and event schedule regularly attract visitors from throughout Atlanta. Williams said after Tuesday's meeting that his proudest achievement was that Suwanee "raised the bar on citizen engagement."

City Manager Marty Allen joined the tribute to Williams. He noted that Williams' first year in office was 2008, the same year Allen began his current job. "I'll do what I can to make you successful," Allen recalled Williams saying. "It's one of the most comforting things he could have said." 

Randy Meacham of the Gwinnett Municipal Association noted that Williams' efforts helped Loganville, Grayson and Snellville. "Dave stepped up and addressed some things," Meacham said. "Your touch will live on."

Williams concluded the tribute in a signature fashion by leading the City Hall crowd in a short version of the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine." He also said that the "best things are in the future" for Suwanee. "It has been an adventure ... but it's time for me to move on."