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Mayor and Council Meeting - Council Chambers (Millage Rate Public Hearing #3) — Minutes

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July 20, 2026 
7:00 PM 
 
City of Smyrna 
Mayor and Council Meeting 
2800 King Street SE 
Council Chambers 
 
   Page 2 of 12 
The motion to approve carried with the following vote: 
 
Aye: 7 –  Councilmember Pickens, Councilmember Hines, Councilmember 
Lindley, Councilmember Welch, Councilmember Wilkinson, Mayor 
Pro Tem / Councilmember Gould, Councilmember Oglesby 
Nay: 0 –  None 
Recuse: 0 –  None 
 
5.  Mayoral Report 
 
Mayor Derek Norton reported the following:  
• FIFA World Cup watch parties – Every match was aired  
• Brush & Box Fest art event – Great community event 
• Summer concert series 
• Juneteenth Festival – almost 9000 people in attendance 
• 250 American flags on Veterans Memorial for our country’s 250th birthday 
He thanked Public Safety, Parks & Rec, and Public Works for all of their efforts.   
 
 A. Introduction of Honorary "Mayor for the Day", Ellyana Marie Faunce, upcoming 
kindergarten student at St. Benedict's Episcopal School 
Citywide 
 
Ellyana was the winner of the “Mayor for the Day Experience” offered at the St. 
Benedict’s Episcopal School annual fundraising gala. Ellyana is going into 
kindergarten at St. Benedict’s, and in addition to participating in the city council 
meeting, Ellyana and her parents also enjoyed:  
 
• Tour of the Mayor’s office & City Hall, followed by lunch with the Mayor in the 
Smyrna Market Village 
• Tours of the Smyrna Police Dept and Smyrna Fire Dept. 
 
Ellyana will be presented with a “Mayor for the Day” certificate to commemorate her 
special day.  
 
 B. Recognition of Whitefield Academy Boys Soccer Team - 2026 GHSA Class A-AAA 
Private State Champions 
Citywide 
 
The Whitefield Academy boys soccer team won the 2026 GHSA Class A-AAA Private 
State Championship, defeating Hebron Christian 1-0 in the title match securing the 
Wolfpack's second state title in program history and their first since 2017.  
  
The championship match, held at St. Pius X Catholic High School, capped off a 
dominant season for the top-seeded Wolfpack, who finished with a 21-1-1 record. 
Whitefield relied on a stellar defense and senior goalkeeper Reuben Clarson to secure 
the win, posting shutouts in all five of their playoff games and outscoring opponents 
88-12 throughout the season.  
  
 2026 – Whitefield Wolfpack 
 GHSA Class A-AAA Private State Champions  (man of the match — Jack Raymer) 
 GHSA Region 5-A Champions 
 Ranked #1 for GHSA Class A