A Mayor for All of McDonough: Sandra Vincent Sets the New Standard

Game Changers
Sep 26
5 min read

Updated: Oct 13

“Plan, do, check, act—and do it with the people.”

written by Jerome Bowie

The Leader, The Standard, The Vision

On Voices of the Village, Mayor Sandra Vincent reminds us that real leadership is equal parts vision and follow-through. “Write the vision and make it plain,” she says, invoking Habakkuk 2:2—not as a slogan, but as operating system. When she stepped into City Hall, McDonough had shelves of community-informed plans—and too many were gathering dust. Vincent’s first act of service was simple and profound: take those plans off the shelf, build a work plan with the Atlanta Regional Commission, and execute.

Sixteen years on council and a decade as chair of the Downtown Development Authority prepared her for this exact moment. Or as she puts it with a smile, “I’m not new to this—I’m true to this.”

Connecting a City: From South Point to the Square

One of the clearest examples of “plan → do” is the trolley initiative—an idea born years ago to knit McDonough’s thriving hotel cluster at South Point to the historic downtown district. The purpose was always economic development: bring visitors across the interstate to experience local shops, museums, and the city’s story.

When federal ARPA dollars became available to stimulate post-COVID recovery, McDonough used state procurementto purchase two trolleys—vehicles that require a CDL with passenger endorsement because this is real transit, not a novelty toy. Routes are being shaped with the community: Main Street and the city’s tourism team are curating stops (think the Polk Museum and heritage touchpoints) so the line doesn’t just move people; it tells the McDonough story.

And make no mistake: story matters here. Mayor Vincent is “enamored with antiquity,” not for nostalgia’s sake but to anchor identity. In a region where communities either grow or become destinations, McDonough is choosing destination—inviting visitors to linger on the Square and locals to feel at home right where they are.

Destination McDonough

McDonough’s history is rich—and the administration treats it like an economic asset and public inheritance:

Camp Creek train wreck lore and other local histories that spark curiosity.
The former Briggs & Stratton site tied to Dr. Smith, who brought electricity to McDonough—a chance to interpret a “power plant” story where it began.
Big Springs, the original springs where the Camp Creek Indians set up—and the founding location of the city itself.

Tourism isn’t an afterthought. Through the hotel/motel tax, McDonough invests over a million dollars annually in direct marketing to lift up Main Street businesses, city events, and regional attractions. The goal is simple: when families come to visit, they shouldn’t have to drive to Atlanta for a good time. They should find “cute little things” to do right here.

The New Standard: Clean, Beautiful, Inclusive

If you’ve noticed that McDonough looks and feels different, that’s on purpose. The New Standard shows up in small and large ways:

Design codes with pride: no chain-link fences on detention ponds; think wrought-iron (or look-alike) that elevates the public realm.
Cleanliness you can see: crews scraping crosswalks by hand where sweepers can’t reach.
Public safety as presence: not just badges and lights, but officers meeting homeowners, listening, and responding.

Perhaps the most telling moment: a 93-year-old resident called the mayor to say his wife’s accessible van couldn’t use the existing handicap spaces on the Square. Same day, the Chief and Public Works assessed and began adjustments to expand ADA-compliant access. That’s the New Standard—see the need, meet the need.

“To be able to do good and not do good is evil.” — Mayor Sandra Vincent

And yes, the city listens online. Some call it “the Facebook city.” The mayor calls it meeting people where they are. If a complaint surfaces and a fix is possible, action follows—with a soft handoff to county partners when issues fall outside city limits.

Moving People, Not Just Cars

Mayor Vincent is blunt about mobility: the I-75 corridor will define our region’s future. She applauds ongoing regional collaboration (from Macon through Henry up to Atlanta) on big ideas like high-speed rail. She’s also transparent about past choices—managed lanes at all three McDonough exits shape where travelers stop (or don’t), and dynamic pricing isn’t accessible to everyone. In hindsight, she argues, truck-only lanes might have improved safety and commerce by moving port freight efficiently while reducing crashes.

None of that dims the vision—McDonough’s job is to make stopping here intentional and irresistible. The trolley helps; so will a downtown that is cleaner, safer, and more engaging every month.

Parks, Green Space & Quality of Life

Plans aren’t only streets and trolleys. The city issued an RFP for a Master Parks Plan to knit passive and active recreation together with county partners. Recent moves include:

Adding land adjacent to Alexander Park.
Establishing Geranium Park off Highway 42 and expanding it across Judy Drive.
Listening to residents about amenities (yes, pickleball is on the list).

On major venues, Vincent is pragmatic. With a regional amphitheater in Stockbridge and the Atlanta Motor Speedwaynearby, McDonough doesn’t need to duplicate what neighbors already do well. Instead, it should invest in what makes McDonough unique—and collaborate visibly. The mayor even advocates for “One Henry” branding at shared facilities (like Avalon Park) so residents understand everyone is rowing together.

A new Aquatic Center is slated for McDonough; the city requested screening berms to preserve the integrity of nearby Long Drive—balancing regional amenity with neighborhood character. That’s the New Standard in practice.

Small Businesses & the Next Economy

McDonough’s entrepreneurial energy is real. Inspired by Jeff Siegler’s Your City Is Sick, the city is resisting mindless sprawl and refocusing on the people who already live here. With Southern Crescent Technical College, McDonough is developing a small-business portal and pushing out information on state resources, grants, and technical assistance. The aim: help local owners stabilize, hire, and thrive in place.

Government With People at the Center

Process matters in McDonough. It takes four votes to move anything through council—so progress is shared credit by design. The mayor’s rule of thumb:

Plan → Do → Check → Act.Say what you’ll do. Do what you said. Check with the people. Adjust together.

It’s also why her State of the City—praised statewide and emulated by peers—landed so powerfully. It wasn’t a production; it was a translation of government into community language. A trendsetter, yes—but mainly a translator.

“The new standard of government is that you include people.” — Mayor Sandra Vincent

Why This Feels Different

Because it is. You can see it in cleaner crosswalks and better design standards. You can ride it on a trolley that ties hotels to hometown. You can feel it when a 93-year-old neighbor calls, and the city moves. You can hear it in an open invitation:

Whether you’re in the city or just outside it, if we can help, we will. And if we can’t, we’ll connect you to who can.

That, in the purest sense, is what it means to be “a mayor for all of McDonough.”

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