Mayor Seale Announces his Bid for Re-election in 2017
In 2015, I was encouraged to run for the office of Mayor of Ocilla, and the citizens decided to take a chance on someone who did not grow up in Irwin County and had no political experience to lead the city. I feel that I have led the City of Ocilla on a journey towards progress. While we have accomplished many things together in a short time, there is still much more work to do. It is with that sense of mission that I announce my candidacy for re-election as your Mayor of Ocilla.
Ocilla is a good place to live because of the people who live here, but I believe we can be a great city and one that others look to as a model of simple but efficient living and municipal governance. We have made progress in several areas already; most notably in the areas of infrastructure improvements, public safety, and community involvement.
We have made great strides to update and strengthen our infrastructure. We have repaired city streets and sidewalks with more improvements coming this year. We have upgraded our water system with radio read meters that increase efficiency of our workforce and allow us to deliver more information to customers. We have also extended our natural gas lines to reach more customers.
In collaboration with the Irwin County School Board, we created a position for a School Resource Officer within the Ocilla Police Department. The City of Ocilla is now the host agency for our Joint Drug Task Force. While drugs will be a continuing issue in any community, the Task Force has had a noticeable impact in our community.
We have started new traditions like Prater Music Fest and Ocilla Community Day. These annual events bring the whole community together and foster great causes like supporting our young people and cleaning up our community.
The work is not over. In some ways we are just getting started. While we still have challenges ahead, we can overcome them, and we can create a better community for everyone: a community with more economic advantages and opportunities. If re-elected as your Mayor, I intend to move forward with more improvements to all aspects of our infrastructure. We still need more progress in the areas of economic development and recreation. While there have been some small steps of progress in job growth, and the conversations grow stronger concerning recreation and leisure activities, I intend to take major steps forward in both of these areas for the citizens of Ocilla in the next 4 years.
With your vote and your support, we will move forward on many things in our city, creating a better community for all to enjoy together.
Matt Seale Announces Himself a Candidate for Ocilla Mayor in 2015
Matt Seale announced his candidcy for Mayor of Ocilla on June 29th, 2015. Below is his announcement speech delivered at L's of Ocilla in Downtown Ocilla .
"I came here over a decade ago and I began a journey that continues today. I bought a building, met a girl, fell in love, and settled here and have grown roots in Ocilla. There are many family names that are legacy in Ocilla and Irwin County. The Seale name is not one of them. I did not originally come here because of family ties. Even so, this community has become my home, and you all have become my family. Sometimes your family can drive you crazy, but you are still family through thick and thin. You look out for each other, care for each other, help each other when there are troubled times, and rejoice with each other in times of victory. The cause of family and community can require sacrifice, but the rewards for this are more than money can buy. Working to make things better for your community and family makes a better life for us all.
Recently I have been encouraged to run for Mayor of Ocilla as the seat has become open this year. Though I was reluctant at first, I have been humbled by the overwhelming support and encouragement I have received from so many of you. I have taken several weeks to speak with local officials and community leaders. I have asked many questions and have been able to receive wise counsel. I have thought very deeply about the impact this decision would have on my life and the life of my family. And I have prayed to God to seek His wisdom and His will in this matter. After all of this consideration, I am very excited to announce my intention to run for Mayor of Ocilla, GA.
Now, while I am the candidate you should choose for Mayor, I want this campaign to be about more than that. I am not running for this office to enrich or promote myself as an individual. This needs to be about something bigger, and for that I ask for your help. I have heard it already said by some, and I am sure will be brought up by others along the way, that I am not from here, so let me address that head-on. I am from another town in South Georgia, but in my 20’s, I chose to come to Ocilla. I chose to invest in property here. Soon after that I chose to date a beautiful local girl, and later we chose to get married. I chose Ocilla because I saw great potential in it. It is a small town, and that means a relaxed pace of life. The hustle and bustle of the big city is something that people need to get away from, and when they do, they want to come here. Why not just get away from all of that for good? Ocilla’s size is perfect for growth. We have a downtown area that is perfect for a retail destination that people would drive for miles to get to. We have an infrastructure and utilities in place to support residents and businesses alike. We have one of the best school systems in South Georgia. We have the basic resources to build and grow, not into a big city and not with a surge in population, but into a better version of itself. Some people may refer to Ocilla as the middle of nowhere, but I say we can make it the middle of everywhere!
This is where I need your help. This campaign is not about Matt Seale for Mayor. While I am confident that I will make a positive difference as your Mayor, we need something bigger than that. As we put campaign signs out in the coming weeks, you will notice that the signs will have the words “Choose Ocilla.” Just as I chose Ocilla years ago and continue to choose Ocilla by working on improvements in our local governing and our local economy, each of us needs to choose Ocilla and promote our community. If each citizen in our community woke each day and chose Ocilla in their everyday choices, we can work together to make things better.
This means choosing Ocilla when we shop, so that our local economy can be strong, and sales tax dollars can be generated for local initiatives and improvements. This means choosing Ocilla for going out to restaurants with family and friends. This means choosing Ocilla to fill your gas tank and buying groceries. This means choosing Ocilla and maintaining your property, so neighborhoods in our community look inviting, and property values are not jeopardized, but can increase over time. Choosing Ocilla means keeping our sidewalks and streets clean. This means choosing Ocilla to start new business ventures or expand existing ones. This means choosing Ocilla to buy a home and fixing things up to make your street and your community a better place. All of these things add up to a cleaner, stronger and more prosperous Ocilla, and it is one that we can build together.
There is an old saying about an oak tree. The best time to plant an oak tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is today. We can talk about the past and missed opportunities that would have helped us to grow before now, but the better use of our time is to build from this day forward. Let’s do that right now. Let’s start today. Many of us have the tools we need in our possession right now, your smartphones. Take a picture of something before you go home tonight. Take a picture of the people right next to you or a selfie with friends. Take a picture of something for sale that you like here in L’s. Post it on Facebook or Instagram with the #chooseocilla. Take pictures outside on the sidewalk or friends sitting on the nice new benches on Fourth Street. Post that too, with #chooseocilla. Keep doing it. Make people wonder what all the buzz is about. There is now a website called chooseocilla.com and a Facebook fan page too. While I am using this page to display information about myself so that voters can get to know me, the ultimate use of this page will be to promote Ocilla and the surrounding community. Regardless of the outcome of an election for Mayor on September 15th, the movement will continue on September 16th. This is a campaign to promote and grow Ocilla that will last well into the future. Thank you all so much for all your support. Let’s start building that future together.
There’s No Place Like Ocilla, GA."
- Matt Seale, Candidate for Mayor of Ocilla 2015
"I came here over a decade ago and I began a journey that continues today. I bought a building, met a girl, fell in love, and settled here and have grown roots in Ocilla. There are many family names that are legacy in Ocilla and Irwin County. The Seale name is not one of them. I did not originally come here because of family ties. Even so, this community has become my home, and you all have become my family. Sometimes your family can drive you crazy, but you are still family through thick and thin. You look out for each other, care for each other, help each other when there are troubled times, and rejoice with each other in times of victory. The cause of family and community can require sacrifice, but the rewards for this are more than money can buy. Working to make things better for your community and family makes a better life for us all.
Recently I have been encouraged to run for Mayor of Ocilla as the seat has become open this year. Though I was reluctant at first, I have been humbled by the overwhelming support and encouragement I have received from so many of you. I have taken several weeks to speak with local officials and community leaders. I have asked many questions and have been able to receive wise counsel. I have thought very deeply about the impact this decision would have on my life and the life of my family. And I have prayed to God to seek His wisdom and His will in this matter. After all of this consideration, I am very excited to announce my intention to run for Mayor of Ocilla, GA.
Now, while I am the candidate you should choose for Mayor, I want this campaign to be about more than that. I am not running for this office to enrich or promote myself as an individual. This needs to be about something bigger, and for that I ask for your help. I have heard it already said by some, and I am sure will be brought up by others along the way, that I am not from here, so let me address that head-on. I am from another town in South Georgia, but in my 20’s, I chose to come to Ocilla. I chose to invest in property here. Soon after that I chose to date a beautiful local girl, and later we chose to get married. I chose Ocilla because I saw great potential in it. It is a small town, and that means a relaxed pace of life. The hustle and bustle of the big city is something that people need to get away from, and when they do, they want to come here. Why not just get away from all of that for good? Ocilla’s size is perfect for growth. We have a downtown area that is perfect for a retail destination that people would drive for miles to get to. We have an infrastructure and utilities in place to support residents and businesses alike. We have one of the best school systems in South Georgia. We have the basic resources to build and grow, not into a big city and not with a surge in population, but into a better version of itself. Some people may refer to Ocilla as the middle of nowhere, but I say we can make it the middle of everywhere!
This is where I need your help. This campaign is not about Matt Seale for Mayor. While I am confident that I will make a positive difference as your Mayor, we need something bigger than that. As we put campaign signs out in the coming weeks, you will notice that the signs will have the words “Choose Ocilla.” Just as I chose Ocilla years ago and continue to choose Ocilla by working on improvements in our local governing and our local economy, each of us needs to choose Ocilla and promote our community. If each citizen in our community woke each day and chose Ocilla in their everyday choices, we can work together to make things better.
This means choosing Ocilla when we shop, so that our local economy can be strong, and sales tax dollars can be generated for local initiatives and improvements. This means choosing Ocilla for going out to restaurants with family and friends. This means choosing Ocilla to fill your gas tank and buying groceries. This means choosing Ocilla and maintaining your property, so neighborhoods in our community look inviting, and property values are not jeopardized, but can increase over time. Choosing Ocilla means keeping our sidewalks and streets clean. This means choosing Ocilla to start new business ventures or expand existing ones. This means choosing Ocilla to buy a home and fixing things up to make your street and your community a better place. All of these things add up to a cleaner, stronger and more prosperous Ocilla, and it is one that we can build together.
There is an old saying about an oak tree. The best time to plant an oak tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is today. We can talk about the past and missed opportunities that would have helped us to grow before now, but the better use of our time is to build from this day forward. Let’s do that right now. Let’s start today. Many of us have the tools we need in our possession right now, your smartphones. Take a picture of something before you go home tonight. Take a picture of the people right next to you or a selfie with friends. Take a picture of something for sale that you like here in L’s. Post it on Facebook or Instagram with the #chooseocilla. Take pictures outside on the sidewalk or friends sitting on the nice new benches on Fourth Street. Post that too, with #chooseocilla. Keep doing it. Make people wonder what all the buzz is about. There is now a website called chooseocilla.com and a Facebook fan page too. While I am using this page to display information about myself so that voters can get to know me, the ultimate use of this page will be to promote Ocilla and the surrounding community. Regardless of the outcome of an election for Mayor on September 15th, the movement will continue on September 16th. This is a campaign to promote and grow Ocilla that will last well into the future. Thank you all so much for all your support. Let’s start building that future together.
There’s No Place Like Ocilla, GA."
- Matt Seale, Candidate for Mayor of Ocilla 2015