MADAM MAYOR

GROWING PAINS: Sandra Vincent, the first Black woman mayor of McDonough, Ga., tackles managing rapid growth while preserving “small-town feel”  

By LEAH KINCAID

Black Women Unmuted staff writer

MCDONOUGH, GA — On a warm summer evening, well after 5 p.m., Mayor Sandra Vincent is still at her desk in McDonough City Hall.  Stylish and poised, she looks pensive, her eyes locked on her computer screen.

It’s another long day for Vincent, the first Black woman elected mayor of McDonough, Ga., who is working tirelessly to lead and rebuild the foundation of her rapidly growing city. 

Vincent, who has dedicated more than 25 years of her life to public service, served as a McDonough City Council member for 16 years before voters elected her the city’s 10th mayor in 2021. 

Leading a growing city is exciting for the first-term mayor. Just 30 miles south of Atlanta, McDonough is the county seat of Henry County, a once-rural community that has seen tremendous population growth. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, McDonough’s population tripled in the past 20 years, from just under 10,000 residents in 2000 to over 30,000 in 2023. But that kind of growth has also brought its own unique set of challenges to the halls of local government and the city’s first Black woman mayor. 

Embracing Public Service

Growing up in a tight-knit community in Cocoa Beach, Fla., Vincent attributes her call to public service to her elders. She would often listen to them talk about neighborhood issues, particularly her great-grandmother, who served as the matriarch of her community. 

“During that time, there was this saying that, you know, ‘Children don’t get into grown folks’ business,’” Vincent said. “So, I did a lot of silent playing. I would play, but really, I was listening to what they were saying.” 

An observant child, Vincent quickly learned that she was growing up in an important moment in the nation’s Civil Rights history.

“I grew up during a time when there was a lot of change. There was civil unrest as it relates to civil rights,” “Vincent explained. “I saw a lot of tears and heard a lot of stories, and they always made me sad.”

With dreams of becoming an attorney, she became involved in local organizations that sought to make a difference in her community. 

“I was always involved in the Civic League, involved in church, involved in the NAACP, the Junior NAACP, just all of the social civic organizations that were about empowerment for the community,” Vincent said. “That was my life growing up.” 

As a young adult, she studied political science at Tuskegee University and became involved in the Student Government Association. While her sights were set on becoming a lawyer, she knew she wanted to pursue a career in public policy. After graduating, she went on to work in federal and local government positions for many years, solidifying her love of public service. 

“Some people have spent almost their entire life just trying to be seen, trying to be heard, and trying to get problems answered,” Vincent said. “And because I have the opportunity to help facilitate that, it feels like ministry to me, and I’m honored.” 

Bringing back “good governance”

When Vincent arrived in a rapidly growing McDonough nearly 20 years ago, she was encouraged to run for city council. After serving the citizens of McDonough’s 2nd District for 16 years, she noticed a troubling shift in how the government there was run. 

“We were steering away from the organized process,” she explained. “It just felt like we were making things up as we went along, and nothing has really changed.” 

Vincent points to a huge spike in the number of people who now call the once small rural town home.

The challenges that accompanied that growth showed up in a multitude of ways, Vincent said. There was not only a need for stronger infrastructure to support the city’s snarled traffic and narrow roads, but also for “policies and procedures” that would lay the foundation for how McDonough’s government would function today and in the future.  “I’m talking about policies and procedures,” she explained. “They‘re like principles, and principles don’t change.”

While hesitant at first, she decided as her term on the McDonough City Council was coming to an end to run for mayor. She received an array of advice when it came to her vision for the future of McDonough. 

“As an example, when you run you need to identify three things, and run off of that platform,” she said. “My response to that was, ‘No, because the problems are greater than three things.’”

In November 2021, Vincent was elected on her platform of “good governance,” a 10-pillar plan to reignite citizen engagement, use data and technology to drive the city forward, and establish policies and procedures that keep city officials on one accord.  

Growing Pains

Excited to serve and lead her city, Vincent ran as “A Mayor for All McDonough.” However, shortly after her historic win, she was hit with an unexpected blow. Multiple city officials left office in what Vincent calls a “mass retirement” wave. The mayor-elect was left without a city administrator, public works director, senior utility clerk, and finance director. Still, she was not deterred and continued forward. 

“[It was] December 21. I still remember the date, so there must be some trauma there,” Vincent recalled. “Everybody left, and I had to step into many roles at the same time.” 

That mass exodus revealed to Vincent that there was a serious need for employee development. In her first year as mayor, she conducted anonymous surveys to gauge and address staff concerns. What she learned was the need was much greater than she had expected. 

“We are not small town anymore. The horse is out the barn.”

— Mayor Sandra Vincent, City of McDonough, Ga.

Vincent discovered some employees weren’t earning enough to afford basic housing, city hall needed major technological upgrades, and the staff needed training in essential new technologies and computer software to have local government operations run more efficiently.

“We grew really fast as a city, [and] the investment had not really been made with the staff for continuous contemporary development,” Vincent said.  “If your focus is on doing the work of the organization, and you’re not communicating with your peers and seeing what contemporary challenges and solutions are out there, then you end up living with a flip phone when you could have really had an iPhone.” 

In addition to boosting staff development, Vincent made citizen engagement a top priority. She and her staff hosted monthly public meetings, created an online discussion forums for residents to submit their concerns, and established a monthly newsletter to keep constituents in the know about what happens in their city.  

“How do you grow unless you know what the needs are in your community?” Vincent said. 

Through discussions with citizens, the mayor identified two of the most pressing issues as traffic flow – or the lack thereof – and the desire to preserve McDonough’s small-town feel.

Rapid growth in McDonough and Henry County has caused major traffic issues and revealed a need for massive infrastructure improvements. While most residents did not want a public transit system, McDonough and neighboring cities collaborated with Henry County to create the Henry Connect Microtransit system. That decision was made after an extensive review of population data and discussions about how the new system would benefit residents in need. Though she actively went against what city residents wanted, Vincent said it still was important to let them know their voices were heard, considered and understood. 

“We are not forgetting what you said,” Vincent recalled telling residents. “We just wanted you to understand that this is the justification for what is happening.” 

Vincent said preserving McDonough’s “small-town feel” is no easy task. “We are not small-town anymore. The horse is out the barn,” she said. “The challenge was what do we do to promote that feeling further even though we are growing.” 

Vincent found hosting year-round community events and festivals helped. Known as  “The Geranium City,”  each year McDonough hosts  The Geranium Festival,  which honors the city’s history, arts, beauty, and business and also fosters the feeling of community. So did adding quaint Southern touches, like small ferns and crossbuck fencing around the downtown McDonough Square. It’s something Vincent calls the “Disney Effect.” 

“I think that’s what I love most about local government because it is the government that is closest to the people,” she said. “You get an opportunity to affect change based upon what they are saying.”  

Looking Ahead

While McDonough’s mayor continues to be dedicated to serving her community, she admits that it has not been easy. Still, she remains excited about the job and her city’s future.

“There are times when it gets extremely tiring because everything demands attention at the same time,” Vincent admitted. “Because we are operating in catch-up mode, it is not happening as fast as [I], the person, would like to see, but the magic is taking place.” 

Now halfway through her term, Vincent accepts “it is impossible to finish everything in four years.” She shared her desire to once again serve as “A Mayor for All McDonough” in 2026.

“I hope and pray the people and city of McDonough are pleased with what we have delivered and what I have delivered as mayor,” she added, “and that they will give me an opportunity to finish what I started.” 

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