Guyton mayoral candidate to focus on transparency, community involvement if elected

Riding dirt bikes, eating breakfast at Thompson IGA and playing baseball until the streetlights came on is how Andy Harville remembers growing up in Guyton.

The ball fields near Magnolia Drive were filled with families enjoying games. According to Harville, that same park has been dormant for years and grass is coming up through the tennis courts.

That is enough to motivate Guyton’s mayoral candidate to revive the community space he grew up enjoying.

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He also sees it as a way to generate revenue through travel ball tournaments.

“It would not take much to bring the ball fields up to par,” Harville said. “We definitely want to focus on those. They used to be thriving over there. I have had people message me saying they need a place to play tournament ball. That would be good financially for the city.”

Harville said what concerns him most is the lack of community engagement. Harville is the Office Manager at Pineora Handi House, a family-owned portable building manufacturer. He has lived in the area for more than 30 years and remembers when residents used to congregate.

The city’s annual Sale Along the Trail sees hundreds of vendors who sell baked goods and other vittles. But according to Harville, it is the only event that sees significant participation – and that needs to change.

“We can do a picnic on the Fourth of July or even a parade,” Harville said. “I just want to get people involved.”

Harville is no stranger to community involvement. In 2019, he ran for an open seat in city council but was defeated by Hursula Pelote. He had a brief stint in the planning and zoning department before running for council again in 2022, but would go on to lose against Michael Johnson.

In his mission statement, Harville said, “If elected as mayor of Guyton, my main goal is to cultivate a community where businesses, families and individuals can work, play and live in a safe and diverse environment…each member of the community should be afforded the chance to shape the city’s future and to be treated as equals by everyone in our government structure.”

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Guyton resident Kelli Lariscy met Harville through local politics and said his character speaks for itself.

“He’s a very intelligent, gentleman who has educated himself on the important topics on Guyton city government,” said Lariscy. “He goes to the meetings and researches everything. He is a man of integrity and I believe he will carry that integrity into city hall.”

If elected mayor, Harville said he will lead with transparency.

“I'm just a regular person,” Harville said. “I want people to talk to me just like a regular person. I want that relationship with people where they feel like they can come talk to me. I think that's how it should be with everything.”

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Guyton resident Andy Harville to run for mayor this fall