Matt Bentley
Occupation: Attorney
Previous experience holding elected offices: Smyrna Precinct Chairman, Delegate to Cobb County and Georgia State Conventions.
Other community service experience: Matt and his wife Kelsey adopted a Mile in Smyrna to “Keep Smyrna Beautiful” and regularly volunteer with rescue dog organizations.
Why should the voters choose you for this position?
I am the candidate with the deepest local roots, which is why I care so much about our great community. I was born in Marietta, raised in Vinings, went to the Westminster Schools in Buckhead, lived in Buckhead while attending Emory Law School, and now live in Smyrna with my wife and dogs. I was trained to draft, analyze and find loopholes in legislation that is crafted by our state legislators, and have been litigating on behalf of local governments. I am not a politician and will advocate for strong conservative values, including individual responsibility, less government and lower taxes.
What is the biggest issue facing the district and how will you address it?
Hunter Hill has set out on a quest to eliminate our state income tax. I will take up the mantle and be a champion for tax reform by eliminating our state income tax. This will drive our economy, encourage personal accountability through saving, increase revenue from out-of-state sources, deter tax evasion, and put money back in our pockets. Tennessee, Florida and Texas have all successfully accomplished this, and we need more legislators advocating this sound position, which will lower taxes for all residents in the 6th District.
The legislature is expected to discuss proposals for increased state funding of mass transit and possible new governance of public transit. What is your position on those issues?
I would be against any measure expanding MARTA’s scope in the state. There is no doubt that metro Atlanta needs real solutions to our traffic woes, but we are not to going to achieve success with the same old, tired offering we get from career politicians. Our transportation policy needs to be forward-thinking by focusing on innovative 21st century technology such as autonomous vehicles, intelligent traffic patterns/lights and reversible lanes. We should also double down on checks and balances to deter overbuilding in high-traffic areas.
Let’s start focusing our efforts on common-sense approaches by using technology to eliminate traffic congestion.