I am a candidate!

My name is Farris Yawn and I am a candidate for Canton City Council.

I have been a resident of Canton for thirty-five years. I graduated from Cherokee High School and earned my BA in Accounting from Kennesaw College. After commuting to work in Metro Atlanta for many years, I decided to open my own company in Canton.  I have owned and operated my business, Yawn's Books, in Downtown Canton for nine years. During that time, it has been my honor to serve as President of the Historic Downtown Canton Association (a merchants and professionals association), Vice-President and currently as Treasurer of the Cherokee Arts Center, and as Treasurer of the Canton Main Street Board. I have also been active with the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce, where I serve on the Governmental Affairs committee, and am a graduate of Leadership Cherokee.

I remember the Canton of my youth as a vibrant, bustling center for business and community functions. I believe that with the proper support and leadership it can be so again. I feel that for too long our Council has been preoccupied with pet projects and we need to change the focus to what is best for the city as a whole. Canton has a lot of potential just waiting to be tapped. As a business owner in Canton, I understand the challenges faced by entrepreneurs in today’s business environment and I want to do all I can to streamline and reduce the red tape involved in opening and operating a business.

I believe that an elected official first and foremost serves as a representative of their constituents and should be respectful of their wishes when conducting the city’s business. Especially in these economic times, they should also be conservative with the funds entrusted to their care.

Canton has been good to my family, and I feel that this is my opportunity to give back. I have been truly blessed to have the support of my wonderful wife Stacy (the greatest blessing I received from living in Canton) and our families, and now I am asking for your support.

Thank you.