“There’s a lot more work to be done”: Kelly Girtz bids farewell to the mayor’s office

Kelly Girtz will leave office in January, having served as Athens-Clarke County mayor since 2019. As he begins to step away from the position he’s held for over seven years, Girtz reflects on both the progress he’s made in office and the enormous amount of work that remains unfinished.

Affordable housing is one of the most pressing challenges Girtz has faced as mayor, together with the related problem of homelessness. The average price of rent increased over 30% in Athens from 2020 to 2025, according to apartmentlist.com.

Girtz told APN that his administration has made several strides towards improving housing affordability in Athens. Under his leadership, the city has partnered on low income housing tax credit projects and made a very significant investment in affordable housing through SPLOST, which he says is larger “than any other jurisdiction in the state.” He also oversaw the implementation of inclusionary zoning, which recently brought in $7.8 million for affordable housing projects in Athens.

One project he is particularly proud of is the redevelopment of Bethel Homes. Girtz worked alongside the Athens Housing Authority to transform Bethel Midtown Village, an area once in poor condition and riddled with crime, into an area of mixed uses and housing types. Although all phases of the redevelopment are not yet complete, it will eventually include an equal number of public housing units, subsidized units for low- and moderate-income families and market rate units, as well as housing specifically set aside for seniors.

Recently, rents in Athens have stabilized. Over the last year, the average price of rent actually fell by 3.3%.

Girtz is proud of what he’s accomplished but knows that there’s a lot left to do — especially in the area of affordability. In 2026 and beyond, the government will have to continue investing time and money in the Land Bank Authority and the Affordable Housing Fund through SPLOST or General Fund dollars. “There will be need for designated affordable housing in Athens for the rest of our lives,” he said. “[This] will take continued direct investment.”

Girtz feels that the work of improving Athens is a generational commitment. 

“I could be mayor for the rest of my life and the work that we need to do around housing would never stop, similarly with homelessness,” Girtz said. 

Though Girtz is relieved to step away from life in the public sphere and the constant demands of being “on call,” he will miss having a direct impact on the lives of Athenians.

“You’re mayor 24/7. You don’t clock out at 5 or 6 o’clock in the afternoon. To imagine a life in which I’m not getting texts and emails at midnight, it’s okay with me,” Girtz said with a smile. “But there are some fulfilling pieces around being able to have an active, tangible role in the success of the community, day-in, day-out. I’ll miss that piece.” 

Along with affordability, managing Athens’ growth is another topic that’s on the minds of many residents who will have a chance to choose their next mayor in May. Athens is an attractive place for young families and employers, but also for older people who have greater healthcare needs, Girtz said. On top of that, Athens is known as the birthplace of higher learning, continuously attracting a large student and faculty population.

Girtz encourages Athens’ next mayor to embrace growth, not fear it. 

“Athens is going to change and is also going to continue to be a city we love,” he said. 

But Athens continues to face serious challenges on the issue of homelessness, which is often debated among mayoral candidates. Girtz hopes that the incoming mayor continues his work with the Athens Homeless Coalition, increases outreach through Advantage Behavioral Health Systems and finds new revenue to extend these priorities. The current administration has been able to leverage funding through the American Rescue Plan, but this will expire at the end of the year.

Housing for people moving out of homelessness and access to recovery services is vital, Girtz said. 

During his time as mayor, Girtz was tasked with guiding the local government through the COVID-19 pandemic and he also dealt with the upheaval that followed the death of Laken Riley in 2024.

Despite the criticism he received, Girtz said that his administration has reduced crime dramatically from the highs of the pandemic. For example, there were eight murders in Athens in 2023, six in 2024 and only two murders in 2025.

Violent crime rose during the COVID-19 pandemic, but has fallen nationwide in recent years. 

The Real Time Crime Center, which was fully funded by the commission in June 2025, has aided the police force in solving crimes quicker and worked as a preventative measure against crime, Girtz said. 

The Real Time Crime Center is a data-hub that provides police with live surveillance feeds from multiple sources including closed-circuit television cameras, body cameras and 911 calls. The Real Time Crime Center drew significant opposition from some community members last year, who feared the technology would be used for racial profiling. 

Athens-Clarke County now has a full staff of police officers for the first time since he took office, Girtz said.

Girtz encourages the next mayor of Athens to have a good grasp on data, set a tone of professionalism and develop a good network of peers across the state and country. 

“I love this community a lot and I’m really proud of a lot of work that I’ve done,” Girtz said. 

Once he leaves office, Girtz hopes to continue working in public service, whether in K-12 public education, higher education or housing affordability, most likely through the public sector or a nonprofit.

“A blessing of this job is you just develop this wealth of knowledge and understanding about how the gears of this community mesh, or fail to mesh,” Girtz said. “I have a lot to give, and want to be able to give in a way that supports Athens or Georgia at large.”

Help APN continue covering local news for the Athens area!
Please consider becoming a member or giving a one-time donation via PayPal.