Ames Barnett declares run for City Council in District 2

AMES BARNETT

Following family tradition, Ames McGill Barnett has declared his candidacy for the Washington City Council representing District 2

"I've wanted to run for years, growing up watching my grandmother Mildred Barnett serve on the city council," he said, "but I'd been living out of the city. Now that I'm a city resident, and building a new home downtown, now's the time to use my service to help better the town, and continue in this generation the tradition of service my grandmother started."

Born and raised in Washington, Ames is the son of Danny and Nancy Barnett, grandson of Joe Sr. and Mildred Barnett, the first woman elected to the council. His uncles are Joe Jr. and Jimmy Barnett.

He and his wife Ashley were married here in December 2006, and are building a home in the historic district at Court Street and North Jefferson. She is the Director of Tourism for Washington-Wilkes. "I'm so fortunate to have my wife's complete support to run for office,"he said. They are active at First Baptist Church in Washington.

Ames, a 1994 graduate of Washington Wilkes Comprehensive High School, graduated from Georgia Southern University in 1999 with a degree in Civil Engineering Technology. He and his brother Ash are co-owners of Barnett Southern Corporation and of Team Excavating in Wrens.

His company's 60 employees are largely working on a three-year, multi-million-dollar underground pipe contract at the I-20/Bobby Jones interchange in Augusta. "Ash and I have our business here in Washington not because it's convenient," he said, "but because we love Washington and want our small business to contribute to the system, pay taxes and be an asset."

Small businesses like his can help Washington flourish, he says, and attracting and helping small businesses will be a priority on the council. "Everybody focuses on attracting the big businesses, but I know we need a lot of successful small businesses too. Small business can help grow Washington. We're just starting to take off here in Washington, and we've got to be ready for it."

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