Scott Worthy will be sworn in at his first Hogansville City Council meeting Monday, but he’s already become a familiar face, sitting on on council meetings since announcing his candidacy in early fall.

Worthy’s first run for office was successful; he defeated two-term councilman Charlie Frank Martin in the November election.

“I just want to give back to the community and try and do what’s right,” says Worthy, 37. Worthy is a Hogansville native, working as a broker for Prestige Realty Express. He’s also worked in retail around the city, at Ingle’s, where he still works, and at Rite Aid pharmacy.

Worthy is moving his real estate office to a building directly across from City Hall, making him even more accessible to residents. Having grown up in the Mill Village, Worthy is most excited about the city’s new ordinance for dilapidated houses, many of which now dot the village section of town. Officials plan to start this month on the legal process to tear down some of the worst structures.

“We finally have the ordinances in place to make it happen,” Worthy said.

As a native of the city, however, Worthy already is aware of the division that exists between newcomers who’ve moved to Hogansville within the last 10 years - and helped spearhead many of the changes the city has seen - and members of the community who are longtime residents and not as eager for change.

Worthy hopes to balance the two groups, he says.

“I want to look at the whole situation,” he said. “I want to look at what’s best for the whole city.”

Jennifer Shrader may be reached at jshrader@ lagrangenews.com or (706) 884-7311, Ext. 236.