Pat Carmical has announced her candidacy for the Florala City Council District 4 seat.

Carmical said she and husband, Billy, moved to Florala seven years ago. The couple said they had long admired Florala and Lake Jackson from traveling through to Etowah, Tenn., where her 91-year-old mother still resides. “Pat,” as she prefers to be called, said that living in Florala is “a dream come true” to both her and her husband – an avid fisherman and familiar face at the Piggly Wiggly where he is employed. The Carmicals have three children and four grandchildren.

Before she retired, while residing in Georgia, Carmical worked in radiology and was elected to two consecutive terms to the city council in Ellijay.

“I believe the best possible way to say ‘thank you’ to a community is to serve, and this belief is why I have decided to run for the council seat in District 4,” she said. “I promise full accessibility to my constituents. I will have an open door policy – anyone who needs to discuss an issue will always be welcome in our home. Calling on my experience as a councilwoman in Ellijay, I will work with the mayor and other council members to make the best possible decisions for Florala’s future.

“With proper planning, not only will Florala continue to improve and grow, but it will also do so without losing the quaint characteristics that make this such a beloved community,” she said.

Carmical is a member of the Episcopalian Church and serves on the city’s Industrial Board. She enjoys membership in the Florala Study Club and the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce.

During the 24th of June Gator Trot, she organizes a fun-filled brunch where spectators cheer the participants on to the finish line from the Carmical’s home, an event that continues to grow as word of the couple’s hospitality spreads.

“Everyone is invited to the brunch,” she said. “I encourage all those who attend to come back the next year and bring their friends, the more the merrier.”

Carmical said the minute she moved to Florala she knew she was “home.” “I never want to live anywhere else,” she said. “Florala is the greatest place in the world to me. I would like to see more events planned around our beautiful lake and would also like to see emphasis placed on preserving this truly unique natural asset for future generations.”