In Episode 78 of The Town Square Podcast, Trey Bailey sits down with newly elected Covington City Councilman Dwayne Turner to talk about his background in the military, law enforcement, HOA leadership, and public service. Turner shares what led him to run for office and how he is adjusting to the realities of serving on city council during a season of major public discussion and rapid growth.

The conversation covers some of Covington’s biggest current issues, including infrastructure, stormwater fees, taxes, fireworks, the tattoo shop vote on the square, and the importance of transparency in local government. Throughout the episode, Turner returns to the ideas that shaped his campaign and now define his service: listening to constituents, protecting Covington’s traditions, and working toward a stronger future for the city and for Newton County as a whole.

(Listen now at TheTownSquarePodcast.com or watch on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.)

Covington City Councilwoman Charika Davis is back for her second term, and she’s not tiptoeing around the biggest word in local government right now: affordability. In this conversation, she shares what it’s really like campaigning while doing the job, why she sees herself as an advocate for working- and middle-class families, and what people often misunderstand about city government—especially the reality that a councilmember is “one vote,” not the person who hires, fires, or runs day-to-day operations.

We also get into two of the most talked-about issues in Covington: the stormwater billing controversy (and what fairness looks like when people feel blindsided) and the potential property tax relief conversation tied to major economic development and PILOT revenue. Along the way, Davis talks infrastructure strain from growth, sidewalks and safety, why empathy matters in policy, and how residents can actually reach her when they’ve got a real problem to solve.

(Listen now at TheTownSquarePodcast.com or watch on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.)