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The Town Square Podcast

The Town Square Podcast

Written by: Trey Bailey Gabriel Stovall
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Not just another podcast, but a place to meet in the messy middle and have difficult discussions with transparency and diplomacy where the outcome is unity, not uniformity.

The primary topics will be the local interests of Newton County, Georgia residents and those in the surrounding community.

All rights reserved. Economics Management Management & Leadership Political Science Politics & Government Relationships Science Self-Help Social Sciences Spirituality Success
Episodes
  • Wendell McNeal: Workhorse, Not Show Horse | Candidate Conversations — Episode 87

    Wendell McNeal: Workhorse, Not Show Horse | Candidate Conversations — Episode 87
    May 5 2026
    In this episode of The Town Square Podcast, Trey Bailey sits down with Wendell McNeal, candidate for Georgia House of Representatives District 114, as part of the ongoing Candidate Conversations series.District 114 includes all of Morgan County, portions of Newton County, and part of Walton County, including communities such as Mansfield, Newborn, Social Circle, and areas near Good Hope. As the district continues to experience growth, development pressure, tax concerns, and shifting political boundaries, this race carries significance for voters across several communities.McNeal is running in the Republican primary for the open House seat against Brett Mauldin, who has also appeared on The Town Square Podcast as part of the Candidate Conversations series. As with every episode in this series, the goal is not to endorse a candidate, but to give voters direct access to the people asking to represent them.For McNeal, that story begins long before politics.From Gordon to MilledgevilleWendell McNeal was born in Gordon, Georgia, a small town south of Milledgeville. He described growing up in a 975-square-foot house — what people today might call a tiny home — before tragedy changed the course of his childhood.When McNeal was eight years old, his parents were involved in a car accident. His father did not survive, and his mother was left handicapped. After that, the family moved to Milledgeville, which is why many of his bios list Milledgeville as his hometown.But McNeal was quick to clarify the full story.He came from Gordon. He carried lessons from Gordon. And those early life experiences helped shape his worldview.Throughout the conversation, McNeal returned to themes of resilience, common sense, hard work, and learning how to figure things out when no one hands you a blueprint.Learning the Legislative ProcessBefore building his business career, McNeal spent time working around state politics. After moving to Atlanta to work for a candidate running for statewide office, he was later connected to an opportunity with the Georgia House of Representatives.That job placed him with the House Judiciary Committee.McNeal said he told the committee chairman that he was not a lawyer. The chairman already knew — and apparently viewed that as part of what made him interesting for the role.That experience gave McNeal an early understanding of how legislation works, how laws are developed, and how important it is to understand the process before trying to change it.He said one of the most important lessons he learned is that disagreement does not have to become hostility.If someone disagrees, McNeal said, his response is simple: tell me why.That approach — asking people to explain their position rather than dismissing them — became one of the recurring themes of the conversation.Building a Business From ScratchMcNeal eventually decided he wanted to go into business for himself.He did not inherit a family business. He did not come from a built-in business structure. He simply decided to start.With a background in electronics, McNeal opened a Curtis Mathis store in Covington’s Newton Plaza. Many longtime Newton County residents may remember the store, especially from the days when renting a VCR was still part of normal life.Eventually, McNeal moved the business to a building on Highway 278 and expanded into Conyers. Over time, he grew the business to four stores and approximately 50 employees.That experience, he said, taught him how to read financial statements, manage operations, handle lenders, understand cash flow, and make decisions based on facts.McNeal talked about being required to prepare individual financial statements for each location, then a separate financial statement for the home office, then consolidated financial statements for the company as a whole.He described it as a crash course in business discipline.If financials were not ready by the fifth of the month, he said, the credit line could be cut.That kind of pressure taught him how to manage carefully, plan ahead, and avoid making decisions without understanding the numbers.Property Taxes and the State BudgetWhen asked what he believes is one of the most important issues facing District 114, McNeal quickly pointed to property taxes.He said many residents have seen property taxes double or even triple, especially as home values have increased and assessments compare properties against nearby renovated homes.McNeal specifically raised the issue of homestead exemptions. He noted that Morgan County’s homestead exemption is $2,000, while Newton County’s is $4,000, and questioned why those numbers have not been significantly updated over time.But he also cautioned that tax policy cannot be handled casually.Change one part of the system, he said, and it can affect something else.For McNeal, tax relief must be approached carefully so it does not harm school systems, public employees, or essential services.He described attending legislative ...
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    50 mins
  • Nytravious “Nytro” Smith: Preserving Newton, Preparing for the Future | Candidate Conversations — Episode 86

    Nytravious “Nytro” Smith: Preserving Newton, Preparing for the Future | Candidate Conversations — Episode 86
    Apr 30 2026
    In this Candidate Conversations episode of The Town Square Podcast, host Trey Bailey sits down with Nytravious “Nytro” Smith, candidate for Newton County Board of Commissioners District 4.For longtime listeners, Nytro may sound familiar. He previously appeared on the podcast for a conversation about the state of the church in Newton County, alongside Pastor Justin Adams. This time, he returns in a very different role: as a candidate asking District 4 voters to consider his vision for county leadership.Smith describes himself as a lifelong Newton County resident, raised in the Green Acres and Nelson Heights communities. He is a graduate of Eastside High School and the Newton College and Career Academy, a product of Newton County Schools, and an advocate for the public school system that helped shape him.He also points to the Washington Street Community Center as a major influence in his life, crediting its leadership and programming with showing him what meaningful community investment can look like.Today, Smith serves in multiple community roles. He is an ordained minister at James Paschal Baptist Church, a community lay coach in Newton County Schools, and has worked in trades including pipefitting, plumbing, and electrical work.Throughout the conversation, Smith returns often to one central theme: Newton County must preserve what makes it special while also preparing for what is coming next.A Young Candidate With a Local FoundationSmith does not avoid the conversation around his age. In fact, he speaks directly to it.At the time of the election, he will meet the age requirement to serve, and he argues that youth should not be viewed as a weakness. Instead, he sees it as part of what allows him to connect with younger residents who are often disconnected from local politics.He shares stories of knocking on doors and meeting young voters who were registered but did not even realize it. To Smith, that is not apathy as much as a lack of information and engagement.He says candidates are often strategic organizers during campaign season — knocking doors, sending mailers, making calls — but he believes that same energy should continue after someone is elected.For Smith, public service is not only about voting on agenda items. It is also about educating citizens, explaining how government works, and helping people see where their tax dollars go.“Preserving Newton. Preparing for the Future.”Smith’s campaign theme is “Preserving Newton. Preparing for the Future.”When asked what he wants to preserve, Smith talks about the charm, identity, and pride of Newton County. He wants the county to remain a place with roots, relationships, and a sense of belonging — not simply become another extension of Atlanta.But he also believes preservation alone is not enough.Smith argues that Newton County must plan for future growth, expand tourism, strengthen workforce development, and create more local opportunities so young people do not feel forced to leave in order to find meaningful work.He talks about the importance of retention — creating a county where graduates can go to college, technical school, or directly into the trades, and still see a future for themselves right here at home.Growth, Development, and Economic OpportunityGrowth is one of the major themes in the conversation.Smith does not describe growth itself as bad. Instead, he says the issue is whether growth is balanced, planned, and beneficial to residents.He speaks specifically about the need for economic development that strengthens the tax base without sacrificing quality of life. He also talks about District 4 as a largely residential district, but one that still has opportunities for thoughtful commercial development.Smith mentions Porterdale and the Oak District as examples of areas with potential. He sees Porterdale, especially, as a place where tourism, recreation, food, and riverfront activity could help create a stronger local economy.Rather than viewing Newton County’s cities and communities as separate pieces, Smith argues for a more unified approach. He wants more collaboration between the county, municipalities, the school system, and economic development leaders.Intergovernmental CollaborationOne idea Smith discusses is the possibility of stronger intergovernmental cooperation.He talks about creating more structured conversations between different local entities so leaders can better understand how one decision affects another part of the community.For example, if the county approves development, how does that affect schools? Roads? Water? Municipalities? Workforce needs?Smith says he is not trying to replace or interfere with the Industrial Development Authority, but he does want more conversation and cohesiveness between the various groups shaping Newton County’s future.His goal is not simply to get a “piece of the pie,” but to help the county “bake the pie together” so everyone can benefit.Data Centers and ...
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    46 mins
  • Ryan Millsap: Outsider, Builder, and a Fighter for Georgia’s 10th | Candidate Conversations — Episode 85

    Ryan Millsap: Outsider, Builder, and a Fighter for Georgia’s 10th | Candidate Conversations — Episode 85
    Apr 27 2026
    In Episode 85 of The Town Square Podcast, Trey Bailey and Gabriel Stovall continue their Candidate Conversations series with Ryan Millsap, Republican candidate for U.S. Congress in Georgia’s 10th District. The seat is currently held by Congressman Mike Collins, and with voters preparing for another important election cycle, this conversation was designed to help listeners better understand one of the candidates asking for their vote.As always, the goal of The Town Square Podcast is not to create uniformity, but to create understanding. In that spirit, this episode gives Ryan Millsap room to tell his story, explain his worldview, and make his case directly to the people of District 10.What follows is a candidate who is anything but conventional.A Candidate with an Unusual BackstoryAt first glance, some listeners may assume they know who Ryan Millsap is based on campaign rhetoric, short clips online, or the forceful style he brings to a room. But this conversation quickly revealed a far more layered personal story.Millsap was born in southern Missouri, where his father’s family had deep roots going back generations. His mother grew up on a cattle ranch in northern Nebraska, and that upbringing — wide open land, hard work, and a culture of toughness and independence — clearly shaped the values Millsap still talks about today.His father was a recon Marine in Vietnam, a Purple Heart recipient and Bronze Star honoree who returned home carrying the scars of war, including PTSD. Millsap described growing up in a home shaped by both discipline and intensity, with a tom-boy mother who loved college football and a family environment that felt more like a locker room than a quiet suburban home.The family later moved to Phoenix, Arizona, and then to central California, where Millsap says he spent his teenage years in a deeply conservative farming community. That blend of Midwestern roots, Southwestern grit, and West Coast business exposure became an unusual but formative mix.More Depth Than ExpectedOne of the most surprising turns in the episode was hearing how academically layered Millsap’s background really is.He attended Biola University, where he studied philosophy, and later studied at Oxford, focusing on issues related to time, eternity, and divine omniscience. He also played American football at Oxford and rowed there — experiences that Trey clearly did not expect to come up in what he assumed would be a more conventional campaign interview.After Oxford, Millsap pursued graduate studies at USC in real estate development. From there, he began doing real estate deals at a young age and eventually built a substantial career in apartment acquisitions, development strategy, and complex deal-making.For several years, he even taught real estate at USC as a professor, developing course material designed to teach students what real-world entrepreneurship actually looks like. That detail added another layer to Millsap’s profile: not just businessman, but teacher and thinker as well.Building Wealth, Business, and OpportunityMillsap described himself repeatedly as an entrepreneur — and in the conversation, that seems to be the identity he values most.He explained how he partnered with investors after the 2008 financial collapse to acquire thousands of apartment units across the South at a time when the economy was in chaos. He said he saw that moment as one of the greatest buying opportunities of a generation and used it to build a massive real estate portfolio in Atlanta and surrounding Southern cities.Eventually, that business success brought him to Georgia full time. He moved here in 2014, drawn by both the economics of the region and the opportunities he saw in a growing Southern market.Then came one of the more unexpected chapters of his story: film studios.After recognizing what he believed was an overlooked real estate opportunity in Georgia’s booming movie industry, Millsap built an 850,000-square-foot movie studio inside the perimeter of Atlanta. He later leased that studio to major entertainment companies including Disney, Sony, Warner Brothers, HBO, and Netflix. Films such as Jungle Cruise,Jumanji, Venom, Godzilla, andnTomorrow War were among the projects made on the property.It was a reminder that Millsap did not enter politics from political circles, legislative offices, or advocacy groups. He came from business, development, and entrepreneurship.Why Politics? Why Now?That is where the conversation took a more urgent turn.Millsap said plainly that he never expected to run for office. In fact, he claimed he had little real interest in politics until a long-running conflict involving land he owned in DeKalb County changed the course of his life.He recounted a years-long land swap deal with DeKalb County that eventually left him in possession of property next to the area now associated with Atlanta’s police training center, often referred to by critics as “Cop City.” According to...
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    1 hr and 13 mins
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