The Ball Ground City Council's newest member is back for the second time.

Mickey O'Malley, 54, will make his return to the council tonight. He previously served one two-year term on the council 10 years ago.

O'Malley said people in the city often come to him with questions about what is happening with the local government.

When incumbent Councilman Ashley Holcomb decided not to seek re-election, O'Malley said he thought he would get back on the council and find out.

"It is a great way to get more involved," said O'Malley, who also is involved in the community as a director with Cherokee County Youth Basketball, consultant with Ball Ground Youth Baseball and member of the Creekview High School Booster Club.

O'Malley said now is a good time to be involved with the city and helping to guide the direction in which it moves forward.

"The town is growing and I want to be in on it," he said about the city's future.

O'Malley has lived in different parts of the country, including New York, New Jersey and Maryland, but his favorite place is Ball Ground.

"I wouldn't trade Ball Ground for anything in the world," he said. "This is my city. I take pride in that."

Mayor Rick Roberts said O'Malley is well-respected in the community and knows the city very well.

"He has always been a team player," he said. "He doesn't have an agenda except wanting to help his community. That is the best reason to get involved in city government."

Retired from Lucent, O'Malley drives a school bus for the Cherokee County School District and attends Ball Ground First Baptist. He and his wife, Bess, have five children and five grandchildren.

Councilman John Byrd, who succeeded O'Malley on the council after his first term, is excited about welcoming him back to city leadership.

"He is a man of integrity who does what he says he is going to do," Byrd said. "He involves himself in the community in a good way."

O'Malley's focus will be on improving the parks and recreation opportunities in the city.

"Someday, I would like to see us add a facility in the future that has fields for baseball and soccer and has a place where people can go for a walk," he said.

He said he also would like to see the city grow, but in a way that maintains the atmosphere of a place where residents can walk to everything that they need.

"That keeps the small-town environment," he said. " I want to keep my city updated, but quaint."