David Cousino wants to make sure that Macon voters know there's still a contested mayoral race.
Cousino is an official write-in candidate who faces Mayor Robert Reichert, a Democrat, in Tuesday's general election.
Four years ago, Reichert won the office by defeating Cousino, then the Republican nominee. Reichert polled more than 96 percent of the vote.
But this year, Cousino pushed party affilation aside and became a write-in candidate. He said his campaign is better this time around.
"Doing real good," Cousino said Wednesday. "I've got a lot of thumbs-up out here on the road, lot of horns blowing this time, and I'm a lot better than what I was four years ago."
Cousino's campaigning on street corners where he waves signs and yells greetings at passing motorists. He said that's a good way to reach people who he says will then tell others about him.
"Well, basically, by information, you know, what the news media would give or one to one conversations when that person talks to that person who talks to that person."
When soliciting votes, Cousino said he underscores Macon's declining population and economic condition.
"Since 1970, we've been on the downward spiral," he said. "We had 122,000 people living within the city limits. We have less than 97,000 living within the city now, and our expenditures are way more than what they were in 1970. So why are we spending more money? It makes sense that we've got to start cutting expenses not spending more, not asking for a SPLOST to cover the past debts and to make people vote for the one-cent sales tax."
In addition to the city elections, Macon and Bibb County voters decide Tuesday whether to improve a one-cent special purpose local option sales tax for six years.
If the SPLOST referendum is approved, officials say it'll generate about $190 million dollars which, among other things, would be spent to improve recreation, improve the infrastructure, buy property in the Robins Air Force Base crash zone and provide $2.5 million to finish the Tubman Museum in downtown Macon.
Cousino said he's campaigning on a shoestring budget of about $3,000. He said operating with a small campaign budget would help him manage city finances.
"I know what it is to work on a small budget," he said. "I know what it is to get out here and campaign with no money, because I reject the money that's out there because it's the good ol' boy money. That's money that has ties or tags on it."
Cousino said he plans to continue his roadside campaign through election day.