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A social media post by Coweta County Commission candidate Tim Ryan this week raised a series of allegations about fellow candidate Dakota Caldwell after Ryan attended a campaign meet-and-greet on Caldwell’s street and said he gathered information about her from neighbors there.
In the post, Ryan said he had heard “remarkable stories” about Caldwell, listing claims that included trespassing disputes, complaints to code enforcement, and the installation of cameras. He wrote that more details would follow.
Caldwell said the situations referenced stem from a dispute with one neighbor and have been mischaracterized.
“When Mark and I started building, we had multiple neighbors trespass onto our property,” Caldwell said, describing instances that included people riding four-wheelers onto their land and one neighbor cutting down a tree on their property.
“So we sent letters telling them please stop trespassing,” she said.
She said other claims—such as questions about trash dumped near her property and the use of cameras—were tied to specific incidents, including a moving truck load of insulation dumped near their property line in the cul-de-sac.
“We put cameras up with no dumping signs so that it doesn’t happen again,” she said.
Caldwell added that the cameras also helped identify a person who vandalized a neighbor’s truck.
Caldwell said disagreements with one neighbor do not reflect her broader relationships in the community.
“I don’t have to drown anyone else for me to swim,” she said, adding that she does not believe in tearing down other candidates during a campaign. “I stand on my own merit.”
Neighbors describe day-to-day reality
Other residents in the same cul-de-sac described Caldwell and her family in markedly different terms, pointing to their day-to-day interactions rather than isolated conflicts.
“Dakota and her family, they’re great neighbors to us,” said Phillip Trusty. “They’ve watched our kids, taken care of our dog, picked up our kids from school… they’ve been there for us.”
Trusty said many of the situations referenced in Ryan’s post are rooted in real events but have been exaggerated.
“All those things are 100% true—they’re just blown way out of proportion because someone really doesn’t like Dakota,” he said.
Trusty and his wife, Lauren, said they maintain good relationships with both Caldwell and the neighbor involved in the dispute, describing the situation as a personal conflict between two individuals rather than a broader neighborhood divide.
“She’s probably one of the first people I would call,” Lauren Trusty said.
The couple said Caldwell and her husband have helped care for their children during emergencies and provided meals during extended hospital stays.
Community involvement beyond the campaign
Outside of the dispute, Caldwell’s daily life centers on her family, profession, and community involvement.
A certified public accountant, she works between an office in Peachtree City and home while raising four children, ages four to 11. She is active in her children’s schools, participating in PTO, school council, and the school district’s finance committee.
She also serves as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children in foster care and volunteers as a middle school small group leader at Crossroads Church, taking a seasonal break during tax season.
At home, Caldwell and her family maintain a small farm that includes chickens, bees, and a garden. Each week, she donates surplus eggs from her flock—about 50 chickens—to Crossroads food pantry, helping provide food for approximately 44 families.
“I try to make sure that every family gets at least six eggs,” she said.
Caldwell also noted that her accounting practice, Southeast Accounting and Finance, is currently full and not accepting new clients.
“I am not trying to profit from this role in any way, shape, or form,” she said.
Campaign tone draws attention
The exchange reflects a sharpening tone in the District 3 commission race, where candidates have begun to draw contrasts beyond policy positions.
Caldwell said she does not intend to respond in kind.
“I don’t think that you have to put someone else down in order to run for office,” she said.
Caldwell said she blocked Ryan on social media prior to the post, saying she wanted distance from what she described as ongoing attacks.
Ryan has previously been the subject of multiple Citizen reports regarding his conduct and campaign-related controversies. Those articles can be found here:
https://thecitizen.com/2026/04/06/what-voters-should-know-about-coweta-county-commission-candidate-tim-ryans-record/
https://thecitizen.com/2026/04/14/we-reported-tim-ryan-students-parents-break-silence-on-former-teachers-conduct/
https://thecitizen.com/2026/04/20/mixer-gate-tim-ryan-a-failed-fundraiser-and-connections-to-the-frost-ponzi-scheme/
As the campaign continues, voters in District 3 are left to weigh campaign claims alongside the firsthand experiences of those who know the candidates personally.
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