The City of Atlanta is no stranger to resurgence. As we look ahead to a post-COVID future, we poignantly connect with our roots and allow it to propel us forward. Georgia’s symbolic and physical center of commerce, tourism, transportation, and governance, Atlanta is the engine that powers our economic growth, and now, our recovery. To do so, we must not shy away from what is hindering our progress. The pandemic has accelerated chasms that were already present – staggering income inequality, disparate health outcomes, housing instability, and racial and social injustices. It is therefore imperative that future leaders possess a bias for action and a commitment to urgency that this moment demands to stem the tide and enable the City to better function.
The following issue areas have been identified based on their importance to our City’s future recovery, economic growth, vibrancy, and sustainability. They are not simply standalone issues but rather inextricably linked in delivering the quality of life that Atlantans need to usher in a new future. If elected leaders delay or under-deliver on these issues, it will hamper Atlanta’s and Georgia’s competitiveness, and substantially weaken our standing as a top-tier city. It will only be through visionary leadership and courageous collaboration that we, as a City, can chart the course towards a prosperous, and more equitable future.
2021 Priorities
Improving Public Safety Outcomes
- Establish a unified voice on criminal justice and policing reform. Path forward must include actionable and clear prioritization, cross-sector buy-in, and commitment to work alongside interagency judicial partners.
- Thoughtful evaluation of public safety real estate holdings such as the Atlanta City Detention Center
- Establish a clear and fair process for pre-trial detention
- Recommit to a police staffing target to more effectively support daily public safety operations
- Explore public-private partnerships, such as the Institute for Social Justice and Public Safety Training Center, that would strengthen recruitment, leadership development, officer training, and police-community relations within the City of Atlanta
Equitable, Economic Development to Aid Recovery
- Strengthen economic development tools that catalyze private market investment, attract new jobs, and protect local funding for community development
- Support “hardest hit” industries in a post-COVID environment through innovative relief tools, stimulus funding, and improved communication
- Foster Black and Minority-owned business growth through capital investment and technical resources
- Creation of a cross-sector education taskforce to improve public education outcomes, align curriculums with workforce needs, and diversify Atlanta’s talent pipeline
- Explore innovative partnerships with the Atlanta Technical College and the Center for Workforce innovation to promote economic mobility and remove barriers to education and employment
Housing Affordability for All
- New, dedicated funding source for housing
- Prioritize publicly-owned assets for affordable housing and community development
- Support and protect legacy residents through anti-displacement initiatives
- Creation of a Cabinet-level housing position
- Dedicated resources to preventing and ending homelessness
Pragmatic Leadership Tethered to a Collective Vision
- Create a strategic vision for the City that has cross-sector buy-in and a bias for action and which governs all policy decisions
- Focused and intentional collaboration with state and county governmental partners
- Strengthen the City’s customer service function to be reachable, responsive, accountable to its various constituents – particularly around quality of life fundamentals
- Improve Atlanta’s business climate through ethics, transparency, and efficiency
- A focus on Cabinet-level leadership recruitment and retention
Accessible, Connected, and Sustainable City
- Transportation funding as economic stimulus
- Expedite transportation project delivery through leadership, funding, and procurement improvements
- Improved transparency, leadership, and prioritization of More MARTA program
- Protection of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
- Commitment to sustainable development