CBA was started in 1996 by Sam Williams, former Metro Atlanta Chamber CEO, and Sam Massell, president of Buckhead Coalition, to ensure that City Hall was hearing from the voice of business, and they wanted to make a difference.  The original purpose was to serve as a positive influence for candidate selection by the Atlanta voter in the 1997 elections.

CBA is comprised of representatives from businesses and civic organizations that are concerned about the future of Atlanta.  The CBA seeks to articulate a common agenda in an effort to assist the policymakers for the City of Atlanta.

CBA members screen candidates running for mayor, city council president, and city council with a focus on issues including economic development, infrastructure, public safety, transportation, and many others.  Addressing the business and civic issues will help Atlanta maintain business and create a sustainable community.

In addition, CBA provides voters with tools to assist in making informed choices by providing information on political candidates, including general qualifications and an assessment of each candidate’s understanding of and commitment to key issues facing the community at large.

The Committee for a Better Atlanta (CBA) is a coalition of businesses and civic organizations whose mission is to foster a healthy business environment by advocating a common business and civic agenda to policymakers as well as citizens. CBA is comprised of representatives from businesses and civic organizations that are concerned about the future of Atlanta. The CBA seeks to articulate a common civic and business agenda in an effort to assist the policymakers for the City of Atlanta. In addition, CBA provides voters with tools to assist in making informed choices by providing information on candidates, including general qualifications and an assessment of each candidate’s understanding of and commitment to key issues facing the City of Atlanta.

CBA started in 1996 as the brainchild of then-new Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce president, Sam Williams, and former mayor, Sam Massell, president of the Buckhead Coalition. Business is the key to the success of a community by providing jobs, investment, and tax revenues. Concerned that City Hall was not hearing from the voice of business, these two leaders wanted to make a difference in the 1997 elections. Comprised of members from city-focused business organizations and large employers in Atlanta, the original purpose of CBA was to serve as a positive influence for candidate selection by the Atlanta voter. CBA has continued to evolve and in 2001, developed a more sophisticated evaluation system for candidates. The 2001 CBA evaluation booklet was distributed through the newspaper to the residents of the City. CBA has provided candidate information for mayoral and city council elections in 2009, 2014, and 2017, and special elections in 2004, 2005, and 2019.