Government Working Hard for You
Government, like any other sector of our community, must care enough about its clients - our citizenry, to keep up with technological advancements and other measures to increase efficiency and productivity. Atlanta taxpayers should receive a full return on their taxes through the efficient delivery of basic city services. The Government's work is public service!
To provide increased efficiency to handle citizen's problems, I propose an integrated city wide database and information services system that would allow departments to talk electronically with one another, especially when there is dual purview, and allow citizens to access city information on-line and submit, update and check the status of concerns and complaints electronically. To allow for full public access, touchscreen kiosks providing electronic city information and interaction would be available at public libraries, malls and local government buildings.
Understanding the hurdles and frustrations of trying to get problems resolved inside by government, seven years ago, I instituted an annual city fair exhibition. At the annual City Fair and routine town hall meetings, citizens were able to speak directly with decision-makers in all City departments to address their neighborhood concerns. As president, I would continue and expand upon these educational and direct service forums in every sector of our city.
Regional Government cooperation
A prosperous metropolitan economy has made to Atlanta metropolitan area one of the country's fastest growing areas. Consistently outpacing growth projections the region expects to be home to 5 million residents by 2020. Our tremendous population surge requires Atlanta area government leaders to revamp short and long-range planning in many areas such as transportation planning, air quality, water resource management, disaster preparedness and emergency management as well as creating the ever-growing, ever-changing infrastructure for information technology. Moreover, Atlanta must cooperate and collaborate with area governments in best serving our citizens.
Promoting Economic and Business Development
The city of Atlanta is responsible for providing business enterprise with the infrastructure and user-friendly government environment to help develop a prosperous economy. Streamlining the time it takes to obtain building permits and other project approvals is key to promoting development. While development standards and procedures must be adhered to, government must keep pace with the speed of 21st century business transactions. I propose a Business Enterprise Advisory Council to share information between the public and private sector, to prepare our city for future workforce needs, and to better meet the current needs of Atlanta's citizens.
Safe Communities
In order to provide safe and livable communities, civic association, public safety officers and local government must work together to monitor, report and weed out criminal elements when they develop. Regular information reporting for civic associations should be a standard practice within each police zone.
In addition, I authored and hope to pass soon the "Public Safety Improvement Plan", which will address many concerns within our public safety department such as funding for needed equipment, pension increases, and retention of police officers. The legislation authorizes the collection of revenues to be deposited in an off budget account for the purpose of capital expenditures of Atlanta's public safety responsibilities/departments (Police, Fire, and Corrections). Needed equipment, supplies, repairs and other necessities would be covered under this legislation.
The importance of this fund is that it would allow the City's current public safety budget, which is nearly 50 percent of our total annual budget (each year) to be available for more competitive salaries and higher pensions. While Atlanta has made significant strides in salary competitiveness and leads in dollars per salary step for education and expertise, we are last in retirement benefits.
Giving Public Safety Officers to resources needed to protect our citizens, and the incentive to invest in long-term law enforcement service is key to providing effective public safety services and keeping our city safe.
Balanced and Sustainable Community Development
Edward Law Olmstead once called Atlanta the "City Among the Trees". Maintaining our identity as a beautiful, clean, and tree lined city of neighborhoods is important to preserving Atlanta's charm and magnetism.
I support Neighborhood friendly development that will enhance all portions of our city. Both the North and the South sections of our city have much to offer to keep our city vibrant and healthy.
I would support development to considers our environmental concerns and promote sustainability, such as walkable communities and neighborhood commercial districts. I also vigorously support our need for affordable housing for low and moderate income families and first-time home buyers, and currently spearheading a measure defining the City's affordable housing standard.
City Infrastructure
Improving our city's streets, bridges and water management system is of great concern to me and many other Atlantans. Within the past 8 years, Atlanta citizens passed to badly needed referenda to address our city's aging infrastructure. The City has begun the second round of improvements. Ensuring that these critical improvements are completed in a timely, efficient, and in the most cost-effective manner is important to maintaining physical safety in our city. Maintaining our city's infrastructure is priority one for all other quality of life issues.
A much discussed infrastructure improvement is the need to upgrade our city's sewer system, which is succumbing to the effects of age, having been built in the 1800's. With annexation during the last century, we have a mix of pipes and pipe systems, and current estimates to remedy our sewer woes are around 3.4 billion dollars. It is time that we take smart and aggressive steps to make our sewer infrastructure effective for another 200 years. I support immediate action and collaboration with outlying jurisdictions to resolve our water management problems.
Investing In Families
Youth
Protecting and preparing Atlanta's youth does "take a village". All of us have a role to play in creating a city where our children will learn, grow and play in safe and clean nurturing environments.
We only have a short time to make investments in our youth before they grown up. They will develop into responsible and productive adults with our guidance and investment or possibly become social misfits if left to raise and nurture themselves.
To support our village family, I propose city wide public/pivate/non-profit/faith based partnerships too provide neighborhood after school and Saturday school programs, mentoring, recreational and creative learning programs and life skills programs.
Seniors
WE have made strides in protecting senior Atlantans, who cannot easily adjust to our fast paced, high tech, high cost lifestyles. I have championed measures to prevent gentrification displacement and predatory lending on behalf of our seniors.
Providing home improvement through business partnerships and ensuring that sidewalks especially leading to public transportation and neighborhood stores, driveways and other neighborhood paths are usable by the elderly and disabled is also important to the quality of life for independent seniors. As a community, we should attempt to remove all barriers to our seniors' self sufficiency and independence.
