Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
I have lived in Ward B for 6 years and. I have served on the city's comprehensive plan committee, volunteered in a leadership capacity for my neighborhood association, and co-founded an environmental org. in East Point. I am driven by a vision of Ward B as a place where every voice is not only heard but valued.
My track record of working closely with local organizations and grassroots initiatives showcases my commitment to making tangible improvements that directly address the unique challenges faced by our community. I am well connected with council, staff and the community in order to address concerns and fix issues. I am not afraid to dig down and analyze problems to come up with solutions. I have been civically engaged for many years now,
I have spent years serving in various capacities to improve East Point, including:
I want to serve this community because I believe that we have a social responsibility to address issues and to help one another. There are so many persistent issues relating to our quality of life that I want to get in the "hot seat" and do something about solving these challenges that have been plaguing us for years.
While I would be focused on a number of key issues facing our city, one of those that I would especially like to make progress on is the issue of city parks, amenities, and facilities. East Point lacks sufficient amenities and facilities, particularly in our parks, and I believe that we deserve better. For our young people, in particular, there is very little available to them in terms of municipal offerings. I would like to see our Parks & Recreation Department Budget elevated to an appropriate level so that we can improve our parks and ensure their proper maintenance. I would especially like to work toward the construction of two municipal swimming pools for the city, one perhaps at Sumner Park and the other at John Milner Recreation Center. I would also push for the immediate renovation and reopening of our historic city auditorium. This facility is a true gem for our city, and should never have been left to rot in the way that it has for so many years. The auditorium could be used by school groups, arts organizations like Ballethnic, neighborhood associations, and even private rentals. We could hold lecture and film series there for things like Black History Month or Pride Month. Possibilities are really endless and our city deserves to have this facility returned to use.
One concrete goal that I have is to have better communication between the city and East Pointers. I personally have my eye on revamping/fixing/redoing the city's website. The website is difficult to navigate, has many broken links, and isn't updated on a regular basis. This is an essential communication tool and this is something that I am excited to help resolve.
Planning and Community Development - It is essential that the Planning and Community Development be an efficient and knowledgeable department. Not only does it bring in revenue, but our quality of life hinges on this department. Not being able to rebuild your home after a disaster, not being able to do simple repairs to your property, or not being able to renovate and improve your property are all financially and emotionally draining to East Pointers.
East Point has aggressively gone after grant money to fund projects. This takes the burden off of East Pointers. We need to support Shaquita Barnes, Grants Manager for EP, in every way possible to keep this going.
The greatest need facing residents right now would be holding our elected officials accountable. All of our issues start at the top. If there is an issue with the city manager, then council and mayor should hold them accountable. Since our city manager is responsible for city operations, we need our representatives to hold him accountable. Since I haven't really seen that, I am running.
As I have stated before, I fundamentally believe that serving on City Council must be about public service. I feel that is sorely lacking in our current administration. I also believe that working in our city government should not be about personal gain. While I respect the right of any sitting council member to keep the salary they earn from the City, I intend to put my entire Council salary into a special bank account that would go toward a Ward A community fund. This fund would be used to pay for ward events and projects and would also be available to residents who find themselves in sudden, unexpected financial need. This fund would be overseen by me and two other residents of the ward. I am doing this as a clear signal that I am not interested in benefiting from a position on City Council beyond the satisfaction of a job well done.