The Atlanta City
Council President
For this issue of Politically
Corrected, I wanted to shed light on this interesting local
political office. It is interesting for both the power it has and
does not have for affecting change in the city.
The Atlanta City Council is the Legislative Branch of City
Government and is responsible for establishing policy and enacting
laws, while the day-to-day operation of the city is handled by the
Executive Office under the Mayor. The person elected to be the
President of the council enjoys high public visibility that
certainly helps when running for a higher office, as it did for,
former Council President, Cathy Woolard who is now running for
Congress.
However, the President does not even cast a vote except in the case
of a tie, which is rare because there are an odd number of council
members. The official stated duties of the council president are to
preside over council meetings and appoint committee chairs.
Looking closer, though, an effective council president has the power
to influence votes and decide who leads the council committees that
address city issues such as utilities, community development, public
safety, transportation, and zoning.
Here’s a brief summary of the candidates running for this office.
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Doug Alexander, 45,
served eight years as an at-large city councilman, and he is
currently Rail Manager for the Georgia Rail Passenger Authority. He
was part of a faction of the government that opposed Mayor Bill
Campbell during his administration in the early 2000’s and late
90’s. He wishes to help council members achieve their agenda and
find new ideas and new solutions along the way. He feels that he can
bring an experienced voice and be a consensus builder..
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Derrick Boazman, 37,
quit his Southwest Atlanta position on the Atlanta City Council to
run for the council presidency. He opposed the water and sewer rate
hikes that Mayor Shirley Franklin proposed. He is known for tackling
crime along Metropolitan Parkway and proposing legislation against
strip clubs and prostitution. He works as a consultant to non-profit
firms and small businesses. Though he represents a relatively poor
district in south Atlanta, including the neighborhoods Capitol Hill
and Lakewood, Boazman maintains that he can effectively represent
all of Atlanta.
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Michael Julian Bond,
38, carried on the legacy of his father, the Chairman of the NAACP
Board of Directors and former Director of SNCC, in his two terms on
the Atlanta City Council beginning in 1994. He supported many of
Bill Campbell’s initiatives and has kept his hand in city politics
after losing his first bid for council president in a runoff with
Cathy Woolard in 2001. Since the loss in 2001 he has been the deputy
director of the Atlanta NAACP advocating on behalf of the stringent
laws against check cashing centers with the Payday lending bill
passed last session. |
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Lisa
Borders, 46, a senior vice president with developer Cousins
Properties. She has not previously held a political office, though
she is on several boards around the city and has connections with
the Atlanta business community. Borders dismisses talk of her lack
of political experience by noting that she's built relationships
with state and federal agencies as a member of groups such as
Prevent Child Abuse Georgia. She has worked in the healthcare
management field as well and has a degree in health administration. |
For
a more thorough insight into these candidates, the Committee for a
Better Atlanta (CBA) has evaluated them with interviews and their
responses to a questionnaire regarding different issues facing the
city. The CBA Candidate Score sheet is listed below and the links
below this will show you each of the candidates’ detailed
responses to the CBA questionnaire. The CBA is comprised of
representatives from businesses and business organizations that are
concerned about the future of Atlanta.
A candidate scoring 90 or higher was considered “excellent” in
that area, 80 to 89 was considered “above average,” 70 to 79 was
considered average,” and 69 or below was “below average.”
Atlanta City Council - Presidential
Candidate Scores
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Doug
Alexander
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Derrick
Boazman
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Michael
Julian Bond
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Lisa
Borders
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General
Qualifications
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Vision
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81.1
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78.4
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87.6
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91.7
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Qualifications/Experience
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85.0
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79.9
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88.5
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88.6
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Ability
to Implement Initiatives
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79.5
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81.4
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86.5
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89.3
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Key
Issues
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Economic
Development
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81.1
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77.7
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88.9
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90.3
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Infrastructure
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81.4
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79.3
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88.1
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89.1
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Management
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81.7
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79.3
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87.0
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91.1
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Public
Safety
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85.8
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82.7
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87.5
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89.8
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Overall
Score
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82.2
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79.8
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87.7
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90.0
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Doug Alexander
Website: http://www.idigdoug.org/
Answers to questions: http://www.betteratlanta.org/html/pdf/alexander_questionnaire.pdf
Derrick Boazman
Website: http://www.boazmanforpresident.com/
Answers to questions: http://www.betteratlanta.org/html/pdf/boazman_questionnaire.pdf
Michael Julian Bond
Website: http://www.michaeljulianbond.com/
Answers to questions: http://www.betteratlanta.org/html/pdf/bond_questionnaire.pdf
Lisa Borders
Website: http://www.bordersforatlanta.com/
Answers to questions: http://www.betteratlanta.org/html/pdf/borders_questionnaire.pdf
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