The Center for Civic Innovation works to inform, engage, connect, and empower people to shape the future of Atlanta. We believe local government works for the people and that their voices should be vital in the vision and development of our city. Government should be responsive but not reactionary; it should be open and easy to access; and above all, it should be people-driven.

Many Atlanta communities are changing rapidly, causing tension in many neighborhoods and serious worries that Atlanta will no longer be “Atlanta.” We are a city with an interesting history from our role in the Civil War, a home of the Civil Rights movement, and the birthplace of American icons like Coca-Cola or OutKast - yet from big fires to big developments we are known as a city of change.

We sent the following "dream job" description along with a few questions to all candidates for Mayor of Atlanta on August 7th, 2017. Check back around September 4th, 2017 to see their answers! You can find a real job description for Mayor here and a list of all the candidates here.

job description

The people of Atlanta are seeking a new Mayor to lead the city as it navigates these changes and grows over the next 4 to 8 years. Your job as Mayor will be to listen to community voices, then design and deliver a city that suits their needs!

are you the right fit?

Being the Mayor of Atlanta is a big job. We hope the following gives you a sense of the kinds of experience and skills that would enable you to thrive in this role and meet the needs of Atlantans:

Qualified to govern: You know what the role of the mayor and other city government departments are and you know how to manage them. You manage and lead by example and want to inspire city hall to be the best it can be.
Culture fit: You are deeply committed to Atlanta—its people, its culture and its history—and you will do whatever it takes to keep Atlanta authentically “Atlanta”. You see the role of Mayor as an opportunity to exercise your passion for our city and align your values of good governance and public participation with the management of our city. You want to build and Atlanta for all Atlantans.
Demonstrated people-centered approaches: You have managed or worked on projects that value the voice of everyday people in planning new goods, services or infrastructure. You demonstrate the ability to design, coordinate, execute, and follow-through on programs that are for the people and by the people. You can juggle many voices and still deliver a great public good.
Proactive and relentless relationship-builder: You are a natural at building and maintaining relationships in a warm, genuine way. You are willing to work with those you don’t agree with, but you are not willing to compromise on your values. You understand the value of building coalitions with other governments, private enterprises and community-based organizations.
Strong interest in transparency: Your success is built upon a foundation of openness and transparency. You feel people deserve to be up to date on what their public officials are doing and especially where their public money is going.

responsibilities:

Delegating vision and responsibilities to key appointed officials such as the Chief of Police or Commissioner of the Department of City Planning
Spend 4-8 years building a city that honors our history while looking to the future
Nurture the people’s investment in the city—our public tax dollars—to generate goods and services for people, not private interests
Ensure all city departments are working at their best and are providing a model for our private enterprises—city jobs should be the best and coolest jobs
Representing our city to the region, nation, and the world
Manage all our cities voices, paying special attention to the voices most often overlooked (low-income communities, small business owners, etc.)

Hosted by the Center for Civic Innovation with support from Our Future Atlanta