Amber Connor

The Center for Civic Innovation (CCI) and a coalition of partners sent each of the candidates for the Post 3 At-Large Special Election a questionnaire.

The coalition, led by CCI includes: Atlanta Civic Circle, Black Male Initiative Georgia, Canopy Atlanta, Capital B Atlanta, Georgia ACT, Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights, Georgia Working Families Power, Helping Empower Youth, HouseATL, Housing Justice League, MARTA Army, New Disabled South, Propel ATL, and the Southern Center for Human Rights.

Below are Amber’s responses.

The At-Large role is to ensure that the interests of the whole city are considered in council decisions, as they balance the needs of individual districts while keeping in mind broader needs of the city a whole. District Representatives focus on addressing the needs and concerns of residents within their specific respective districts.
The most important role of the Atlanta City Council is to create, modify, and pass local laws and policies that impact the constituents of Atlanta.
I have managed the budget for our businesses, household, and many charitable events through church organizations over the years. No matter the amount of the budget, it had to be balanced and if deficits occurred, then cuts had to be made. When a budget is operating in the red then indebtedness tends to increase and is more difficult to overcome. I have also learned that when there is a surplus of money, it should not be spent frivolously but set aside as a rainy-day fund for emergencies that you can’t predict or see on the horizon.
My expertise lies within the area of public safety. I have extensive experience working with law enforcement, community organizations, and safety programs to ensure our neighborhoods remain safe and secure. I understand the balance between enforcement, community trust, and working to prevent crime. Success happens when we focus on community-based approaches and data-driven strategies. My aim is to foster safer environments while addressing the root causes of crime often associated with mental health, addiction, poverty, and lack of resources leading to desperation. I lack expertise is in transportation infrastructure. I recognize the importance of efficient and sustainable transit systems in order to have smooth movement and user friendly public transportation. I am not as familiar with the intricacies of transportation planning. I intend to rely on organizations such as the Atlanta Regional Commission and will collaborate with experts in urban planning and transportation.
I gather information from reading local papers, message boards, chats and podcasts
The predominate action that legislators could enact to help low-income residents the most is capping property taxes at a low rate to prevent the inflated assessments by the city that is forcing out native residences in large numbers all across Atlanta. I have been advocating for lower property taxes for ten years, pressing for a percentage cap and have given the legislators example bills from other counties and states that have enacted these legislative measures into law successfully. As a council person, resolutions can be drafted and passed with recommendations and proposals on the property tax issue on behalf of their constituents.
I think Atlanta is doing good with community engagement. I see a mayor and city council that is listening and allowing constituents to have a voice. There may be disagreements and differences of opinions and decisions that are made counter to what an advocate groups desires, but I do see the engagement process in action.
The transparency in the budget is a challenge. When the council districts receive their budget and plan for allocating the spending for needed maintenance and special projects in the community and promote these projects to their constituents, there is an expectation that these projects will be done. But, If the Department of Transportation needs the money for a higher priority project, then that money or a portion is reallocated away from the district. This causes transparency issues and a distrust in leadership.
NPU's are important for the communities of Atlanta to have a voice at the table of decision making in the city. The process by design should slow down deal making by leaders so that an understanding of concerns from their constituents can be voiced and heard. Whether there is uniformity or dissent from the NPU's, city leaders will at least have an idea of what concessions should or should not be made and weigh the positive and negatives of their choice in the decision being made. The NPU's serve as a constitutional check and balance of the government.
We have laws on the books that protect the rights of individuals and property. Having properly trained police officers with an emphasis on continued training, community engagement and the PADs initiative, Atlanta Police Department is on the right track to be the model in policing throughout the United States.
Atlanta has moved on these initiatives with PADs initiative. The Atlanta Police Department has expanded Policing Alternatives & Diversion Initiatives which increases the support of residents experiencing extreme poverty, substance abuse and mental health. The program is aimed at addressing problems before individuals break the law in desperate situations.
No. The petition names have not been checked or verified and cannot be put on a referendum until that process has taken place.
Yes
As stated Atlanta has a lot of engagement programs for the youth. Atlanta police have the PAL's ( Police Athletic League) This program is centered and geared toward youth engagement and leadership. But it takes parental awareness and involvement to connect kids to these programs. Awareness is made by these entities through marketing on the internet and mail advertisements.
https://www.atlantapd.org/community/community-policing-programs/police-athletic-league-pal
The water infrastructure has been a known issue for several administrations. Budgeting taxpayer money for maintenance projects is not a popular platform to run on and it does not garner the legacy building that larger construction projects and modernizing a city to be competitive and attractive on a global scene. So maintenance projects are pushed off and passed on until the issue is at an obvious failed state. That is where we are now. Atlanta now has to repair and replace our water infrastructure.
Atlanta is improving and moving in the direction of catering to these issues with the planning and redevelopment we are undergoing now. Making sure that proper tree planting along sidewalks with understory or dwarf cultivars will help reduce a lot of sidewalk damage. We do need to expedite prioritizing bike paths and added ramps for those with disabilities to allow for safe movement throughout the city.
Atlanta is improving and moving in the direction of catering to these issues with the planning and redevelopment we are undergoing now.
See my previous comments about property taxes.
These tools should be used on a case by case scenario and each is dependent on the District and that specific districts constituents needs.
This is also a case by case issue and is dependent on what the circumstances are in relation to the tenant and property owner.
NPU's from each neighborhood has different concerns regarding housing, and those differ from neighborhoods and districts. These considerations need to be made with feed back from the NPU's.

Amber Connor

What is the most important role of the Atlanta City Council, and how is the function of an At-Large Councilmember different from a district representative?

What traditional and non-traditional sources do you look to for news, research, and information about Atlanta?

What does the City of Atlanta get wrong with community engagement and what is one specific thing you would do to fix it?

For years, City of Atlanta officials have claimed to prioritize transparency. What is a specific challenge of transparency that the City faces, and how would you propose to fix it?

The U.S. Surgeon General recently declared gun violence a public health crisis. What specific strategies should the City of Atlanta invest in to reduce violence and provide wraparound services to those who are disproportionately impacted by this epidemic?

Do you support the Mayor dropping the City's appeal currently awaiting a ruling in 11th Circuit Court of Appeals? If you answered no, please explain why.

Earlier this year, water main breaks shut down large portions of Atlanta and caused thousands of residents and businesses to lose water access. How did Atlanta get to this point, and what steps would you take to strengthen our water infrastructure?

The City has an array of tools at its disposal to incentivize the construction of affordable housing. What public benefits should be required to receive those incentives and how will you hold developers accountable to those requirements? Please be as specific as possible.

How would you work with public and private bodies locally, statewide, and federally to support tenants, and in particular, tenants at risk of eviction?

Is there anything else you would like to add?