The 2018 Atlanta City Council convened on January 2nd with a lot of new faces. Nearly half of the members of the council are freshmen. While it is important to the city to have new faces and a fresh perspective ready to govern, it is also important to have skilled, experienced leadership. Fortunately, the new City Council President, Felicia Moore, embodies that type of leadership
Moore has served on the council for over 20 years and is a natural fit for the role of council president. She is well-known throughout the city for her strong work ethic and bold vision for Atlanta. We recently spoke about what her vision, how she hopes to work to unify Atlanta, and her upcoming legislative agenda. Here is an excerpt from our Q&A:
- What is your vision for the Atlanta City Council and the City of Atlanta as a whole?
“My vision is straightforward. Transparency must become the foundation from which all efforts are built. This city’s incredible progress must be matched with high ethical standards and accountability. To that end, we must make public finance and other pertinent information accessible online for all to see. Ambiguity must be viewed as the enemy to advancement. I envision a city whose leaders listen and thoughtfully engage the citizens they represent. The people of Atlanta should have confidence in their leadership knowing that a promise made is a promise kept. Finally, I want to see a return to civility, respect and decorum. I want to reform the culture in city hall and produce the most efficient and effective government possible.”
- At a time when the city can seem divided along so many lines, how do you plan to help reunify Atlanta?
“Reunification starts with inclusion. Whether you live in Buckhead or Bankhead, everyone wants to feel as if their voices have been heard and understood. We must make a concerted effort to push aside our biases and employ a sense of empathy for one another. I’m working to establish cross-city discussions and tours which will allow citizen’s from different communities to meet and get to know one another. I believe these unique discussions will allow us to see the common ground we all share.”
- What are your legislative priorities for 2018?
“I have a three-pronged agenda for 2018:
1) I plan to work on building a strong council team by improving our processes and perfecting parliamentary procedures.
2) I plan to develop relationships and lobby state legislators to ensure that their actions are in the best interest of the city.
3) I plan to strengthen our citizen’s trust in local government by reforming our city’s procurement process.”
Moore’s commitment to ethics, transparency, and accountability effectively mirrors that of Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, which for the city of Atlanta means swift, decisive action can be taken to address the issues with the procurement process. The people of this city are watching closely to see if these problems are fixed, and with Moore at the helm of the City Council, I am confident that they will like what they see.
Tharon Johnson is a consultant with Paramount Consulting Group and a Democrat strategist.
