On the day he officially opened Lynhurst Drive’s “complete street” redo, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed repeated a pledge to make Martin Luther King Jr. Drive the best MLK corridor in the nation.
Category: Maggie Lee
Judge OKs Fulton County property tax collection
A judge says Fulton County can start sending property tax bills, even though the state hasn’t given its go-ahead. The ruling brought relief to school leaders for now, but plenty of frustration remains.
Atlanta publishes resilience strategy
After more than a year of work, the city of Atlanta published a plan called Resilient Atlanta: Actions to Build a More Equitable Future. The 150-page document is meant as a blueprint for where Atlanta wants to go, and how it wants to handle problems from inequity to natural disasters.
State auditors ding controls on agriculture tax break
A tax break that’s meant to boost the agriculture business in Georgia is still liable to abuse by folks who aren’t earning all that much money at farming, or stores that want to move merchandise that has nothing to do with producing food, fiber or timber.
Atlanta mayoral hopefuls face off in unconventional forum
Many an improv troupe has pulled an audience member down to the stage at Dad’s Garage theater. But a week and a day before Atlanta city elections, it was nine mayoral candidates placed on the stage there to answer unconventional questions.
Gov. Deal wants grant expansion to more majors
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal said on Monday that he wants to expand a grant that’s meant to steer students toward the subjects that employers say will help them fill unfilled jobs.
Should you trust political polls? It depends.
If you’re skeptical of polls, and maybe of Atlanta candidate emails that talk confidently about polling results, two Atlanta pollsters and one big review of 2016 say there is reason to trust what’s difficult work. When it’s done well, that is, and presented correctly.
Atlanta independent committees begin campaign spending
As Atlanta candidates scramble to file their financial disclosures, Georgia’s so-called “independent committees” are raising money and starting to spend it too.
Candiate Q and A: Fulton County Commission chair
Three candidates are running for the top elected job in Fulton County, which will make one of them the chair of a body that oversees almost $1 billion in annual spending in a county that’s home to more than 1 million people
Mayoral candiate Ceasar Mitchell loses opponent, gains supporter
Atlanta mayoral candidate Michael Sterling is suspending his campaign and endorsing Ceasar Mitchell in this year’s election.
Candidate Q and A: Fulton County Commission District 4
Voters in a big chunk of Atlanta from Old Fourth Ward to Adams Park to Bolton will get for a new Fulton County commissioner in this year’s election. Commission hopefuls are talking about a lot of things including topics literally close to home: gentrification and property taxes.
Fulton sues for harm caused by opioid drug manufacturers, distributors
By Maggie Lee Fulton County’s top elected official said the county is seeking redress for “great harm” as he announced on Monday that Fulton is suing more than two dozen entities that manufacture or distribute opioid drugs. The 258-page complaint accuses drug companies of deceptive and unfair marketing, and of downplaying opioid addiction risk, in […]
Atlanta elections notebook: Council president fundraising reaches near $750,000
Three candidates have collectively raised almost three-quarters of a million dollars in their contest to be the gavel-brandishing top officer of the Atlanta City Council.
BeltLine promises new tone, tenor
One of the top bosses of Atlanta’s BeltLine said his organization is going to get focused on community, people, inclusion, equity and affordability.
Atlanta City Council candidate Q and A: District 12
Atlanta City Council District 12’s incumbent councilwoman faces three challengers in this year’s election to represent an area that runs from Pittsburgh and Fort McPherson all the way south and east to the city limits.
Atlanta mayoral candidates question each other, days before early voting starts
Days ahead of the start of early voting in Atlanta, top mayoral candidates are looking not just at the issues, but are going on the attack a bit in their bids to get into — and win — a runoff that’s all but certain to come.
Atlanta City Council candidate Q and A: District 11
By Maggie Lee Parts of southwest Atlanta like Cascade, Campbelltown Road and Greenbriar are going to get a new City Council member this year. The eight folks running say their concerns are things like jobs, poverty, preservation, safety and getting ready for the growth that’s coming to southwest Atlanta. Incumbent District 11 Councilwoman Keisha Lance […]
Consultant onboard, recommendations en route for state role in transit
With a Tuesday vote, the members of a state House panel decided to commission a study on the state’s mass transit needs, and how to fund and manage the delivery of that transit.
Third quarter brings more than $2 million into mayor’s race
Folks angling for the mayor’s office in this year’s election have came up with some $2.2 million in new dollars for the race — just in the three months to Sept. 30.
Atlanta City Council candidate Q and A: District 10
Parts of northwest and southwest Atlanta will get a new City Council member in an upcoming election. The candidates say some of their biggest concerns are blighted properties, quality of life, public safety, jobs and homelessness.
