Atlanta’s nonpartisan coalition of business and civic organizations returned with its 2025 policy platform ahead of a slate of municipal elections in November. It’s the first step in the group’s intensive candidate-vetting process that lays out the top local issues for voters and gauges how well each hopeful will address them.
Committee for a Better Atlanta was founded in 1996 to help educate voters. Every election cycle, a board of experts and business leaders will discuss and decide on key areas political candidates should focus on. Then, the coalition provides in-depth questionnaires for the candidates to answer and hosts a policy-forward candidate forum. The 2025 forum will take place on June 17 at the Gathering Spot.
“Our board, when we come together, we know how important these roles can be to the overall progress of our city,” CBA Board Member Nick Fernandez said. “So making sure we do everything we can as a business and civic organization has always been important.”
The coalition doesn’t endorse candidates, but it does “score” them based on their responses in the key areas. This year the committee chose four policy areas: strong governance and partnerships, inclusive economic growth, safe neighborhoods and a sustainable and connected city.
Fernandez, the Metro Atlanta Chamber representative on the CBA board, said partnerships are a key focus for 2025. The board member said many of the city’s issues require a regional approach.
“We’re always trying to make sure that’s top of mind for candidates because our belief is that as the city of Atlanta goes, the region goes, and so does the state,” Fernandez said.
Those issues are some of the coalition’s other 2025 goals. Fernandez said the business community is focused on delivering a lot of taxpayer-funded initiatives that have already been approved and paid for. One hope is progress on the fraught More MARTA program, which has been in limbo since voters passed the sales tax in 2016.
Fernandez also hopes the candidates will hone in on an improved relationship between the city and MARTA, the Metro Atlanta transit authority. The committee is looking “ten, twenty and thirty” years down the line to see how the city can develop a sustainable transit system.
The committee hopes to use its platform to shape discourse around the upcoming elections. It’s hosting the election forum in June, earlier than typical candidate panels. Fernandez said it’s to “shape that early message around what the main issues voters should be focused on.”
Committee for a Better Atlanta has influenced many election cycles in the city. Candidates describe the questionnaires as “intensive” and “policy heavy,” but the answers become important documents of their political stances.
Coalition leaders like co-chair Jordan Dawson, the head of Global Government Relations and community affairs at NCR Atleos, aim to educate voters with in-depth information.
“We’re committed to helping ensure that voters can make informed choices in the 2025 City of Atlanta elections about who will serve our city in the best way,” Dawson said. “Those who will serve will be tasked with creating a lasting legacy, ensuring we are an Atlanta for all.”
The board also hopes to get voters out to the polls. In the Nov. 4, 2025 general election, all 15 City Council seats will be up for grabs. District 2 Councilman Amir Farokhi announced in February he would not run for reelection, leaving the seat open for a contested race.
City Council President Doug Shipman also announced he would not run for reelection, freeing up the competitive seat for an open election. Mayor Andre Dickens will also run for a second term as the city’s top elected official. The board wants to engage voters on every race, not just the well-known ones.
“Typically, a mayor’s race is what consumes the media, but we’re really focused on these city council seats that are ultimately, at the end of the day, extremely important to how well the city operates,” Fernandez said.
The full Committee for a Better Atlanta 2025 platform is available online.
How does the Committee for a Better Atlanta plan to ensure voters are engaged and informed about the less-publicized City Council races in the 2025 election?
This bunch of corporate flacks wouldn’t know inclusive growth if it bit them in the rear. Their platform is the same old demand that they issue every 4 years: the City must spend tons on expensive stuff that will make our property gain value. Also give us even bigger tax breaks than we already grabbed for ourselves. Voters should pay attention to their scorecard and run a mile from CBA’s top picks.