The Poised Peaches, an official interest group of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority (AKA), held a candidates’ forum for the City of Atlanta elections at The Cascade United Methodist Church in Midtown on Monday. The forum featured candidates confirmed for Atlanta Board of Education District 8 At-Large, Atlanta City Hall Council President, Atlanta City Hall Post 1 At-Large, and Atlanta City Hall District 2.
The forum took place during the last week of early voting for the general municipal election, with the final day being Friday, Oct. 31. Election Day is Nov. 4, and some of the races are predicted to go to a runoff election, which is scheduled for Dec. 2.
Atlanta City Hall District 2 candidates in attendance included Kelsea Bond, Alex Bevel Jones, and Courtney Smith. Michael Julian Bond and Matthew Rinker were the Atlanta City Hall Post 1 At-Large candidates in attendance. The forum’s APS School Board candidates included Kaycee Brock, Royce Mann, and Aisha Stith. The forum ended with a discussion with Atlanta City Hall council president candidates Rohit Malhotra and Marci Collier Overstreet.
The forum began with a question to District 2 candidates on the unhoused community in Atlanta, specifically the encampments on Freedom Parkway and the Downtown Connector. Candidates touched on the impact of the incoming World Cup games and incidents surrounding people such as Cornelius Taylor, who was killed after a city front loader ran over his tent while clearing out a homeless encampment.
“Prioritize people first, over the tourism industry, over development interests. I think we need more of a strategic system because right now, many of our shelters are highly restrictive. They’re concentrated in specific geographic regions. We need a more compassionate approach,” Kelsea Bond said. “We need wrap-around services that work for people, not profit.”
Several candidates said their main committee focus was transportation and emphasized the importance of more reliable public transportation, including bike lanes, bus access, rapid bus lines, and addressing potholes. Candidates across all four panels also touched on policies needed to achieve making Atlanta the No. 1 place to raise a child, climate resilience, energy costs and housing affordability, as well as extending the tax allocation district, addressing childcare costs, students with special needs, accountability, and public policy to maintain diversity in the city.
I would like to see something around literacy that includes more than just anyone who has a child in APS schools,” Kaycee Brock said. “We do need community right now around the students.”
The night ended with a call to action for Atlanta residents to go out and vote, noting that only 15% of the community voted in the last general election. To learn more about the candidates, visit ballotpedia.org and stay up to date with reporting on The Atlanta Voice.