Our sister publications Reporter Newspapers has been covering the ongoing back-and-forth between losing mayoral candidate Mary Norwood and Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
At a Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods meeting on Jan. 11, Norwood said “Buckhead needs to be thoughtful about how we are truly an important part of this city, and for that, there should be just some fairness.”
Norwood told the organization that it needs to pay attention to how much money Buckhead residents pay into the city versus how much city funding is spent improving the area.
“One thing y’all need to look at, guys, now that I’m not the mayor, is the three main funding sources,” she said, referring to the Renew Atlanta bond funds and the sales taxes funding MARTA and city transportation projects. “We need to be very thoughtful about supporting all these initiatives and where all that money is going.”
She also said some south Atlanta residents are not paying a proper amount in property taxes and said there are still plenty of affordable neighborhoods within the city.
Mayor Bottoms’ office responded: “Ms. Norwood’s comments are consistent with how she spoke and conducted herself on the campaign trail this past fall,” Anne Torres wrote in a statement. “Her comments display a remarkable lack of understanding of the issues facing our city, and seemed designed to stoke division when we should focus on unity. Following her inauguration, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is moving forward with her progressive agenda focused on equity, affordability and mobility for all of Atlanta’s residents and neighborhoods.”
Read the full story at this link.