Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens shared his optimism about the city’s ability to work with Georgia’s next governor — be it incumbent Brian Kemp or challenger Stacey Abrams — during an NBC News interview last week.
The Democratic mayor told NBC’s Chuck Todd on “Meet the Press” that he’s supporting Abrams, who is also a Democrat, but Dickens also said he and the Republican governor have formed a great relationship.
“If I picked up the phone and texted either one of them, they’re calling me right back because the center of this state is the city of Atlanta,” said Dickens. “Both of them are friends of mine.”
In a separate interview with Ryan Cameron on at Majic 107.5 radio, Dickens spoke passionately about another issue: the Wellstar Health System’s decision to close the Atlanta Medical Center.
Credit: Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@
Credit: Curtis Compton / Curtis.Compton@
“Wellstar is a nonprofit that is behaving like a for-profit because all they’re doing is looking at their bottom line,” Dickens said, accusing Wellstar of putting profits above poor people.
Dickens said Wellstar told him and Kemp at the last minute about its plans to close AMC on Nov. 1. Dickens said he is working to find a new operator for the hospital because low-income families rely on it as one of the region’s two Level I trauma centers.
On a lighter note, Dickens also said the city is going to bring back the Peach Drop in December. Peach Drop is a New Year’s Eve tradition in Atlanta, but it was canceled for the third time in a row last year.
”They’re gonna start off with Beyoncé and then Drake,” Dickens quipped (we think).
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Quote of the week: “Sorry Biden, Cascade comes first,” said Dickens, who turned down a White House invite last week because of his town hall at Cascade United Methodist Church.
During the event, Dickens said he’s going to release a report on the outcome of his administration’s first summer youth employment program. He also teased plans to open a community center for senior citizens. He also called out Fulton County for it’s role in the city’s well-being.
“Your hospitals, what happens in our mental health clinics, what happens with homelessness, what happens with courts, all those things are the responsibility of the county,” he said. “You and I pay the same amount (in taxes) for city services and county services.”
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Credit: City of Atlanta
Credit: City of Atlanta
In case you missed it: The Atlanta City Council recently passed legislation to enact the proposed changes to its council districts. Council member Andrea Boone said the new boundaries resulted in a balanced population in each district. An interactive dashboard displaying the new district boundaries is available on the city council’s website.
The council also expanded the Atlanta Human Relations Commission’s authority to investigate complaints of housing and employment discrimination based on a person’s criminal history, as well as their gender expression, which is how a person outwardly presents their gender.
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Atlanta City Hall has postponed Thursday’s council committee work session concerning the Neighborhood Planning Unit boundaries. We’ll let you know when this meeting is rescheduled.
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Credit: robert.andres@ajc.com
Credit: robert.andres@ajc.com
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It’s committee week for the City Council, and we’re interested in a newly proposed resolution that would let the mayor execute a special procurement agreement with a vendor who would serve as the operator of the 24/7 diversion center that is slated to open at the city detention center next year.
We’re also keeping our eyes on a new ordinance to change council’s due date for adopting the mayor’s $750 million infrastructure plan from Dec. 31 to June 30, 2023.
Send us tips and feedback at Wilborn.Nobles@ajc.com.
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